When you choose to receive the free gift of salvation, you are given automatically at least seven more free gifts. The free gift of salvation is the only one you must choose. All the others are given freely to you when you choose salvation.

Gift #2 Justification (Just as if I never sinned)

After you and I receive the free gift of salvation, justification is our present standing in Jesus Christ and we are robed in His righteousness. Imagine! When our Father looks at you and me He does not see our sin, our pettiness, our rebellious nature. When our Father looks at us, He sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ!

This is a judicial result. You and I have been found guilty of rebellion against God but Jesus Christ took our punishment on the cross. What does that mean to you?

Here is what King Hezekiah said in the 8^th century B.C.

Isaiah 38:¹⁷Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

What does it mean to you that God loves you so much He delivered you from corruption and put all your sins (past, present and future) behind His back? He will never look at your sins because the penalty for that rebellion has been paid in full by Jesus Christ.

Does this mean that you and I will never sin again? No. We still have our sin nature. But Jesus Christ provides a solution and remedy when we do sin.

1 John 10:⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us oursins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Paul explains it this way in Romans 5:¹⁴Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

¹⁵But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

¹⁶And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

¹⁸Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of onethe free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

¹⁹For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

²⁰Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

²¹That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

What does that mean to you?

Jesus paid it all – Elvena Hall, 1865

1. I can hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;
   Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”
   • Refrain:
     Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
     Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
2. For nothing good have I Whereby Thy grace to claim;
   I’ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
3. And now complete in Him, My robe, His righteousness,
   Close sheltered ’neath His side, I am divinely blest.
4. Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
   Can change the *leper’s spots [*leopard’s] And melt the heart of stone.
5. When from my dying bed My ransomed soul shall rise,
   “Jesus died my soul to save,” Shall rend the vaulted skies.
6. And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,
   I’ll lay my trophies down, All down at Jesus’ feet.

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will  accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti