How to Know You Are Radically Justified to God

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I had no idea what it meant to be justified, let alone to find justification with God. I became a Christian at a very early age (see my testimony here) so as I matured, I started to wonder, and maybe you did too, how to know you are radically justified to God.

To be justified means: through your faith in Christ you are made right with God.

Several Christians I’ve met said it like this: Just-as-if-I-never-sinned = justified. Other words are “justify” and “justification.” God sees you through a Jesus filter when you believe in Christ. Since he was sinless, to God, you are too.

But how do you know-know you are radically justified to God?

First: Know Jesus radically died on your behalf

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Romans 5:6-11 (italics mine.)

I know that’s a long passage to read, but if you skipped it, I suggest going back and taking the time to read it. It is the crux of your salvation and radical justification through Christ. Once you’ve finished, come on back and learn how to know you are radically justified to God.

Glad to see you back!

The chosen people of God in the Old Testament had but one way to be temporarily justified with God – to sacrifice animals for their sin. God created the law and distributed it through his servant Moses. But what the law couldn’t do, was make a permanent way for God’s people to know-know they were radically justified. It was only a momentary fix until they broke the law again (sinned).

Anyone perfect out there in blog-land? I don’t see any hands going up…that’s the problem now, and it was the problem back then too – nobody’s perfect. The law never eternally righted any wrongs and it exposed the sin in the lives of the ones who had to follow it (Romans 3:20).

However, Paul quite directly explains how utterly helpless you were to die for your sins or use the law of Moses to rectify them temporarily. “Christ came at just the right time and died” for you. Jesus radically died – a sinless, spotless lamb, sent as the permanent sacrifice for your sins and mine – by giving up his will to the will of the Father. He died a horrible radical death on a rugged cross. Why? So he could be your Jesus filter! To make it “just as if you never sinned.” To be the justification for your new relationship with God and to save you from condemnation.

Radical.

Second: Believe you are radically justified

“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do” Acts 13:38-39 (italics mine).

Refer back to the definition of justified, and you’ll see the very definition resting in Acts 13:39. But, there’s a little catch. The catch is everyone must have faith in him first. You don’t receive the Jesus filter until you believe in Jesus; radically believe!

Why do I use the term radical here for your belief? Because believing in Jesus IS radical. It’s fanatical. It’s the opposite of what the world considers right. Those who have no faith in Jesus think about a lot of other great things like love and hope, don’t get me wrong. But if they don’t choose Jesus first, what they rely on won’t get them in right standing with God, ever!

A passion for the disenfranchised is incredible, and those who dedicate their lives to helping the poor deserve an award in my book. But, work done in their strength and not through the power of Jesus receives only worldly value. However, alongside Jesus, the same action obtains a jewel in the crown of those who believe. It awaits them in eternal heaven!

You must first believe in Jesus before receiving your right standing with God. Then, put your radical belief into practice – be Jesus to the world and lead others to become radically justified too. Receive your right relationship with God and your crown at one time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have some closing questions I’d like you to ponder.

Do you believe Jesus died in your place for your radical justification with God?

Do you recognize Jesus’ radical death and resurrection which restores you to a right relationship with your God?

Are you living life as proof of your radical belief?

Are you leading your friends and family to this radical belief?

If not, why not?

Jesus did his radical thing so, permanently, the sin in your life would disappear once you believed in him. Immediately and automatically justified then, you share in a personal relationship with God.

Time for some radical faith, my friend.