The Justifier

Jun 29 2022 - Eric Buresh

Do you ever wonder why God saved us but left us in bodies of flesh, knowing we would keep sinning? He could have just redeemed our bodies right away, but He didn’t. Why? That was a big question for me, and I did not understand the truth for a long time. In my lack of understanding (and in my flesh), I reverted to my most natural state – pride. I had professed Christ in front of many people. I was a Christian. Sin in me was embarrassing. So, I erased it. Some of it I hid because I had no excuse. Other sin I spent a lot of energy arguing with people and my own conscience to establish that what I was doing really wasn’t a sin. That my actions and attitudes were justified in some way. I ran away from relationships that challenged my false perfection. I avoided Bible passages that shined light on my inner darkness. I was my own advocate, and I was a pretty good one too. One thing I never wanted to do was confess sin. Nope, I was not going to be embarrassed. I’m a Christian. I’m smart. I’m strong. Confession is for the weak people that need it. Not for me. Looking back, I see only pride and stubbornness.  

I had very little reason to love Jesus during that period. For anyone who has ever been in my shoes, you know the relational reality. Where you ignore or minimize your own sin, there’s not much need for Jesus. Where your perception of your own sin is tiny, the cross is tiny. When we wrongly see ourselves in mostly white clothes instead of rightly seeing ourselves in filthy rags, we don’t see the need to put on Christ’s clothes. God left us in our bodies of flesh so that we would have daily reasons to celebrate Jesus as the Justifier. Our own sin is meant to remind us every day of the enormity of God’s love and mercy demonstrated at the Cross and our massive need for the redeeming power of Christ’s shed blood to cleanse and make us righteous. Don’t misunderstand me -- our actions in sinning remain evil and are to be resisted in the power of the Spirit. Yet, those same actions are used by God for our own good by showing us our daily need for Jesus. We don’t have to be embarrassed. We don’t have to live in hiding while feigning perfection. We simply look to our Justifier and confess our weakness, and then Praise Him for being strength and righteousness for us.

In Acts 13, Paul, speaking at the synagogue in Antioch, gave a powerful introduction to Jesus, walking through history and the prophets to show his Jewish audience that Christ was the promised Messiah. In vs. 32-33, Paul proclaims, “And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus.” That phrase, “glad tidings,” can be translated as “Good News.” It is the same phrase that the angel used in Luke 2:10 to announce the birth of Jesus. Jesus is the glad tidings and the Good News. Why? “Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (vs. 38-29).

This is the Good News! In Jesus, there is total forgiveness of sins. Those who believe in Him are justified from ALL THINGS! Justified, most simply, means made innocent. In the eyes of God, through Christ, we are innocent. As the prophet Isaiah puts it, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18. Praise the Lord! Thank Him daily for being your forgiveness and for being the Great Justifier. Then, by confession and faith, live as one who is totally innocent for the Glory of Christ.