JUSTIFIED BY GOD
ROMANS 3:21- 31
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart
from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.22 This
righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came
by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith
in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance
he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to
demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who
justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of
observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is
justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only?
Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only
one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through
that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all!
Rather, we uphold the law.
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Paul makes one thing clear in the first three chapters of Romans: All people are guilty before God and deserving of his judgment. Not one person alive can do anything to earn God's favor.
How, then, do we find salvation? Paul says we are "justified" by God's "grace," The word "justification" refers to the act by which God, the righteous Judge, declares guilty sinners "not guilty." God freely gives us this forgiveness; it isn't something we earn.
Does God overlook sin? No. He demands payment. In Old Testament times God temporarily accepted the blood of animals as payment for sin. However, the death of goats and lambs ultimately could not pay the price for the sins of a human. Those sacrifices were only a symbol of the perfect sacrifice that God's Son would one day offer.
Through his death on the cross, Jesus offered his life as a blood sacrifice to satisfy God's demand that the sin of the world be paid for. Now, because of Jesus' blood, God can declare us righteous. But there is a condition: We must believe that Jesus' death has satisfied God's demand that payment be made for our sins. We must also trust Jesus to provide us with God's forgiveness.