To justify means to declare one righteous, or count them as righteous. When God justifies someone, they are considered, declared righteous by Hm having their sins removed from their account. They become justified from the guilt of sin, and thus re freed from the penalty of sin which is death. (Romans 6:23) Righteousness is a standing that God imputes. We cannot be any more righteous than we were when God initially justified us based on our faith. Holiness is something we grow in (2 Corinthians 7:1). It is the means by which we become more and more like Christ. Sanctification is the process by which we become what we are. We begin to live experintially the way that God has already declared us to be positionally. We begin to live in a manner that God has already declared us to be. To believe in Jesus means that we completely rely on Him for our salvation. To be justified by faith means that God considers an individual to be righteous when they place their complete trust in Jesus’ work on Calvary, renouncing any ability of their own to save themselves. Grace is not a license to sin, but the power to live above sin. Justification is not the totality of our salvation experience, regeneration occurs through the new birth (titus 3:5). Regeneration is the transformation of believers wherein God infuses spiritual life into our spirits. (Thoughts taken from Jason Dulle and Daniel Segraves)
Holiness and Grace December 17, 2007
Holiness and Grace are perfect compliments, Holiness must be anchored in the Grace of God
God’s Reach December 17, 2007
Your worst day’s are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace, and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.
Grace – The Power to Live December 17, 2007
Grace is more than the unmerited favor of God. Grace = Power, Power to live an overcoming life. Grace is something that you do through the power of God. Mercy picks up when all human strength and power is gone. Mercy carries you through the storm. Mercy is only something God can do. Mercy is in the cross and Grace is in the Holy Ghost.
