In last week’s article, we looked at man’s pre-conversion state as being unregenerate. He is
living because of the presence of his sin nature ( ‘Therefore, just as sin entered the world
through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because
all sinned—. Romans 5:12)
At the point of conversion, a couple of things happen. First, man comes to see the cross as
THE vehicle for his redemption. (Galatians 2:20 (NLT) My old self has been crucified with
Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by
trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.) Jesus took my sins with
Him to the cross, and those sins were crucified there.
The second thing, and what we will focus on, is that man becomes JUSTIFIED. He is no
longer considered to be guilty of sin. He is no longer subject to the penalty that comes with
sin. JUSTIFIED is a legal term that implies that a ‘verdict’ of ‘not guilty’ has been
conferred upon the individual. This verdict conferred upon man by God Himself, delivers
us not from sin itself, because our inherent sinful nature still remains in us. Rather it
delivers us from the PENALTY of sin, which is spiritual death.
Remember – a ‘verdict’ is a legal term for the context of a legal courtroom. ‘Justification’ is
also contextual to the courtroom. This legal proclamation absolutely changes the position
of the individual who receives the verdict. It shifts him from a position of guilt to a
position of ‘not guilty’ – not because the offense he is being tried for is eliminated- it’s not.
Rather it’s because in spite of the offense, it is that penalty for the offense that is eliminated.
The position of being justified, then, becomes our new state. Romans 5:1–2 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which
we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
So, the sinful nature stays with us – but so does the re-positioning that comes with
justification. Through the sinful nature, we commit sin. As we ask God for forgiveness, we,
in effect, renew the effect of the justification. This is a continual, lifelong cycle. The
Hebrew means of worship and sacrifice at the temple for the atonement of sin reflects this
beautifully.
The act of asking regularly for forgiveness from God ‘keeps us ahead’ of the sins we
commit– and thus the sinful nature that perpetuates the sin.
This legal verdict of justification positions us in another way. It places us under the
protective covering of God against the diabolical motives, strategies, and tactics of Satan
himself. We have plenty of assurance in Scriptures about access to this spiritual covering, but we must
not live in Satan’s ways, which put us in danger of losing that cover.
The more we commit sin- particularly willfully and intentionally- we please Satan. The
more we commit sin, the more access to our lives we give to Satan’s rules. This is a clear
danger zone for us. This giving up ground to Satan actually serves to erode the effect of the
positives of Justification. Not that the verdict and result of Justification changes- we still
have the guarantee of God’s gift of eternal life, but if we put ourselves in places of Satan’s
dominion, we are more subject to his tactics. God’s protection is there for us, but if we
choose to live contrary to His standards, we, in effect, refuse to accept that protection. We
have to be so very aware at all times of the conflict that Paul describes in Romans 7:21–23
(NLT) : I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me
that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
When we fall into sin via our sinful nature, we fall into the possibility of Satan taking
advantage, and getting into the game more directly. In other words, he capitalizes on our
sins, and is quite willing to jump in and bring greater chaos in our lives. We end up giving
to him territory in our lives that he is not
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