Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
Romans 5:1-2a NIV
In some ways, this passage pictures a courtroom scene. But rather than a judge and jury, it is a king who judges and passes the appropriate sentences. The king sits on his throne. On either side of him is his court, those who experience his favor. And opposite him are the accused.
And that is where I was, standing before God. Guilty of all charges. And I was facing his judgment. But God, in his grace, provided a way for me to escape the well-deserved punishment that awaited me. Jesus died to atone for my sins. And, when I repented of my sin and accepted him as Lord by faith, I experienced justification. God declared me as not guilty, imputing the righteousness of Christ to me.
But that is not the end. When I experienced justification, I was reconciled to God. And my place in the courtroom changed. I moved from among the accused to those who experience God’s favor. I now stand before God, by faith, in a state of grace. My justification was an act of God’s grace. And his grace continues to shelter and comfort me, to equip me for service in his kingdom, and to prepare me for the life to come. Praise God for his amazing grace. The grace in which we now stand.
