Resurrection Reflections

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
Romans 4:25 

 

Praise the Lord that Jesus went to the cross and paid for our sins—paid the debt we could not pay—and then rose from the grave! And, as the Reformer Martin Luther says, the message of the Gospel brings joy because there on the cross Christ overcame sin, death, and hell.

As the Scripture above says, “he was raised to life for our justification,” which means to be made right— to be put in right stead with God. In fact, the Bible says we have been credited with the very righteousness of Jesus simply through faith in Him.

When we believe on Jesus and receive him as Savior, our sins are washed away and we are then credited and covered with the very righteousness of Christ—justifying us by grace— completely on the basis of what Jesus did and not on the basis of our own works or merit. “However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Romans 4:5 

The Amplified Bible explains it even better: “But to the one who does not work [that is, the one who does not try to earn his salvation by doing good], but believes and completely trusts in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).” Romans 4:5 AMP

Christ paid for our sin once for all, and by simply believing in Him we are justified by His grace. 

Thus the resurrection of Jesus is joy, peace, and life!

Joy because he paid the price we could not pay! (Rom 5:8, Gal 5:22)

Peace because we now have peace with God having been justified by faith through his grace! (Rom 5:1-2)

Life because he has given us eternal life! (Rom 6:23, 1 John 5:11)