We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.
(Galatians 2:15-18 NASB)
We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. And it’s more than just believing that Jesus lived. It’s believing that He’s part of the triune God, that He came to earth and took on flesh, and that He died to pay the penalty for sin.
When we have that faith, that confidence in God’s grace, then we are justified.
There’s nothing we can do to gain salvation on our own. We can’t do enough good things. We can’t memorize enough scriptures. We can’t serve in enough soup kitchens.
It is only by grace—God’s unmerited favor—that we can be assured of salvation and of our spending eternity with our Lord God.
And when we’re justified, when we’re saved by God’s grace, we will seek to live as sinless as we possibility can. For Jesus is not a “minister of sin." In fact, even in flesh, He remained without sin. And it’s because of His perfection that He could pay the penalty for our sin.
That’s grace. That’s justification. And it’s ours if we sincerely accept Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation and commit our lives to Him.
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