In the first three chapters of Romans the Apostle Paul has given us the bad news: None of us are good; we are all sinners; and we deserve destruction and misery. Now in verse 24 Paul gives us the good news to those who exercise faith; who believe on Jesus Christ. 

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

BEING JUSTIFIED - God forgives our sins and declares us righteous. Notice that ‘being justified’ is a passive verb phrase. It is something done to us from outside of ourselves. God reckons us righteous with the righteousness of Christ.

FREELY – We cannot do anything to deserve the righteousness of Christ.

GRACE – God’s merciful behavior to underserving sinners.

REDEMPTION - To buy back, to loose, to free; freeing from chains, slavery, or prison, etc. Christ purchased us with His blood.

“There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.”

The dying thief rejoic’d to see
That Fountain in his day;
And there have I, as vile as he,
Wash’d all my sins away.” --Cowper

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Next week’s blog may deal with the Christians response to guilt.

Ron Cox – Director of HOPE Ministry