  *NOTE: On Wednesdays in 2025 we will celebrate “walking in the Word” through applying Biblical doctrine. Rightly understanding Biblical doctrine fuels doxology, delight in Jesus, and gospel centered discipleship.
Last week we celebrated the joy of justification. This week we feast on peace as fruit growing from of the roots of justification. Key Verse: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace..." Romans 5:1 Many Christians forfeit peace due to misunderstanding justification, taking our own work more serious than the work of Jesus. John Bunyan, Puritan pastor who wrote The Pilgrims Progress, could identify. In his book Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (free PDF here), Bunyan tells the story of his journey from condemnation to peace through understanding the justifying work of Jesus. At one time, Bunyan was a well-known rebel rouser who, after a brush with religion, became a whitewashed tomb. While walking through a field with a convicted conscience, Bunyan became overwhelmed with the realization that his “righteousness is in heaven” rather than his own work and performance. With eyes of faith, Bunyan saw Christ at the right hand of the Father, assuring him that at “no time” could it be said of him that he lacked righteousness before God. Bunyan was stunned through his encounter with the doctrine of justification, writing, “Here therefore I lived, for some time, very sweetly at peace with God through Christ. Oh, I thought, Christ! Christ! There was nothing but Christ before my eyes.” Justification is helpfully described in an early church apologetic, the Epistle to Diognetus (@ 130 AD): “In his mercy (Jesus) took upon himself our sins; (The Father) himself gave his own Son as a ransom for us, the holy one for the lawless, the guiltless for the guilty, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal. For what else but his righteousness could have covered our sins?” Justification is rooted in God’s eternal character and God’s eternal will. Peace will be experienced as the reality of justification takes root in your soul. The immutable character of God in relation to justification is explained in Romans 3:21-26. God’s unchanging character is holy, so He cannot have fellowship with sinners; God’s unchanging character just, so the wages of sin must be paid. God’s unchanging character is love, and He desires fellowship with His people. God’s unchanging character is merciful, so Jesus fulfilled the demands of God’s law before dying as a propitiation for our sins. Through the life of Jesus, the righteousness of God appeared apart from the law. Through the death of Jesus, the righteousness of God is available for all whose faith is in Jesus- justified by God’s grace as a gift. God’s eternal character is how God is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ Jesus.” (3:26) The glorious exchange of justification is not only rooted in God’s eternal character- His holiness, justice, love, and mercy; it is also rooted in God’s eternal will. God justifies His people, “Not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:9-10 (emphasis mine) God’s eternal will established “before the ages began” is known as the Covenant of Redemption, “the agreement between the Father, giving the Son as Head and Redeemer of the elect, and the Son, voluntarily taking the place of those whom the Father had given him.” (Louis Berkoff) God’s eternal love is evidenced in His eternal plan to justify His people so that through justification we may become His children. In light of this truth, take a moment to read Ephesians 1:3-10 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Peace with God grows in our hearts when we shift the focus of our faith to God, His eternal character and His eternal will manifest through Jesus’ justifying work. Wretched sinners like us are made righteous before a holy and just God by the finished work of Jesus Christ, “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) becoming children of God. (Galatians 4:4-6) Believers have been “justified by His blood” and “saved from God’s wrath,” (Romans 5:6-11) so with John Bunyan we celebrate being “very sweetly at peace with God” through the work of God in Jesus Christ. Our righteousness is Jesus Christ! And at no time will we lack the righteousness we need to fellowship with our Father. Next week we will unpack more of the reality of justification! Richly Dwelling -Do you know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding? -What role does your sin, sin struggle, personal condemnation, or lack of faith in the finished work of Jesus play in your inability to experience the fruit of peace in your life? -How does the finished work of Jesus give you peace, making you righteous before God for a life of peace with God? Where, specifically, do you need to apply this reality? Key Verse: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace..." Romans 5:1
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