“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ changes lives! It has been my joy and privilege to watch what the Lord Jesus does in the lives of people who place their trust in Him. Throughout my decades of ministry, I have rejoiced to see the great power of Christ’s justification in the lives of people who receive Him as Savior. Of course no one lives perfectly after trusting Christ. No one leads a sinless life after the moment of salvation. But there is a change. Those who truly trust the Lord Jesus as Savior are justified. This means that God has acquitted them of the verdict of condemnation, and He declares them to be righteous in His own beloved Son. Some people like to say that justification is just as if I never sinned. This is a cute little saying, but it falls very short theologically. If I had never sinned, then I would be innocent. Justification goes way beyond that. As one who has placed his faith in the Lord Jesus, I am declared to be righteous in the Son of God. Again, this does not mean that I am perfect and sinless. It means that I am justified. There can be no sweeter words to the believer than “acquitted of condemnation and declared righteous in Christ.”

For today: No matter what comes along today, as a justified believer of the Lord, it is going to be a precious day.