Now imagine you're a criminal and you're in court for your sentence hearing.
The jury found you guilty of a capital offence and the judge has just sentenced you to 30 years in prison.
As you collapse back into your chair dejected and in tears, suddenly, you hear a soft firm voice from the back say,"permission to speak your honor" as a man calmly walks forward.
Your devastation is briefly interrupted by this peculiar scene as you intently gaze at this man.
"Who is this man?", you wonder, "I've never seen him before".
Now all eyes and attention are on him as he draws to a halt.
"Permission granted", the judge responds.
"Your honor, I would like to serve this man's sentence."
Suddenly, the courtroom erupts into chaos.
"Order in the courtroom! Order!", the judge shouts as he frantically tries to restore order.
A few moments later calm is restored but everyone is still in disbelief and soft whispers can be heard across the courtroom.
"Your honor", the man continues, "I know that according to the law, this person deserves the sentence granted to them. I understand that someone has to pay for what they did but please let me serve their sentence instead."
The judge still in shock, reluctantly grants his request after which the man looks at you and gives you a warm smile.
Suddenly the man is cuffed, bundled out of the courtroom into a waiting van and off to prison to start your sentence.
"You can go home now. You’re free.", the judge pronounces, his words drowned by the adrenaline rush in your body as you sit there trying to make sense of what just happened.
Your family is ecstatic for you but you don't feel free. Someone else is paying for your crime.
Matter of fact you won't fill acquitted until the man who is serving your sentence gets out of prison.
Well, the man who took your place is Jesus and His release from prison is a picture of His resurrection which is your sigh of relief, proof and declaration that you are acquitted.
This is what Paul means in Romans 4:25 when he says:
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (NIV)
The Greek word for justification in the verse is 'dikaiósis' which means acquittal.
The resurrection of Jesus is proof that we have been acquitted as believers. We have been absolved of all our sins.
By placing your faith in Christ, God, the eternal Judge, has justified/acquitted you i.e., declared you not guilty.
Jesus' empty tomb is proof that as a believer, God has absolved you of all your 'crimes' against Him and He now treats you just as if you never committed them in the first place. You are now at peace with Him because you have placed your faith in Jesus (see Romans 5:1).
As a believer, you have been reconciled to God. You guys are cool now (see Romans 5:9-10).
I love how one of the Pidgin translation translates Jesus words in Luke 18:4 when He speaks of the taxpayer who went to the temple to pray. Jesus says:
"...I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God." (NIV)
The pidgin translation translates 'justified before God 'as 'God He say him alright.'
In other words, to be justified before God is for God to say,"You're alright".
What a word of affirmation to receive from God, ey?
Now it's important to emphasize that justification is not God overlooking our sins. As a just God, He cannot. So He does not sweep our sins under the carpet and dismiss the whole thing as, 'boys will be boys' or 'they're only human'. No. Sin must be punished if God is to stay true to who He is.
But herein lies the big dilemma because those He must punish, He loves as well.
So how does He reconcile His justice and His love?
Well, He becomes both Just and Justifier (see Romans 3:26).
Let me explain....
Imagine a good judge preceding over a traffic violation case and the suspect just so happens to be his son. Being a just judge, he cannot be biased towards his guilty son so he gives him the maximum punishment his crime deserves according to the law which is a hefty fine that his son unfortunately cannot afford to pay meaning he'll have to do some jail time. Just then, the judge stands up, goes into his chambers, takes off his robe and goes straight to the court registry to pay the hefty fine for his son's freedom.
This is what Paul means when he says God is both Just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
He is not only the One who issued the sentence, He is also the One who served it; a perfect picture of a God who is a righteous Judge and a loving, gracious Father, all wrapped into one.
Because of His justice, our sins could not go unpunished but because of His love, He took that punishment upon Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.
The justice and the love of God kissed on the cross of Jesus.
We owed a debt we could not pay so God paid it for us even though He did not owe any of it.
He restored that which He took not away (see Psalm 69:4).
This is the heart of the gospel and all you have to do to be a partaker of this great act of God's grace and forgiveness is place your faith in Jesus unto salvation.
God bless you.
Comments