The Final Act: Act 3 - Justification

Much of what Martin Luther did leading up to the Protestant Reformation surrounded the issue of our justification by faith.  The term actually means to be "acquitted" of a crime.  I like this definition - “displays God’s justice in condemning and punishing sin, his mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and his wisdom in exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ."  Paul addressed this topic with the Roman Christians - For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law -- Romans 3:28 (NIV). 

The Roman Catholic Church of Luther's era, believed that justification was a process not an event.  They believed that justification was a process that continued after death in Purgatory, in which, Christians were assured of entering heaven but only after years of enduring the punishments deserved by sin in this life.  Luther emphatically denied any truth to this and instead saw Paul's words in Romans 3:28 as sufficient for our eternity, simply that we are "justified by faith" alone.  

He illustrates this truth using the analogy of placing a cloak around his young son Hans before he left the house on a cold winter’s day. In the same way God covers us with His righteousness to shield us from the consequences of our sin and final judgement.  We are cloaked in Christ and protected from the punishment we deserved.  Because we are cloaked in Christ at faith through God's grace, we know that there is "now, no more condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus" -- Romans 8:1.  How we view this certainly affects how we worship.  I can't believe we could ever worship without celebration knowing that Christ has covered and protected us from certain punishment.

I've had to do a little soul searching myself, and evaluate my own mindset in personal worship and service.  I think of it this way, if I was on trial and was acquitted of a crime that had a price tag of death, how happy would I be?  

Randy