This may be the most doctrine-rich chapter in the whole New Testament. So many key principles of faith are taught, and it is teeming with attributes of God. God is faithful; He is true; God is righteous; He is a just judge; God is glorious; He is a grace-giver; and my favorite, He is divinely forbearing!
The Bad News. Although created in the very image of God, we have defiled and distorted that image and do not look like Him anymore. Humanity is condemned under sin. We are unrighteous liars. We sin with our hearts, our mouths, our feet, and our eyes. People do not fear God. God in His grace, gave the law to the Jews and wrote it on the heart of everyone else not for our justification–because no one can keep the law–but to point out our sinfulness and God’s holiness. We stand condemned and hopeless before a just and perfect Judge!
“BUT NOW GOD has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law…” (Romans 3:21a)
The Good News. God sent His one and only perfect Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). The only way that Jesus could save us was to rectify our sinfulness by making atonement for it with the shedding of His own blood. At the cross God’s anger against sin and His love for His created people came together in a painfully, beautiful moment of justice and victory. EVERYONE who believes by faith in Jesus Christ is made right with God. There are some big words used in these verses to describe the outcome of believing by faith in Jesus that I’d like to share some thoughts on.
1) Righteousness-We are not righteous, but Jesus is. When we humbly recognize our sinfulness and lack of righteousness, then He imparts His righteousness to us and when God looks at us to judge us, He sees Christ’s righteousness in place of our sinfulness.
2) Justification-being declared “not guilty” by God “just as if I never sinned”
3) Receive gift of grace–undeserved kindness from God
4) Redemption. I have heard this term in context of Olympic victories several times this week. I think in our culture we have watered down the meaning of the word “redemption.” To redeem something means to buy it back. In the spiritual setting, this means that we belonged to God, and we gave ourselves over to sin and consequently belong to His Enemy. He had to pay a price to buy us back–the blood of Jesus. That is what each of our souls cost–the priceless blood of the innocent God-man.
5) Propitiated by His blood. We have been freed from the penalty of sin by the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus’ shed blood satisfied God’s wrath against sin. Jesus died in our place.
What can I boast in? Nothing! All I am in Christ cost me nothing. Jesus paid the way with His own blood; Jesus made the way for my sins to be obliterated. I cannot earn redemption or righteousness. I can only boast in Jesus Christ!
If you have believed in Jesus Christ, I encourage you to spend time thinking about what that really means with fresh perspective. Praise and thank Him for all His death and resurrection means to you! If you have not received the good news and see your sinful nature for what it is, there is hope in Jesus. Ask Him to forgive you and trust that He paid the price to make you right before God.