I believe that many Christians have not understood that when Christ Jesus, the Lamb, was slain, all of humanity was justified.
Yet God, in his grace, freely
makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us
from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice
for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed
his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when
he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was
looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God
did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and
he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. –
Romans 3:24-26 (NLT)
Justice was served and is still being served to this day.
The redeeming work of Jesus’ death and His righteousness are the sole basis for
God’s justice toward sinners.
God did this for all, however it is by faith that we receive
this justice, when, by faith, we accept the work of Jesus at Calvary.
people are counted as
righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who
forgives sinners. – Romans 4:5 (NLT)
We must recognize that justification is an act of God where
He remits sin in complete forgiveness. Forgiveness that is not unique to any
particular group of people but is extended to everyone.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to see other persons as
justified but we don’t. Church goers get upset for something as trivial as what
someone is wearing or angry about what you believe or how you lead worship or
if you sit in their spot in the pew and then they begin to complain and murmur.
They go to church Sunday after Sunday vexed, bitter, resentful, with their
hearts blistering with unforgiveness.
Reciting the Apostle’s Creed, responding to the preacher’s sermon
in a chorus of “Amens” yet refusing to forgive their brothers and sisters,
leaving their tainted gifts at the altar.
We have all sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard
(Romans 3:23) so let’s not pretend. Throw off your cloak of self-righteousness.
Let’s allow Christ’s love to control us; we must believe that Christ died for
all, also we must believe that we have all died to our old life (ref. 2
Corinthians 5:14).
Understanding that He died
for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for
themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for
them (ref. 2 Corinthians 5:15) is
supposed to lead the believer into a new way of life.
Let us truly embrace this new life by coming out of our own
flesh and stop regarding others according to the flesh.
So we have stopped evaluating
others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from
a human point of view. How differently we know him now! (2
Corinthians 5:16).
The truth is, when you’re unwilling to forgive, you are
still evaluating others from a human point of view; you are still thinking of
Jesus in Human terms, and you don’t really know Him. You have not allowed Him
to impact your reality.
Living with unforgiveness keeps you in a subservient
reality. Subservient to your soulish impulses but not to Christ. This self-absorbed
condition leaves you wanting and unfulfilled.
Unforgiveness is self-serving. It is having a victim
mentality which, believe it or not, places you under the control of another
human being, that is, the person you’re refusing to forgive.
Unforgiveness keeps you stagnant, it stimies your growth and
you cannot enjoy the fullness of the life in Christ.
Beloved, holding onto offenses and seeking justice for someone’s ill-treatment of you is holding you captive. It’s time to forgive. You are one with Jesus, a new creation, so let go of the old judgmental ways where you are judge, jury and executioner (see Matthew 7:1). That is not your place. It’s time for you to come to terms with the truth that justice was served.
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “Justice was Served” ©2026 February 10, 2026
No comments:
Post a Comment