Romans 3:21-26 (NKJV) 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
This week we have been working through Romans 3 in our study of Redemption in Christ. This is the second foundation stone we are examining as we check our spiritual foundation. We have seen so far that God as revealed a right standing with himself to us that is not a product of keeping the Law of Moses. This righteousness is available only by faith in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. Finally, we see that this righteousness is available to everyone because we are all the same. Not in that we are all equally deserving but instead in that we are all equally sinful and undeserving. Therefore, no one has a right to boast and no one has a right to exclude anyone else from salvation.
Today we will continue looking at these powerful verses. In verse 24, Paul tells us that we have been freely justified. In our legal system there is something called “justifiable homicide.” This means that one person has killed another but the reasons are such that they have not committed murder. There was sufficient cause for the person to take a life. His actions were justified.
In the case of our sin before God, none of it is in any way justifiable in God’s eyes. However, he says that he justifies us. That means that he provided a way for us to become sinless before him. We are justified. One brother said this means it is “just as if I’d never sinned.” That is a good picture of what we are talking about. Through no virtue of our own God has created a situation whereby my slate is wiped clean of every sin I have ever committed. I stand justified before the court of heaven.
How is this possible? Paul tells us how. We are freely justified by God’s grace through redemption in Christ Jesus. This phrase is similar to something Paul said in Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Grace is God’s undeserved favor. Grace is what provides us with salvation. Faith is the vehicle through which we access what grace has provided. The same is true of the justification in Romans 3. We are justified by God’s unmerited favor. We did nothing to earn it therefore, it is free. The vehicle through which justification comes to us is redemption.
How, exactly, did God redeem us. Remember that the definition of redemption is to buy something back. Sin cost man his relationship to the Father. The purpose of redemption and result of justification is to give man access to that relationship once again. The price of man’s sin must be paid and justice satisfied if that is going to happen. Redemption is the paying of that price.
Verse 25 tells us what God did. It says that the redemption price was paid when God offered the blood of Jesus as a propitiation for our sin. Propitiation is another interesting word. Most of us have no idea what it means but it is very important to understanding God’s plan of redemption.
Do you remember the movie King Kong? In the beginning of that movie, the lovely young female lead was chained to a huge platform so that the giant ape could take her and, presumably, eat her. Why did the naïves do this? They thought King Kong was a god. The young woman was an offering to assuage the anger of the god and thereby protect the rest of the people from his wrath. This would usually also mean that the subjects of the god would be blessed for another year.
The lovely young woman in this story was a propitiation for the people of King Kong. She was an offering that met the requirements of the god. That is what the blood of Jesus did. He became the full payment for man’s rebellion. His shed blood met every requirement of justice. It took away the justified anger of God because of man’s sin. Once this propitiatory offering was made, there was nothing left between God and man. Man was completely just in God’s eyes. It was “just as if Adam had never sinned.”
Paul tells us that in the Old Testament God, through his forbearance, covered over man’s sin. This was done though the offerings made by the priests. Jesus tells us in Matthew that his blood would do something very different.
Matthew 26:28 (NKJV) 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
The blood of Jesus would not cover over sin as the blood of animals had done. The blood of Jesus would be for the remission of sins. This is another good legal word. It means to pay the price. We remit our monthly payments to the bank when we pay our mortgage or car payment. The blood of Jesus made full remittance for our sin. There is nothing left to pay.
In verse 26, Paul makes one more legal statement. He tells us that God did all this so that “at the present time” God could be both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. What does this mean and why is it important? It means that today or in the present age God remains just. Everything he did in Christ was according to justice.
He was not unjust toward Satan. The price for man’s sin has been paid in full. He has been just toward man because he has not given him something that can be challenged in some higher court. He has not excused his sin leaving him somehow unclean. He has been just toward himself because he has punished sin and cut it off from his presence.
This also enables him to confer justice on anyone who will receive. He is the justifier. He has paid the price so it is his to apply to anyone he chooses. He chooses to apply the payment to anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. That is the only requirement. It is, however, a requirement.
Redemption provides us with a clean slate before God and the courts of heaven. I love Colossians 2:13 -14.
Colossians 2:13-14 (NKJV) 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
When the papers detailing our sin are brought before the court, there is no writing on them. The blood of Jesus has wiped it out. There can be no accusation without the written charges. They are gone. This is true for all humanity, but it only becomes true for me when I accept it.
Today we have looked at the legalities of our redemption in Christ. Tomorrow we will look at what it means to us vitally.
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