Part 5- Justified by Grace You: Don’t Work for What’s Been Paid For

If grace is the heartbeat of the Gospel, then justification is the proof that the heart is still beating.

We’ve seen grace in the Garden. We’ve seen it in the Law. We’ve met grace in person through Jesus Christ. But now we come to one of the most life-changing truths in Scripture: justification by grace.

To be justified means to be declared righteous. It’s a legal word, a courtroom verdict. And if you are in Christ, the Judge of the universe slams His gavel and declares: “Not guilty. Forgiven. Righteous.”

The Problem We Couldn’t Solve
Before justification makes sense, we have to understand the problem: sin.

Romans 3:23 (LSB) says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Every one of us stands guilty. No excuses. No exceptions. Our sin doesn’t just make us broken—it makes us condemned.

The world tells us to try harder, be better, or outweigh the bad with the good. But that’s not how God’s courtroom works. Sin demands justice, and the penalty is death.

Left to ourselves, the verdict is clear: guilty.

Grace Steps In
Here’s the good news: God didn’t leave us in that hopeless state.

Romans 3:24 (LSB) continues, “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Do you see it?

• Justification is a gift.
• It comes by grace.
• It happens through Jesus Christ alone.

We don’t earn a “not guilty” verdict. We receive it because Jesus took our guilt and bore our punishment on the cross. His perfect life and sacrificial death satisfied the justice of God and opened the floodgates of grace.

The Great Exchange
Justification is often called the great exchange.

Jesus takes our sin. We receive His righteousness.

Second Corinthians 5:21 (LSB) explains it beautifully: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

When God looks at you, He doesn’t see your failure, your past, or your shame. He sees the righteousness of His Son.

That is justification. That is grace.

Justification Changes Everything
Being justified isn’t just a theological idea, it’s a life-altering reality.

You are free from condemnation.
Romans 8:1 (LSB) says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

You have peace with God.
Romans 5:1 (LSB) promises, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You can live without fear.
Your standing with God doesn’t depend on your performance—it depends on Christ’s finished work.

When grace declares you justified, it changes the way you pray, worship, and live. You no longer work for approval, you live from it.

So What Does This Mean for You?
If you are in Christ, you don’t have to keep carrying the weight of guilt and shame. The verdict has already been given. You are justified.

Stop trying to pay for what’s already been paid. Stop trying to earn what’s already yours. Instead, live in the freedom of grace.

Next Up: Part 6 – “Grace That Transforms.”
Grace doesn’t just declare you forgiven—it teaches, shapes, and empowers you to live differently. We’ll see how grace changes us from the inside out.

In Love,

Pastor Jody