Notes of Faith March 6, 2025
The Double Transaction
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.
Romans 5:1-2
Dr. J. I. Packer wrote a book, God’s Words, about key biblical terms, one of which was justification. As a noun, this word occurs three times in the New Testament. As a verb, it’s found 39 times, mostly in the writings of Paul. “It is his way of formulating the essential Gospel message,” Packer wrote, “that through Christ’s death guilty sinners, once justly under wrath, come into a new relationship with God as His beloved children, under grace.”
When we’re justified, God takes our sins and places them on Christ, and then He takes the righteousness of Christ and places it on us. It’s a double transaction. Our sins are imputed to Christ, and His sinlessness is imputed to us. That doesn’t mean we are presently incapable of sinning. Instead, it means when God looks at us, He sees us wrapped in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Knowing this word makes us want to live up to our position and bring every habit under our Lord’s control. Where do you need to start?
Through one act of righteousness—the life and death of the sinless Christ—the free gift came unto all.
J. I. Packer
Once one comes to believing faith in the person and work of Jesus, how could we not want to be like Him! We are called to be Holy as God is holy. Therefore, we cannot continue to live in sin with no regard to our previous position, destined for judgment and hell. No! We must strive with all of our strength in heart and mind, depending on the Holy Spirit within us to keep us from sin. Yes, I know that we will all sin because of the nature that still works within us, but we must seek to be holy because of the One who has saved and justified us! I can only think that a person who does not, who lives continually in sin, believing that he is saved and does not need to seek righteousness and holiness, that this person does not really understand what God has done for them and is very likely not saved. Let us glorify God in pursuing His glory and holiness, to be like Jesus in righteousness and truth, that others might come to true believing faith by seeing the work of Christ in us!
Pastor Dale