Justification

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:1-5 ESV).

The word translated “kept” is the Greek word tēreō. This word is used only six times in the New Testament, four of those appearing in the letters of Peter. It is a military word meaning to put a garrison of soldiers around someone or something for the purpose of protection. It is a present tense verb which means we are constantly “kept.” We are kept by the power of God; through faith; and unto salvation. Those three declarations form the basis for our understanding of justification. All of these were accomplished by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

According to the Easton Bible Dictionary, justification is a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. In its nature it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (cf. Romans 5:1-10). It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 10:3-9). Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and forever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:6-8). The sole condition on which this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer is faith in or on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or apprehends Christ and his righteousness (cf. Romans 1:17; 3:25-26; 4:20, 22).

The power of God accomplishes all of this! After all, what good would it be if we knew all that is in God’s treasure chamber unless we know that he will also help our weakness and bring us to possess them? You see, this truth means that every source of our fear and dread can be swept away by the double assurance of the mighty hand of God preserving our heritage for us and we for it! We are KEPT! That’s something to sing about!