Benefits for the New Year
romans 5:1-4

Some time during the month of November each year, I receive a reminder from Human Resources reminding me that it is time to renew or change my insurance benefits. And each year I somehow manage to get sidetracked so that at the last minute before the deadline, I make the appropriate changes. Having worked for an insurance company, I realize the importance of benefits; but like so many others, it is easy to take them for granted. My employer, as well as employers all over the world, realizes that during the year there is a possibility that along with the good days of life, we are sometimes exposed to days that can be difficult both physically and mentally! A friend of mine said, “Everyday that the good Lord made is a good day! It’s just that some days are lesser good than others!”

Paul was familiar with the lesser good days, but he learned about the benefits of justification, which allowed him even during the difficult days to say in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." Knowing about our justification ought to cause every Christian to have a spirit of rejoicing like Paul. In Romans, Paul talks about the benefits that help us get through those “lesser good” days in our lives, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The word 'diakioun' which is translated in the King James Version to mean 'justification,' carries with it the idea to count someone righteous. It means to reckon, to credit, to account, to judge, to treat, and most importantly, to look upon as righteous. The beauty of this word is that it doesn’t mean to make a man righteous. To do that, God would probably have to make us all over again. However, because of the effects of Calvary and the resurrection three days later, even though a man is not made righteous, when he puts his trust in Jesus, he is counted as being righteous before God.

The process of justification was needed because of the word 'sin.' Sin caused man to be alienated from God by his rebellion. But when a man puts his trust in Jesus, his sins are forgiven and he becomes justified by faith. A deep theological question to ask is ‘Why would a good God do so much for a sinful man?’ John 3:16 explains, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans tells us, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” As a result of belief and acceptance of this action of Christ, three transactions take place:

     (1) Man's faith is counted as the righteousness of Christ. As a result, when God looks at man, He sees in him the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

     (2) Man's faith is counted as though he, too, died in Christ, Who paid the penalty for all of man's sin.

     (3) Man is counted as having been resurrected in Christ. This means, he has new life and 2 Corinthians 5:17 explains, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The second important thing that takes place as a result of the process is that there is peace with God. Peace is the result of justification. It is the knowledge we have in knowing the severed relationship with God, broken as a result of sin, has now been restored. It is the knowledge that we are no longer strangers to God because the walls that alienated us before have all been broken and torn down! It is the knowledge we have that God accepts us.

No matter what you go through this year. No matter what your situation might be this year, justification is a reminder to you that God Loves You! Colossians 1:20 said Christ ". . . Made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." This is why there is so much power in the cross. There the work of reconciliation was accomplished so that things broken in the relationship with God were repaired. This took care of rebellion in two parts. It took care of the rebellion here on earth because of man’s sin; and I believe it took care of the rebellion in heaven when Lucifer, that old devil, first rebelled against God.

This entire event reminds me of a time when my brother and I were young school children. My mother was not able to be at home when we came in from school. Even though we were her children, there was a problem getting us into the house. We could not enter the house because we had no key! My mother remedied the situation by making us a set of house keys. She took a key and placed it on a string each of us wore around our necks so that when we came home, we could gain access to our house.

God provided a way for man to come back home through the blood of Christ, which was shed on Calvary. However, we cannot get “home” until we place our trust in Christ, our Key. When we trust in Christ, we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. The writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

The ability to come around God’s throne of mercy means that we have power to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Even though you may go through some rough times this year, I want to remind all of you that in Christ, we have access to the throne! With this access, we can glory even in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works in us the power of patience to wait on the Lord. With each experience, we have Hope because our Hope is in Christ alone!