“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Romans 5:1–2 NLT)

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When we come to Christ, He not only forgives us of our sin, but He also justifies us. The apostle Paul explained justification in his letter to the Romans: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).

Salvation has to do with what takes place in believers’ hearts, but justification has to do with our standing before God. In salvation, God gives us new life, but justification goes beyond that. When God justifies us, He declares us righteous in His sight. “Just-as-if-I’d never sinned” is one way the word justified has been explained. God not only forgives us, but He sees us as if we had never sinned. He removes our sin, and in its position, He places the perfect righteousness of Christ.

That’s a difficult concept for a lot of people to grasp. Our human instinct is to remember those who wronged us. We elevate holding grudges to an art form. We like to throw around phrases like, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

The Bible makes it clear, though, that God has a different way of looking at things. As far as He’s concerned, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross—the blood He shed there—covers our sins. The apostle John put it this way: “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NLT). The author of Hebrews wrote, “For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). And the apostle Paul wrote, “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them” (Romans 4:7–8 NIV).

When God looks at believers, He doesn’t see people who have failed Him time and time again. Instead, He sees His Son. And He made His feelings about His Son quite clear in Matthew 3:17: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (NIV).

Sometimes we allow our sins to linger in our consciousness long after they’ve been forgiven. They live rent-free in our heads, messing with our self-esteem. In extreme cases, they can play havoc with our spiritual and emotional health. That’s why it’s important to see ourselves as God sees us.

Imagine that your checking account is overdrawn, and you owe your bank thousands of dollars. Not knowing what else to do, you go to the ATM, enter your PIN, and discover that you have a balance of five million dollars. Best of all, it’s a legitimate transaction! You did nothing to earn it, but the windfall is yours.

God has done something much more meaningful for those who believe in Christ. He has given us righteousness. He has made us justified.

 

Reflection question: How would you explain justification to someone who’s struggling with guilt? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Therefore, since we have been made right in God&rsquo;s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God&rsquo;s glory.&rdquo; (Romans 5:1&ndash;2 NLT)
*Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this <a href="https://form.typeform.com/to/Yk4TMdy7">quick survey</a>!*
When we come to Christ, He not only forgives us of our sin, but He also justifies us. The apostle Paul explained justification in his letter to the Romans: &ldquo;Therefore, since we have been made right in God&rsquo;s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us&rdquo; (Romans 5:1 NLT).
Salvation has to do with what takes place in believers&rsquo; hearts, but justification has to do with our standing before God. In salvation, God gives us new life, but justification goes beyond that. When God justifies us, He declares us righteous in His sight. &ldquo;Just-as-if-I&rsquo;d never sinned&rdquo; is one way the word justified has been explained. God not only forgives us, but He sees us as if we had never sinned. He removes our sin, and in its position, He places the perfect righteousness of Christ.
That&rsquo;s a difficult concept for a lot of people to grasp. Our human instinct is to remember those who wronged us. We elevate holding grudges to an art form. We like to throw around phrases like, &ldquo;Revenge is a dish best served cold.&rdquo;
The Bible makes it clear, though, that God has a different way of looking at things. As far as He&rsquo;s concerned, Jesus&rsquo; sacrifice on the cross&mdash;the blood He shed there&mdash;covers our sins. The apostle John put it this way: &ldquo;But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin&rdquo; (1 John 1:7 NLT). The author of Hebrews wrote, &ldquo;For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness&rdquo; (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). And the apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.&nbsp;Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them&rdquo; (Romans 4:7&ndash;8 NIV).
When God looks at believers, He doesn&rsquo;t see people who have failed Him time and time again. Instead, He sees His Son. And He made His feelings about His Son quite clear in Matthew 3:17: &ldquo;This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased&rdquo; (NIV).
Sometimes we allow our sins to linger in our consciousness long after they&rsquo;ve been forgiven. They live rent-free in our heads, messing with our self-esteem. In extreme cases, they can play havoc with our spiritual and emotional health. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to see ourselves as God sees us.
Imagine that your checking account is overdrawn, and you owe your bank thousands of dollars. Not knowing what else to do, you go to the ATM, enter your PIN, and discover that you have a balance of five million dollars. Best of all, it&rsquo;s a legitimate transaction! You did nothing to earn it, but the windfall is yours.
God has done something much more meaningful for those who believe in Christ. He has given us righteousness. He has made us justified.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How would you explain justification to someone who&rsquo;s struggling with guilt?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

When God looks at believers, He doesn’t see our sin; He sees the righteousness of His Son.

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