Justified By Grace

 

Titus 3:3-7 KJV
3. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4. But after that the kindess and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.
5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6. Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

There is a misconception about Christians.  The world believes we are perfect, they hold us to a higher standard than they do themselves, and if we fall, if we stumble, we are mocked and ridiculed, denounced as hypocrites.  I have news for the world. I am not perfect.  My life is far from perfect.  I am guilty of each and every transgression listed in verse 3, past and present.  I am not sinless and without blame.  I cannot be as long as I am in this flesh body of mine.  However just because I know there was only one perfect flesh man to walk this earth does not mean that I shouldn't strive to be as much like Jesus as possible.  I must hold myself to a higher standard.  I must make my life a testimony to my Savior.  And, inevitably when I fall, there is grace.  It is not by my works in this life that I am saved, nor is it by my works that I keep myself saved.  It is by His mercy.  Mercy that He gave abundantly, so that I might be justified by His grace to be made an heir to the throne of heaven.

It doesn't matter what our past holds.  The moment we accept Christ Jesus as our Savior and ask forgiveness of those sins, they are cast into the sea of forgetfulness. 

Micah 7:18-19 KJV
18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.--John R. W. Stott 
I have heard it said that the Jews murdered Jesus, that Satan had Him crucified, that He was forced on the cross like the common thieves He hung between.  No.  Absolutely wrong.  Jesus willingly laid down His life to buy our pardon.  Our sins made it necessary. We owed a sin debt we are incapable of paying.  But He had compassion on us.  Mercy. Grace. He gave His life so that we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  Joint heirs.  

Romans 8:16-17 KJV
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The magnitude of His suffering on the cross cannot be equated to the sufferings we face in this life.  They are unbearable to us, seemingly unending at times, yet a pittance in comparison to His crucifixion.  Or even what we faced had He not given Himself as sacrifice to us.  The fires of hell truly are unbearable and unending.  Yet due to His suffering we become joint heirs to a heavenly kingdom and the throne of God.    

Suddenly my past sins, my present trials and tribulations pale, and my future as a child of God is brilliant and vibrant.  No matter what this life holds, no matter what the world thinks of me as a Christian, I know that because of my acceptance of Christ Jesus that I am a child of God and I have a priceless inheritance awaiting me.  I am justified by Grace.