“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.” – Romans 8:33

Time without number God reminds us that we cannot be justified on account of our good deeds. That is not to say that good deeds are unnecessary, it is rather the opposite. We are commanded to be good because our Father in Heaven is good. When Jesus walked the earth, several accounts in the bible confirm he went around doing good. – (Acts 10:38) God raises the bar even higher when He says our works will be tested by fire. – (1 Corinthians 3:13). So this is not an argument to undermine Good deeds.

On the subject of justification the rules are different. If God were counting on our good deeds as the measure for our own justification, none of us could ever match up because all of us sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In other words, we have all sinned. On account of that we are all disqualified.

For we all have become like one who is unclean, and all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags because of our motives; we all wither and decay like a leaf, and our wickedness , like the wind, takes us away from the countenance of God. – (Isaiah 64:6)

There is no permanent solution for sin except the one God provided – Jesus Christ. For this reason Christ, who has not seen sin, came to die, so that all those believe in Him on account of His testimony will assume His righteousness. So that all those who believe Him will be made worthy of justification.

Justification – the judicial act of God, by which he pardons the sins of all those who believe in Christ. He accounts, accepts and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law. – G. Easton

Justification is not earned, it is given!
In Zachariah 3, the angel of the Lord showed prophet Zachariah a vision. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

Joshua was a High Priest who frequented the holy of holies. This was a man God selected to intercede for the entire national of Israel after the return of the Jews from Babylonian Captivity. There was never an account of him falling off and yet in the presence of God, his garment was filthy. If there was ever a visual description of Isaiah 64, it is the passage above.

God’s desire is to absolve all men of their sins, and just like the High priest, change our garment. He will choose you if you choose His Son. I pray those of us who are yet to choose Him find the strength to do so. Amen!