Progressing in Christ - Part I
August 2023 |
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”
—II Peter 3:18
There are two major themes I’d like to address that will help uncover the process of growing in grace and the knowledge of the Lord. These two doctrines are the doctrine of justification and the doctrine of sanctification. Both are established for the believer at the moment of the salvation experience. After the initial experience of being joined to these doctrines, there remains a growth process to be addressed. These benefits are fully ours at salvation, but the ability to adequately walk in and understand how they impact a believer requires time and experience. Therefore, let it be clearly understood that it is the learning curve that the believer undergoes in regard to these truths that is progressive. We do not progressively grow in the status of either status, but we do progress in our understanding of them, our application of them, and our dependence on them. To do so effectively guarantees that we are progressing in Christ. In this first of two articles, we will focus on the benefits of justification and the progress the believer should make in applying justification to his heart and life.
DEFINING JUSTIFICATION
Justification is the legal status and position applied to the sinner who places his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. He acknowledges Him as the Son of God who died on Calvary to pay the penalty for his sin. God the Father then declares this new believer “justified.” This means that he is completely freed from the penalty of sins committed. Justification is how all sins are forgiven—past, present, and future (Rom. 3:22). The believer is then granted a perfect, complete righteousness. This is the righteous life of Christ, which is imputed into the “spiritual account” of the believer. The righteousness of Christ is a perfect, sinless righteousness. After having received Christ’s righteousness, God recognizes the new believer as sinless and perfect (Rom. 4:6). This status allows a holy God to maintain a consistent relationship with the one to whom justification has been applied, despite his imperfections (Rom. 3:23). Justification can only be achieved by faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, justification is a status declared by God over the life of the believing sinner that frees him from the penalty of sin, imputes a perfect righteousness toward his account, and can only be achieved by faith in Christ. Faith is the responsibility of the sinner. Justification is supplied by God, based upon the finished work of Christ. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He was declaring that this status of justification was available to everyone who would believe.
THE CHALLENGE TO JUSTIFICATION
A challenge to the status of justification happens every time any believer fails. It is the default desire of every truly born-again believer not to fail. No one has ever been able to live in the presence of sin (sin surrounds us and even exists within us) without failure occurring. The biblical pattern that is to follow a failure is described in Scripture. When a believer fails and is aware of that failure (through Scripture and/or the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit), he is to bring that failure before God and confess his failure to the Lord (I John 1:9). This frees the believer from the sense of guilt that accompanies the present failure. The believer is to believe and understand that at Calvary Jesus paid for all sin. Both the sins committed prior to salvation and sins thereafter were covered by Christ’s sacrifice. The believer’s confession not only acknowledges guilt, but it also looks to the finished work of Christ as the means of payment for all sin. The believer can then move forward with God, assured that God will no longer remember the failure. We must also accept that this process is available to every believer, not just ourselves. Failures, both ours and the sins of others, challenge us to progress in our understanding and experience in justification.
PROGRESSING IN JUSTIFICATION
As a believer, do you understand that when you fail, you do not lose the status of justification? If this were not so, then any character flaw contrary to the nature and character of God would result in the believer’s loss of justification. Do you believe that any wrong thought, statement, or deed eliminates a person from right standing with God? Don’t you understand that without the status of justification being a reality in the life of all saints, there would be no one found acceptable to have a relationship with God? Justification is not just how we rise above failure. It is the only status through which God can legally and rightfully indwell and commune with those who place their faith in Christ. Do you recognize how necessary this status is? If so, then you are progressing in your knowledge and application of justification. Do you understand that the penalty for all sin has already been paid at Calvary? When we fail, we can come boldly to the throne of grace and ask for mercy and grace to help in our time of need. Jesus paid the price to make justification available to humanity. Not just to one or two but to all. There has never been one individual that will make it to heaven outside of justification being constantly applied to his heart and life. Our righteousness is as “filthy rags.” When we see this as truth, and we recognize the need for the status of justification by faith, then we are progressing in the knowledge of justification. Be sure not to withhold from others in the body of Christ what God has granted to you. Can justification by faith be lost? Yes! If faith is lost, then justification can be lost. But it is not lost because of a single event, thought, or action. Are you progressing in the understanding and application of justification?
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