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When a judge says to a person charged with a crime, “not guilty,” the person is free from a penalty. Those words are sweet to the accused. In a more profound way, that’s what the Judge of the universe says to guilty people who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. God can declare us not guilty, because even though we are all lawbreakers, His Son, Jesus Christ took our punishment when He died on the cross. When we turn to Jesus as our Savior, God transfers Christ’s perfect righteousness to our account. So even though we have sinned, God declares us legally, “Not Guilty.” Of course God’s action to justify us does not free us to live as we please. Paul explains that in Romans Chapters 3 and 6. “No way” Paul says. “By accepting Christ we died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” Rather, when we accept Jesus Christ by faith, His Spirit comes to live inside of us. He helps us to say “no” to sin and “yes” to what pleases God. Since God offers this kind of salvation to all who accept His Son, we are foolish to reject or ignore it.
