Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. – Romans 8:33
The cross of Christ provided the basis for our justification. Justification is a legal term that means to acquit, or to be found not guilty. In the courtroom of your life, you are accused of the guilt of your sins, but by the blood of Christ you are found not guilty. Justification is a pardon from the death penalty. Because of what Christ has done, we have reason to rejoice—we are free to live. God didn’t justify us because He looked at our case and thought we deserved a pardon; justification is a gift by God’s grace.
The cross brought about our redemption; a price was paid to buy us back. First Peter 1:18-19 says, “You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” We have been bought and paid for by Jesus’ blood.
The events of the cross also reconciled us to God. We were in conflict with God, but Jesus brought us into harmony with Him. “[God] reconciled us to Himself through Christ . . . God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
We have also been adopted into the family of God and are being sanctified, or made holy, because of what Christ did on the cross. Jesus’ finished work on the cross accomplished all of these things for the people of God. We reap the benefits of His sacrifice, and we should praise His name for enduring the cross for our sakes.