The Fourth Act of Salvation: The Regenerative Act of God’s Grace
The peace of the Lord be with you and your house. To the eternal God, the only true God, creator of heaven, earth, and everything in them, we give thanks. In His grace and mercy, He has allowed us to establish a time to expose ourselves to His Word and His revelation. He is cleaning His own people, as the Scripture says, a people zealous for good works. We thank His mercy, which has given us the opportunity to approach this grace and this revelation. Today we will study the topic of justification, the fourth act of salvation.
Context: The Acts of Salvation
For those who have not followed this series of teachings, I will provide a brief summary. Many believe that salvation is a single event, like a unique package. However, by searching the Holy Scriptures, we discover that it is a process composed of several acts. Just as God used ten plagues to free Israel from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the promised land, in the same way He has provided specific actions for the salvation of man and woman, culminating in eternal life.
- First act: God was manifested in flesh. As Paul tells Timothy: “Undeniably great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in flesh”, and John confirms: “And the Word became flesh”. Jesus, the Son of God, dwelt among us with the same Adamic nature, but without sin, to prepare us for the following acts.
- Second act: On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus carried the death penalty that weighed upon us. “On the day you eat from it, you will surely die”, says Genesis. That condemnation, described by Paul in Romans as a “body of death”, was transferred to Christ, genetically and spiritually.
- Third act: At three in the afternoon, Jesus exclaimed: “It is finished”. This is the moment of the declaration of innocence. Man and woman were declared innocent, liberated from the guilt of sin.
- Fourth act: Justification, which we will study today, is developed through Jesus’ resurrection. In Romans 4:25 we read: “Who was delivered for our transgressions, and raised for our justification”. These acts are not a single content, but progressive actions of God that grant us His grace.
What is Justification?
It is crucial not to confuse the declaration of innocence with justification. The first is a declaration: Jesus said: “I have not come to condemn, but to seek and save what was lost”. By exclaiming “It is finished”, He declared us innocent. But justification, which occurs after His resurrection, goes beyond: it is a regeneration, an attribution of substance to man and woman.
In Titus 3:5 we are told: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”. Justification is not just a pronouncement; it is a transformation. The Spirit of God regenerates man and woman, returning them to the original condition they had before disobedience in Eden. But there is more: not only does He restore them, but He elevates them to a position of greater honor than they had before.
In Romans 3:22-26 we read: “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”. Paul adds in Romans: “Not as the offense was the gift”, indicating that grace not only restores but exalts the justified above their original state.
Evidence in Scripture
In Psalms 8:4-6, David asks: “What is man, that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You visit him? You have made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor”. Here, man was created somewhat lower than the angels in spiritual hierarchy, authority, and dominion. But in Hebrews 1:14 we are told of the angels: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to serve those who will inherit salvation?” The angels serve the heirs of salvation, which implies that the justified, after Christ’s resurrection, are elevated above the angels. Justification does not only regenerate; it exalts man and woman to a hierarchy superior to that of Adam and Eve.
The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) illustrates this. In verse 21, the son confesses: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son”. But the father orders in verse 22: “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet”, and in verse 24 declares: “For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found”. The declaration of innocence liberates him from guilt, but justification restores him as a son and exalts him, even above his older brother, who becomes angry seeing his new position.
Benefits of Justification
Justification, as a fundamental point of the word of the cross – foolishness to those who are perishing, but the power of God to those being saved – brings concrete benefits:
- We are not under the authority of death: In 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 we read: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’”. Death has no jurisdiction over the justified; only God determines their life. Angels, not death, come for the man or woman of faith when they depart. This is reflected in the peace of those who die in Christ, in contrast to the agony of those who do not know Him.
- Notification to principalities and powers: In Ephesians 3:10 it says: “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”. These principalities and powers, described in Ephesians 6:12 as “spiritual hosts of wickedness”, know who the justified are. In Acts 19:15, an evil spirit says: “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Justification is not private; it is public before the kingdom of darkness, which respects the limits of the justified.
- Attribution of faith to live: In Romans 1:17 it is affirmed: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’”. And in Romans 12:3: “According to the measure of faith God has distributed to each one”. Faith is not human; it is a gift of God to the justified. In Hebrews 11:6 we read: “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. Cases like Esther, Ruth, or Rahab show that God deposits faith in those He justifies, allowing them to live in His purpose.
Call to the Word of the Cross
Many live striving by their own merits, saying: “Today will be different, I will achieve it”. But without justification, that effort is in vain. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”. Justification is regeneration, not human work. There are those who, with years in the church, take refuge in credentials – fasts, vigils, tithes – but have not come to the word of the cross. Tonight, the Spirit calls you to accept the foolishness of the cross, which is the power of God for those who believe (Romans 3:22). It is not about religious formulas, but about surrendering to His transformative work.
Prayer Father, I pray for men and women whom You have called, but who walk in a gospel of formulas that does not work. In Jesus’ name, tear down every religious structure that binds them. May they be justified tonight, exempt from death, and live by faith in Christ, under Your grace and mercy. By the power of Your Word and Your Holy Spirit, amen. I bless you; the peace of the Lord be with you and yours.
