Romans 4:25

We all have a problem with sin. We can’t save ourselves. Our sins need to be paid for somehow, but we can’t do it. We can’t make ourselves right before God. Instead we just keep sinning more and more every day and so increase our pile of sins.

The good news, though, is that God in his love and grace has given us the gift of justification through Jesus Christ. Justification, or to be justified, means that God, as our Judge, doesn’t see us as sinful anymore. He sees us as without sin. Isn’t that amazing? Even though we sin every day again, God says that we are justified, that we are without sin.

How is this possible? There is only one way, and it is God himself who made that way possible. In love he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to take care of our problem with sin. We can’t save ourselves and so God sent his Son to save us. With his death on the cross, Christ paid the debt that we should have paid for our sins. He stilled God’s wrath and anger at sin.

But Christ didn’t remain dead. He was also raised from the dead by God. When Christ’s heart started pumping again and his eyes opened and his lungs filled with air, it was God who did this. By raising Jesus from the dead, God tells the whole world that he is happy with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The full payment for our sins had been made by Christ’s death. If Jesus had stayed dead, then death would have had the final power. Then it would have shown that God wasn’t happy with Christ’s sacrifice.

But Jesus didn’t stay dead. He arose because God was satisfied with the payment he made. This means that we, as God’s children, are now justified. When we stand before God as Judge, he will declare that we are without sin. Our sins have been paid in full! We are justified!

Reflection with your child:

What does it mean that we are justified?

Source: Sermon by Rev. W. Bredenhof