January 12th | We Are Justified By Faith Alone - But Not By Faith That Is Alone

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Uh... wrong Justified....

This month, as we explore our identity in Christ, let's anchor ourselves in one of the most liberating truths of the gospel: we are "justified"—declared righteous—by faith alone.

Romans 3:23-24 captures it powerfully:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Paul uses the word “justified” (one of my favorite words—and yes, also the name of that great show with Timothy Olyphant) 27 times across his letters. At its heart, justification means God declares us righteous. The guilt, shame, and regret that weigh us down? Canceled. Paid in full. Christ’s death on the cross covers the penalty for every sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived, is living, or will live.

This is the heartbeat of Romans and much of Paul’s writing: our righteousness isn’t earned; it’s a free gift received through faith in Jesus.

Let’s pause on that beautiful word “redemption” in verse 24. Redemption means being released from bondage by the payment of a ransom. In ancient times, and unfortunately in not so ancient times, slaves could be set free when someone paid their price. Even today, we see echoes of this in tragic situations like kidnappings by cartels, where captives are freed only when a ransom is paid.

We were enslaved to sin—powerless to break free on our own. No amount of effort, good intentions, or self-improvement could pay the debt. But God, in His love, paid the ransom Himself by sending His only Son to die on the cross. Jesus became our substitute, bearing the full cost so we could be set free.

Paul drives this home in Romans 3:28:

“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

We are justified by faith alone—but not by a faith that is alone.

Genuine faith isn’t barren or inactive. It naturally produces fruit. As James (love me some James!) explains so clearly in James 2:14-26, faith without works is dead. True saving faith shows itself in how we live—especially in love and good deeds toward others.

Paul echoes this balance in Romans 4:4-5:

“Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.”

If we rely solely on performing good deeds—without faith in Jesus—we end up viewing our efforts as something God owes us, like wages for a job well done. But God doesn’t pay us for being “good enough.” He doesn’t owe us anything.

Instead, our faith in Christ produces good works as a natural overflow—a response of gratitude, not obligation. Those works become our way of loving others, reflecting Christ’s love to the world. And that’s payment enough in this life.

Our ultimate reward? Eternal life with Him in heaven—and the freedom here and now from the crushing burden of perfectionism. We will mess up, fall short, and stumble many times over. But in Christ, we are forgiven. Completely. His forgiveness wasn’t earned or owed; it was given freely by His grace and mercy, purchased through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

That’s our identity in Christ: justified, redeemed, forgiven—not because of what we’ve done, but because of what He has done. Rest in that truth today. Let it fuel real faith that lives out love in action.