The Fruit of Justification
When a man is justified by God—when he realizes he is nothing and that only God’s grace in Christ gives him meaning—three immediate fruits appear:
- He praises God. Like Paul in Ephesians 1:3, he bursts into doxology: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” Notice how different this is from the Pharisee who praised himself. True justification silences boasting in man and awakens worship of God.
- He rejects competition and embraces care. In the family of God, no one strives to outshine another, for all blessings are gifts. Thus each one carries his load (Galatians 6:5) while also helping bear the burdens (barē) of his brother (Galatians 6:2).
- He seeks union as the goal. God’s eternal purpose is not two realities—Creator and redeemed creation forever apart—but one communion: God dwelling with His people (Revelation 21:3). Holiness is not isolation but union, the knitting together of Christ and His bride, the Church.
This is the soil in which Part III takes root: how to preserve the blessings of freedom by remembering, walking, and hoping.
Remembering the Cost of Redemption
Peter reminds us: “You were ransomed … not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19). The key word here is λύτρον (lytron, “ransom price”).
To guard freedom, we must never forget its price. The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable forgot this—he prayed as if his fasting and tithing purchased his standing. The tax collector, however, pleaded for mercy because he sensed his debt.
In the days of Rome, slaves could sometimes buy their freedom with gold. But our slavery to sin was too deep for such payment. Only Christ’s blood could secure release. Remembering this cost keeps us humble, for none can boast when all was paid by Another.
Walking Daily by the Spirit
Paul exhorts: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). The key word περιπατέω (peripateō, “to walk about, conduct one’s life”) shows that freedom is not a one-time declaration but a daily path.
The Spirit is also called σφραγίς (sphragis, “seal, mark of ownership”) in Ephesians 1:13–14. He is the down payment of our inheritance, proof that God’s promise is sure. To preserve freedom, we must live by this seal—yielding, listening, depending.
Josephus records how Israel’s leaders often trusted strategy, alliances, or force to preserve their freedom. But the church must trust the Spirit, not human strength. For without the Spirit, even blessings become stumbling blocks. With the Spirit, every step—even in suffering—leads toward life.
The Hope of Glory as Anchor
Finally, Paul speaks of creation itself longing for freedom: “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). The key word ἐλευθερία (eleutheria, “freedom, release”) here looks beyond the present to the consummation.
Our hope is not vague. Christ Himself prayed, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am” (John 17:24). This is the final union you mentioned—the Bride with the Bridegroom, God with His people, heaven and earth made one.
Hope guards us against despair. The thief on the cross heard it in a single promise: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). That hope carried him through death into glory. So too for us: freedom now is the foretaste; freedom then is the feast.
Summary
To guard what has been given, we must:
- Remember the cost of redemption—the blood of Christ.
- Walk daily by the Spirit—the seal of inheritance.
- Fix our eyes on the hope of glory—the union of God and His people.
Thus, true freedom is preserved not by human vigilance but by continual remembrance, dependence, and expectation.
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