Paul summarizes it in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. We are not repentant sinners; that definition denies reconciliation. We are new creatures with Christ’s nature, and God, when looking at us, sees His Son…

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…