No Hope—except In Christ

He did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:26

The gospel is so simple that little children can understand it. And yet it is so complex that the Bible uses a word like justification to describe one of its many facets.

Boil it all down and you can simplify the complex into just two words: Jesus Christ. In him all the big words come together to explain the significance of your salvation. Take justification, for example. Charles Spurgeon provides this analysis of its meaning and importance.

WALK WITH CHARLES SPURGEON
“If God is just, then I a sinner—a lone and without a substitute—must be punished.

“But Jesus stands in my place and is punished for me. So now, if God is just, then I a sinner—standing in Christ—can never be punished. Jesus has taken the place of the believer and received the full penalty of divine wrath.

“My hope lives not because I am sinless, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died. My trust is not that I am holy, but that, since I am unholy, he is my righteousness.

“My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has done, and in what he is now doing for me.”

WALK CLOSER TO GOD
If you died and awoke at the gates of heaven, and there God confronted you with the question, “Why should I allow you into my heaven?”—what would you say?

“I did my best.” “I’m better than most.” “I was sincere in my beliefs.”

All have sinned. God is just in punishing those who have broken his law. And either Jesus Christ becomes your substitute … or you feel the force of God’s wrath yourself.

“Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). With that as your passport, you need never fear the reception you’ll get in heaven!