JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH

Romans 5:1-2 (NIV) “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. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

JUSTIFIED defined: 1. Absolved of guilt; 2. Declared free of blame. Spiritually speaking: Just as if you had never sinned.

ACCESS defined: 1. the act of approaching or entering; 2. The condition of allowing entry; 3. A way or means of approach or entry.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “… without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. “

That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it. Faith is the crux* of Christianity. Without faith it truly IS impossible to even KNOW God, let alone please Him. And what is faith? …

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Take a look at how GOD’S WORD Translation presents the last part of Hebrews 11:1 - “… (faith) convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.” I like that. Faith is a convincing factor in our belief system. So according to the scriptures because we are convinced of the existence of God by faith and because we have embraced and believed that Christ death on the cross was the blood sacrifice necessary to pay our sin debt, we have been declared free of all guilt. And as if that were not enough good news, by that same “confidence in what we do not see”, we are allowed entry into His grace or unmerited, undeserved favor. What incredible news! And do you know what else? It doesn’t require a whole boat load of faith to accomplish this.

Matthew 17:20b (NIV) “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Mustard seeds, as shown above, are typically about 1 or 2 mm in diameter. They may be colored yellowish white or black. They are important spices in many regional cuisines. Jesus is saying that if your faith is only as big as this 1 to 2 mm mustard seed you will be able to accomplish great things. Nothing is impossible. NO THING.

Because of our faith in God / Christ, even the tiniest smidgen** of faith will give us all the hope we need to live in this dark, ungodly world. Without hope, people perish. One must have hope. Something to look forward to. A wish. A desire. Our hope lies in the trust we have in the Creator of the Universe. Top that. No matter how you slice it we win.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* The basic, central or critical point or feature. ** A very small quantity or portion.