How you escaped from the wrath of God

Before there can be any talk of changing the way you live – fixing your mind, fixing your family, fixing your society – before any of that, you must first escape from the wrath of God and be counted by him as righteous. Before there can be any God-honoring transformation there has to be the removal of God's condemnation. Which means justification must precede and provide the foundation for sanctification.

Romans 3:24-25. As one that was Guilty, as condemned sinner you were "justified as a gift by His grace through redemption which is in Christ Jesus; through His blood through faith." "You were Justified" it is precious because it means God declares you to be just and righteous in his sight even before you escape from the power of sin.

"As a gift" is precious because it means you can't earn this. It is free. You don't deserve it. You don't get fixed before you have it. It is the basis for getting fixed.

"By His grace" is precious because it means that behind the wrath of God there is another mighty impulse in the heart of God toward you, grace, moving God, in complete freedom, to save you from His own anger.

"Through the redemption" is precious because it means your sins are forgiven and you are set free – redeemed – from condemnation.

"Which is in Christ Jesus" is precious because it means that Jesus himself and not you and not the law is the foundation of your justification. He is a much more solid rock to stand on than your law-keeping ever could be.

"As a propitiation" is precious because it means that the wrath of God that you deserved was removed. Christ absorbed it, and took it away. He became the curse for you and took away the judgment of God.

"In His blood" is precious because it means that Christ died for you. He poured out his life-blood in your place and did what you could never do to save yourself. Only the death of the Son of God could save a sinner like you.

"Through faith" is precious because it shows how you became beneficiary of all this grace. You don't work for it, you receive it as a gift by faith. Romans 5:17 "Those who receive . . . the gift of righteousness will reign in life through, Jesus Christ." By faith alone you receive the pardon and the imputed righteousness of Jesus.

So justification is God's act of counting you to be righteous, even while you were yet a sinner by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ's work alone, for the glory of God alone. This is the greatest thing in the world – to know God without wrath and full of grace because of Christ.