“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24, NIV).
“Justification” is another big word in the Christian faith. It is a judicial term meaning that someone who has done something wrong is suddenly declared innocent. In Christian theology the term “justified” means that we, as guilty sinners, are proclaimed righteous before a God who is perfect and just.
Justification can be discussed in a couple of different ways. We can say that universally Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross bought forgiveness for all people. In this regard, every sin of every person has been paid for by the shed blood of Christ. This truth, however, does not mean that all people are eventually saved. Only through faith in what Jesus has done does a person lay hold of this precious gift of God’s grace.
Simply put, Jesus died to remove the soul-staining sin of each of us. Still, this gift must be received by faith. May God lead each of us to believe this truth and so receive the gift he freely offers.
Chuck Kralik, Author 