Being Justified Freely by His Grace
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation [Greek hilasterion, an atoning victim or mercy seat] by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
We previously covered Romans 3:21-22 and 3:23, which give the context for these verses.
Jesus Christ’s sacrifice redeemed us—paid the ransom for us. This is a price we could never pay except by dying forever. Justice demanded blood, and out of love Jesus Christ gave His blood for us to be accepted at the mercy seat of God. The blood was an atoning gift that removed the wrath we deserved. (See more in our article “What Does Redemption Mean in the Bible?”)
By faith in Jesus and by the repentance He commands, we can be forgiven and justified in His sight. Repentance includes turning from sin, so we must commit to continually seeking God’s help to overcome sin and repenting again any time we fall short.
For more about Christ’s sacrifice, see “Propitiation: What Does It Mean?” For more about repentance, see “What Is Repentance?”
