Double Grace
I spent a year in my personal devotions in the Pentateuch. It was a rich experience that deepened both my understanding and thankfulness for the justifying work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To fully comprehend the doctrine of justification, we must look at it through the lens of the Old Testament sacrificial system. Every drop of animal blood was a reminder of the insurmountable gap between a perfectly holy God and his consistently unholy people.
Every bellow and bleat of a slaughtered animal was a cry for the ultimate, perfect sacrifice, one who would finally satisfy the requirements. The repetition of the violence and gore and horrible odors was all a prophetic cry for a Messiah Lamb.
In his righteous life and substitutionary death, Jesus made the once-and-for-all, sacrificial-system-ending payment for sin needed so sinners would be forever forgiven and live at peace with God. This is the ultimate good news!
But there is more good news! You can’t do justice to the truth of God’s justifying grace through the Lord Jesus Christ without considering one of the beautiful redemptive graces that attaches itself to this precious truth.
Our justification is not only about our legal standing before God, but it is also about a brand-new identity as his child.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
When Christ died, we died, and when Christ rose, we too rose to newness of life. Justification not only forgives us but transforms us. The power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ now resides inside of us. He empowers us to do what we could never have done before.
Being in Christ means that the power of his resurrection is now the power that animates our living. In Christ, we are empowered for a brand-new way of living. The life that now animates us, that is, ignites new thoughts, desires, and actions, is not ours; it’s Christ’s!
No longer aliens, no longer enemies, no longer condemned. By justifying grace, we are the children of God, objects of the Father’s love, forgiven and cleansed.
And also, righteous and holy. It’s the double gift of justifying grace!
Do you live every day in light of who you are and what you have been given in the justifying grace of Jesus? Has the doctrine of justification done more than only inform your brain, but also capture your heart in a way that shapes your living?
May we remember the double gift of justifying grace and, in remembering, continue to be transformed by how deep it is, how wide it is, and how it reaches to every aspect of our lives.
It is amazing,
seems too good to be
true,
like nothing we’ve experienced
before,
beyond all normal
expectations,
bringing us to our
knees,
rearranging our
hearts,
changing the direction of our
lives,
drawing us into willing
confession,
infusing us with eternal
hope,
rescuing us from our
idolatry,
freeing us from self
glory,
crushing our quest for
independence,
freeing us from our trust in our own
righteousness,
replacing selfishness with
love,
exchanging our plans for your
will.
Your salvation is a double grace,
unlike any mercy we have ever
received.
This double grace is the glory of the
redeemed.
It is the new identity of your
children,
giving us new power and new
potential.
It is not just that our sin is imputed to
you,
this would be an amazing mercy,
but your righteousness is imputed to
us.
We do not only stand before you
forgiven,
we are received by you as
holy.
This is the double grace of the
Son,
the redeeming plan of the
Father,
the new birth welcome of the
Spirit.
Forgiven and righteous,
cleansed and holy.
This double gift is ours
only because of the righteous
life,
the substitutionary
sacrifice,
the victorious
resurrection
and the royal priestly reign of the
Son.
A Prayer for Today: Jesus, because of your sacrifice, I am forgiven and righteous, cleansed and holy. You’ve changed everything about me, and as a result, I belong to your Kingdom, you consider me your friend, and I no longer live under the condemnation of my sin. Thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf. Thank you for revealing yourself to me. And thank you for welcoming me into your family with loving arms of acceptance. I’m eternally grateful and amazed. In your name I pray, amen.
Discussion Prompt for Children
1. If someone is “made right” what does that mean? If a person is “restored” into a relationship with someone else, what does that mean? Why do we need to be made right and restored into a relationship with God? How does that happen?
2. What do you think it means that Jesus is our substitute? Why is that so important?
3. What does “identity” mean? How does Jesus give us a new identity and why is that such a big deal?
Reflection Questions
1. How often do you take the time to reflect on the truth of your salvation and what it actually means for your eternal future, redeemed past, and present day-to-day life? If a reflection time like that is foreign to you (or it has been a while), take several moments right now to pause and process what God has done for you in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
2. If you are in Christ, what are the main truths about your identity? Who in your life are you regularly in contact with who will remind you of your identity in Christ? If you can’t think of anyone, who can you intentionally pursue to routinely connect with and talk about the realities of your identity in Jesus?
3. How is the Word of God molding and shaping you into a person who clearly lives with the identity of someone who is forgiven, righteous, cleansed, and holy? If daily time in the Bible isn’t currently a part of your life, how can you intentionally sacrifice other things to make room for it?
4. How does a Christian have power and potential in ways that a non-Christian doesn’t? How might the power and potential of a Christ-follower play out in their day-to-day life? How could it specifically play out in yours?