One of the most gifted Christian communicators of the modern era is Warren Wiersbe. In his book titled Key Words of the Christian Life, he relates one of the finest illustrations ever regarding the Christian concept of justification. Citing his close friend and colleague, Dr. Roy Gustafson, Wiersbe writes:
It seems that there was a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat and went across to the continent to go on a holiday.
While he was driving around Europe, something happened to the motor of his car. He cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England and asked, "I'm having trouble with my car; what do you suggest I do?"
Well, the Rolls-Royce people flew a mechanic over! The mechanic repaired the car and flew back to England and left the man to continue his holiday.
As you can imagine, the fellow was wondering, "How much is this going to cost me?" So when he got back to England, he wrote the Rolls Royce people a letter and asked how much he owed them.
He received a letter from the office that read: "Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce. That is justification.
How right Drs. Gustafson and Wiersbe are! Once we embrace Jesus Christ, we are justified in the eyes of almighty God! There is no longer any record of our sins; for they are blotted out by the shed blood of God’s Son! And we have peace with God through the finished work of atonement provided by Jesus Christ!
In a key passage in the New Testament Book of Romans (chapter 5, verses 1-10), the Apostle Paul begins and concludes with the word “justification”:
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we b boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
In the original Koine, or common, Greek language in which the New Testament was first written, the word here translated as “justified” is the word “dikaioó” (pronounced “dik-ah-yo'-o”). It means “to declare someone righteous”.
Speaking on behalf of Almighty God, the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (chapter 64, verse 6) tells us that our own righteousness is as dirty rags before the Lord! Thus, when Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross, he took our filthy sinfulness upon Himself. And in turn, His righteousness was imputed to us! Because of this, as Paul says, we have been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ!
That is to say that because of Christ’s atoning work, God no longer declares us guilty but instead declares us as righteous. We are thus justified through our faith in Jesus Christ! As has been noted many times by many preachers, to say that I am justified is to say that it is “just if I’d” never sinned!
May God be praised for His great salvation made available in in Jesus Christ! For all who receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior have been declared righteous and therefore justified for all eternity!
STORY SOURCE: Warren Wiersbe, Key Words of the Christian Life: Understanding and Applying Their Meanings (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), p. 16
ALSO AVAILABLE WIDELY ONLINE: See, for instance:
https://bible.org/illustration/rolls-royce.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/niv/romans/5.htm;
https://biblehub.com/isaiah/64-6.htm;
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/romans/5-1.htm.
It seems that there was a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat and went across to the continent to go on a holiday.
While he was driving around Europe, something happened to the motor of his car. He cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England and asked, "I'm having trouble with my car; what do you suggest I do?"
Well, the Rolls-Royce people flew a mechanic over! The mechanic repaired the car and flew back to England and left the man to continue his holiday.
As you can imagine, the fellow was wondering, "How much is this going to cost me?" So when he got back to England, he wrote the Rolls Royce people a letter and asked how much he owed them.
He received a letter from the office that read: "Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce. That is justification.
How right Drs. Gustafson and Wiersbe are! Once we embrace Jesus Christ, we are justified in the eyes of almighty God! There is no longer any record of our sins; for they are blotted out by the shed blood of God’s Son! And we have peace with God through the finished work of atonement provided by Jesus Christ!
In a key passage in the New Testament Book of Romans (chapter 5, verses 1-10), the Apostle Paul begins and concludes with the word “justification”:
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we b boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
In the original Koine, or common, Greek language in which the New Testament was first written, the word here translated as “justified” is the word “dikaioó” (pronounced “dik-ah-yo'-o”). It means “to declare someone righteous”.
Speaking on behalf of Almighty God, the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (chapter 64, verse 6) tells us that our own righteousness is as dirty rags before the Lord! Thus, when Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross, he took our filthy sinfulness upon Himself. And in turn, His righteousness was imputed to us! Because of this, as Paul says, we have been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ!
That is to say that because of Christ’s atoning work, God no longer declares us guilty but instead declares us as righteous. We are thus justified through our faith in Jesus Christ! As has been noted many times by many preachers, to say that I am justified is to say that it is “just if I’d” never sinned!
May God be praised for His great salvation made available in in Jesus Christ! For all who receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior have been declared righteous and therefore justified for all eternity!
STORY SOURCE: Warren Wiersbe, Key Words of the Christian Life: Understanding and Applying Their Meanings (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), p. 16
ALSO AVAILABLE WIDELY ONLINE: See, for instance:
https://bible.org/illustration/rolls-royce.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/niv/romans/5.htm;
https://biblehub.com/isaiah/64-6.htm;
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/romans/5-1.htm.