What does justification change about our relationship with God?
Justification by faith changes believers from enemies into God's own people, giving them peace with God through Jesus Christ. God reckons the old sin nature dead and declares them just as if they had never sinned, restoring them to Adam's pre-fall standing. This produces abiding fellowship rather than turmoil.
Les explains that justification by faith is why peace is not listed among the activities of the unbeliever; the unbeliever has never experienced this peace and can have no peace, but lives in turmoil like roaring waves. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Justification puts us back like Adam was before the fall: God has reckoned the old sin nature dead and gone, and we are declared just as if we had never sinned. The slate has been wiped clean, so we have peace with God. Justification brings about peace with God, so we are no longer an enemy. We are now His, and we can enjoy His fellowship moment by moment, regardless of how well we have been able to behave. We still have that constant fellowship because of our justification, which gave us the peace with God. The unbeliever can never experience that, but the believer does not have to be in constant turmoil, wondering if God will zap, disown, or cast him out.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: