Justified Sinner
In His wisdom He gave me the Law to show me my sin. (2 Kings 22:11-13; Romans 4:15) But I end up doing the evil things I want to avoid and I avoid doing the holy things I desire to do. (Romans 7:19) What a wretched man I am! Who can save me from the death penalty for my sinfulness? (Romans 7:24) I am not able to keep the Law, I cannot obey, and without a savior God will demand payment for my sins. (Job 34:21-30) But the very person I sinned against has crushed another in my place, His only Son. Jesus bore all the expense of my sin and proved that He has the power to raise me from the dead to be with Him in His glory. (Romans 4:25; John 17:24)
The threat of His justice terrified me. (Romans 1:18, 2:8, 13:4) But now, through the grace shown to me by the execution of His justice on another, He gives me hope and peace. (Romans 3:24, 5:9; Acts 4:33; Hebrews 7:19) Before salvation I was terrified of God's righteous judgement. Now I rest peacefully on that same justice. God will not cheapen the value of His Son's sacrifice by punishing me again for my sins. I look back in saddness at my sin but I am comforted that the punishment has already been endured, there is no fear of wrath. I have a durable hope, not in my ability to keep the Law or live a righteous life, but because I believe that He chose me for salvation and have faith that, through His grace, He paid my debt with His Son's blood. I am assured that He will not reject what He bought with the blood of Jesus. (Romans 8:29-30) My salvation is assured, because through His resurrection he proved that He has the power to raise me from the dead to be with Him for eternity. (Romans 6:9, 7:4; 2 Corinthians 1:9)
I am a justified sinner, destined for eternity spent in perfect growth in the knowledge and experience of the most excellent and durable treasure, Jesus Christ. I did nothing to warrant this salvation and I can do nothing to keep it, or lose it. I am now free to worship as Christ worshiped and love as Christ loved, regardless of the cost because what I have is more valuable than any trinket that can be attained on earth.
