Monday-September 7-Numbers 12-Jerry Bridges

That Point in Time

I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel … which you received, in which you stand.

(1 Corinthians 15:1)

In Romans 5:1, Paul spoke of our justification in the past tense: “We have been justified.” Justification is a point-in-time experience that occurs the moment we trust in Christ as Savior. I realize the precise moment is not identifiable to many people who grew up in Christian homes and whose faith in Christ was a growing experience. If such is your situation, I would ask: Are you trusting in Christ as your Savior today? If so, there was a time, known only to God, when you were declared righteous before Him. You can have confidence in this fact.

This point-in-time event has eternal ongoing benefit for us. In Romans 5:2, Paul wrote that through Christ “we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” This grace is the grace of justification, and he says we stand in it—now, today. By His grace we’ve gained the standing of justification, and we will forever remain in that status. It can never change. For the remainder of our lives and throughout eternity we’ll stand before God justified, declared righteous in His sight because He has given to us the righteousness of Christ.

There was a point in time when we trusted in Christ and were by faith united to Him so that His death became our death, His obedience our obedience, His righteousness our righteousness. If this is true of you, then you have an answer to the most important question you could ever ask: How can I, a sinful human being, come into a right relationship with a holy and just God? You stand before God today and are forevermore declared righteous by Him. You now possess that right relationship with God.