I rarely watch college basketball until March Madness, but I love the excitement that comes with high-stakes tournament play. Even if I’m not particularly attached to either team, I usually end up picking a favorite, and then I feel nervous if the game comes down to the wire. Sometimes I wish I could fast-forward just a few minutes and know the outcome. 

As we walk through life in this fallen world, we might start to wonder, “Who’s gonna win? Will God really come out on top here, or are the forces of evil too great?” It seems like sin, wickedness, and death are winning. We watch as violence rages around the world, disease threatens those we love, and sin rips families apart. 

At times, I wish I could just skip to the end and see God’s victory for myself. But we have God’s Word, and it tells us how this will end. Spoiler alert: Jesus wins. And because we are united to Him by faith, His victory is our victory. 

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Through all of March, we’ve been looking at the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. He reconciled us to God, shed His blood for our forgiveness, and secured our justification. As we live out our days as those who have been redeemed, we also have His power as we deal with the evil we face in this world. We face temptation, and we grieve the effects of this fallen world. But there is hope! 

First John 4:4 proclaims that He who is in you (the Holy Spirit) is greater than he who is in the world (the devil and the forces of evil). God’s victory has already taken place. Jesus Christ sits at the Father’s right hand and reigns right now over all powers and dominions (Eph. 1:19-21). His Spirit dwells in us, reminding us to not lose heart because the glorious consummation of His kingdom is coming (2 Cor. 4:16-18). 

Yes, there is a spiritual battle raging around us. But we know how this story ends, and it ends with the victory secured by our reigning King, Jesus Christ. 

No matter what you face this week, in Christ, our victory is certain and secure. 

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My sister recently texted me a photo of a plaque that said: “Let’s assume I’m right. It will save time.” I know why it made her think of me! For her entire life, she’s kindly tolerated an older sister who always wants to be right and wants other people to acknowledge that she’s right. I often feel strongly about being justified in my beliefs or in my behavior. 

Merriam-Webster defines “justify” as “to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable.” And while we can try to justify ourselves in the sight of others with our persuasive words or good works, there is only one way for sinners to be justified before God. 

This month we are looking at benefits we receive from Christ’s death and resurrection. Over the past two weeks, we’ve looked at the benefits of reconciliation and forgiveness. Romans 3:23-24 teaches us that we receive the gift of justification through the redemption that Christ purchased for us. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23–24)

In these verses, Paul starts with the bad news: we have all sinned. We can’t justify ourselves before God, because we fall short of the righteousness God requires. We can’t do anything to deserve God’s gracious gift, and we can’t earn it on the basis of our own works or merit. 

But here’s the good news: In Christ Jesus, we are declared righteous by the gift of God’s free grace. 

God doesn’t just overlook our sin and declare us to be righteous when we’re not. He declares us righteous because the Righteous One suffered and died in our place. Christ purchased our redemption by living a perfect life in our place and taking the punishment our sin deserved. Now Christ’s righteousness is given to those who place their trust in Him. 

If you are in Christ, when God looks at your life, He sees Christ’s perfect record. There’s no need to argue your case or try to prove yourself worthy. You can walk in the joy and freedom of God’s grace. 

No matter what you face this week, you are justified by God’s grace. 

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Do you have regrets as you look back on your past? We all have moments we’re not proud of. Maybe you’re currently struggling with sin, and you’re consumed with guilt every time you mess up again. Or maybe you’re heaping up small regrets with each trip around the sun. The more I learn about God’s holiness, the more I become aware of how I sin against Him every day. 

As we look ahead to celebrating Easter, we’re spending this month looking at the benefits we receive from Christ’s death and resurrection. Last week we learned about how Christ reconciled us to God. Today we will see that because Christ shed His blood for us, all our sin has been forgiven. 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

When we confess that we are sinners and need the salvation Christ provides, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins. 

God is faithful to forgive our sins because He always keeps His promises. Psalm 130:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” You can count on Him to forgive you today and every day, because He never fails to do what He says He will do. 

God is just to forgive our sins because our forgiveness was secured by Jesus when He bled and died for us. First John 1:7 tells us that “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” God poured out the punishment we deserved on Christ, and God won’t demand payment for that sin again. His justice has been satisfied by Christ, and our forgiveness is the glorious result. 

God is faithful and just to forgive all our sin—past, present, and future. There is no sin so great that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice can’t cover it. The blood of Jesus was sufficient, so for all who hope in Him, forgiveness is completely secure. We can rejoice as we celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection for us, knowing we are fully forgiven. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ died to secure your forgiveness. 

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Have you ever wanted to trade places with someone? Many mornings, my dog torments me by curling up in the empty space I just left in my bed. As I stand at the bathroom sink getting ready for the day, I’m forced to watch him lay his little white head on my pillow and doze off. 

His life seems so easy: sleep, eat, repeat. But then I remember that he eats the same thing every day and has to go outside to use the bathroom, even in frigid temperatures and thunderstorms. Maybe the trade wouldn’t be so great after all! 

This month’s devotionals focus on the benefits we receive from Christ’s death and resurrection. Today we’ll see that Jesus took our place to reconcile us to God.  

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ became sin for our sake. In this passage, Paul is talking about reconciliation—specifically, how sinners are reconciled to a holy God. He humbled Himself in the form of a servant, coming under the curse and receiving the punishment our sin (Philippians 2:7-8). Because Christ took on our sin, we are reconciled to God. 

Christ became sin even though He was sinless. If He had sinned even once, the punishment He received would be His own. Only a sinless Lamb could be our substitute and take our punishment on the cross. 

Christ became sin so that in Him we might receive righteousness and reconciliation. We can think of this as “The Great Swap.” On the cross, Christ took our place and received the punishment our sin deserved. In exchange, He gives us His perfect record of obedience–His righteousness. We are reconciled to God because of what Christ’s obedience earned for us: right standing before a holy God and eternal life with Him. 

This Great Swap is the good news of the Gospel: those who are in Christ look at the cross and see their punishment given to Christ and the righteousness of Christ given to them to reconcile them to God. 

No matter what you face this week, Christ took our place to reconcile us to God. 

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