The Only Way to Be Right With God
by Ray Pritchard
Part Three as Edited by RPW Sr.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
The Epistle to the Romans Chapter 3:21-26 (KJV)
Provided by the death of Christ
We come to the heart of the gospel. Verses 24-25 explain exactly how the death of Christ saves sinners. In order to make himself clear, Paul uses three very picturesque words: “Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.” Each word presents another facet of Christ’s saving work on the cross.
1. Justify. This word comes from the courtrooms of ancient Greece. To “justify” means to “declare not guilty.” More than that, it means to wipe away the record of sin and to declare a sinner righteous in God’s eyes. It’s what happens when God alters our “permanent record” in heaven. When a sinner trusts Christ, God declares him righteous, and that declaration never changes!
2. Redeem. This word comes from the slave market. To redeem means to “set free by the payment of a price.” When we were slaves to sin, God paid the price and set us free from our slavery. The price was the blood of his Son. When a sinner trusts Christ, God releases him from the chains of sin and sets him free forever!
3. Propitiate. This is the literal meaning of the phrase translated “sacrifice of atonement.” It comes from the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. The word means “to turn away wrath by the offering of a gift.” In the Old Testament, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement and sprinkle blood on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. By the sprinkling of the blood, the sins of the people were “covered” or “atoned.” The wrath of God against sin was thus turned away. Why is this important? Because God’s justice demands death as the ultimate punishment for sin. To call the death of Christ a “propitiation” means that God’s wounded heart is now satisfied with the death of his Son. When a sinner trusts Christ, God accepts him on the basis of the bloody sacrifice Christ made when he died on the cross!
A demonstration of God’s justice
Now we come to the final fact about the righteousness we need. God’s method of salvation demonstrates his justice. “He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—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.” This passage reveals that God’s salvation plan began long before Jesus came to the world. The paradox of salvation is this: God is a God of love … and therefore wants to forgive sinners. But he is also a God of holiness … who must not, indeed cannot, overlook sin. How could God love sinners and yet not overlook their sin? How could God be true to himself by forgiving sinners but not overlooking the sin they committed?
No one would ever have dreamed of his answer! God sent his own Son to die for sinners. In that way, the just punishment for sin was fully met in the death of Christ and sinners who trust in Christ could be freely forgiven. No man would ever have dreamed of such a radical solution. Only God could have done something like that! Thus, Paul says, God is both just (in punishing sin) and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus. But note the power of Jesus’ death. Even the sins of those who lived before Christ are forgiven by his death. When Jesus died, he reached all the way back to Adam and took care of those sins! Not only that, but Jesus also took care of the sins of those who would live long after him.
Think of it. In the death of this One Man, all the sins of the human race are fully paid for—past, present and future. As a result, those who believe in Jesus find that their sins are gone forever! This acquittal is absolutely free because it is based on the unmerited favor (grace) of God. God decided to set man free, arranged a plan by which He could justify the guilty and still remain a moral being, and then carried it out. It’s a free offer. The only option we have is to accept it or reject it. This is so hard for us to believe. We would prefer to work for our salvation. But God’s gift of salvation costs us nothing, even though it cost his Son everything. The Lord now says to us, “Take it by faith! It’s yours for free. I have paid the cost for you.”
What matters is that you accept God’s free offer of salvation. “The only option we have is to accept it or reject it.” So we bring this message to an end with a simple question: What will you do with God’s free offer of salvation; yes or no?
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