“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.”

It is humbling to me to reflect on this concept of justification as presented by Paul in the wake of a somber and celebratory week which led to the fruition of this justification he describes. If you’re like me, meditating on the crucifixion helps me to at least begin to feel the weight of my sin and what Christ had to do because of it.  

But before we explore the concept of justification, I want to focus on Paul’s reference to God’s wrath. Without an understanding of the severity of this wrath, it may be hard to fully appreciate the forgiveness extended to us by the cross.  

The Lord spoke of His wrath through the prophet Zephaniah in the Old Testament: “A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of His jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end He will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Zep 1:15-18, emphasis mine). And for further descriptors of the God’s wrath, check out Revelation 16!  

I’m not one for brimstone and fire sermons – but when contemplating Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, it is important to acknowledge from what we need saving and the severity of it (God’s wrath!).

In order to avoid God’s wrath as described, we have to be justified by the blood of Christ. So, what does it mean to be justified? The Greek word used by Paul was dikaiōthentes. While there are several definitions, the one that packs a punch for me is “to declare guiltless one accused; to be declared innocent and therefore to be absolved from the charge of sins.”  

If you’ve ever been in trouble with the law, perhaps you have experienced first-hand the fear of standing before a judge – the fate of your future in the hands of the person or jury before you. Though I have not personally experienced this, the thought of ever finding myself in that type of a situation is enough to keep me from testing the boundaries set by the law.  

And yet, even though I (Lord-willing) will never stand before a judge or jury this side of heaven, I know that I will face a trial one day. When I pass into eternity, there WILL be a judge waiting for me; ready to read me my extensive list of charges. I will be reminded of the time when I lied to the school nurse in 1st grade; I will be reminded of some poor choices I made when I graduated college; I will be reminded of the pride and identity that I rooted in my title at work; I will be reminded of my laziness and failure to prioritize my relationship with God over Netflix; a list of ALL my sins, ALL of my offenses, ALL of my charges, will be read to me.  

And do you know what the sentence is for my list of charges? God’s wrath, which leads to only one outcome – death (Romans 6:23).  

I stand accused, but guess who my defense attorney is? Enter, Jesus Christ. Because of His death on the cross; because of His blood poured out, and because I have accepted His gift of grace, God declares me guiltless. Despite my infinite list of offenses, I am “declared innocent and therefore to be absolved from the charge of sins.” The gavel falls and my trial is complete – I am set free. I have been justified by faith.  

What will the result of your trial be? Have you been justified, absolved from your sins, declared innocent by the blood shed on the cross? Or are you at risk of facing the wrath of God? There are two ways your trial can go – if you are your own defense, you face the guilty verdict. But if you submit to the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and allow Him to bear your guilt, shame, and sin then you can confidently stand before God with Jesus at your side and listen to Him proclaim you innocent of ALL charges. One simple prayer, one simple act of faith, can change the trajectory of your trial. What will be your verdict?  

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to die. Thank you that through His blood that was shed at Calvary, I can be justified, absolved of all my sins. God, my list of charges is long, but your grace abounds. Help me to never forget the weight of the sacrifice that was made to save me from your wrath, but also help me to walk forward in the freedom that you have extended to me putting aside all shame and guilt from my transgressions. Thank you Lord for your forgiveness and the everlasting life with you that I get to experience because of it. I love you, Amen.