Our living God Pt 20: Live by faith.
Romans 3:21-26 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Much of what the world teaches and what our lives show is that people think they alone are responsible for their own success. But that is not true at all, and this passage explains why. The Apostle Paul, who wrote the letter to the Romans, wanted to make it clear that salvation doesn’t depend on what we do, but on what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. He explains how people are saved, how God’s justice and mercy work together, and why Jesus’ sacrifice is central to the Christian message.
God’s righteousness has been made known
Just what does Paul mean by ‘God’s righteousness’? In the past, many people thought that following religious laws was the way to become righteous before God. The Law of Moses (which includes the Ten Commandments) set high moral standards, but no one could obey them perfectly. The more people tried to follow the law, the more they realized how short they fell. In trying to interpret those laws, the leaders of the day made it worse. For instance, to interpret the prohibition against work on the Sabbath they determined a certain number of steps was required in normal human living, but more than that was work.
That’s why Romans 3:21 is so important. It tells us that God has made His righteousness available to us in a new way—through faith in Jesus Christ, not by following the law. This new way was actually hinted at in the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets), but it was fully revealed when Jesus came. In other words, we don’t have to earn our way to God by being “good enough.” God’s righteousness is a gift that He gives to those who trust in Jesus.
All have sinned
Next, Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, and it tells us an important truth about human nature. Sin is a word that means disobeying God or failing to live up to His perfect standards. When we lie, hurt others, act selfishly, or even think wrong thoughts, we sin. And according to this verse, everyone has sinned—there are no exceptions. No matter how hard we try, none of us can live a completely sinless life.
Paul also says that we “fall short of the glory of God.” This means that because of our sin, we’re separated from God’s perfect presence. God is holy, and sin creates a barrier between us and Him. It’s like trying to jump across a huge canyon, no matter how hard we try, we can’t make it to the other side on our own.
This might sound discouraging, but Paul isn’t trying to make us feel hopeless. Instead, he wants us to understand why we need God’s help. If we realize that we can’t save ourselves, we’ll be ready to receive the solution that God provides.
All are justified
Romans 3:24 gives us the good news: “And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Let’s break this down. The word “justified” means to be declared righteous, or “not guilty,” in a legal sense. Imagine standing in a courtroom, guilty of breaking the law. You deserve punishment, but the judge declares you innocent instead. That’s what it means to be justified. But how can God declare us “not guilty” when we’ve all sinned? The answer is found in the words “by his grace.” Grace means unearned kindness or favor. God doesn’t justify us because we deserve it; He justifies us because He loves us. It’s a free gift that we can’t earn.
Paul also uses the word “redemption,” which means being set free from slavery. In ancient times, slaves could be redeemed (or set free) if someone paid the price for them. In the same way, Jesus paid the price to set us free from the power of sin. His death on the cross was the payment for our sin, and because of His sacrifice, we can be justified.
Christ’s sacrifice is a testimony
Romans 3:25-26 explains how Jesus’ sacrifice demonstrates both God’s justice and His mercy. It says, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
This is a deep and powerful truth, so let’s unpack it step by step.
First, Paul says that Jesus is a “sacrifice of atonement.” In the Old Testament, people would offer animal sacrifices to atone (or make up) for their sins. The idea was that the animal took the punishment that the person deserved. But those sacrifices were only temporary—they pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus would make. Sacrifices were brought frequently, sometimes every day, only to be repeated the very next day. On the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, called the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would offer special sacrifices for the sins of the people during the previous year, only to start again fresh the very next day because people continued to sin.
When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment for our sins once and for all. His sacrifice was perfect and complete, and it was enough to pay for the sins of the whole world.
Paul also says that Jesus’ sacrifice demonstrates God’s righteousness. Why? Because God is perfectly just, He can’t simply ignore sin. If a judge let a guilty criminal go free without any punishment, we wouldn’t call that justice. In the same way, God can’t just pretend that our sins don’t matter. But here’s the amazing part: Instead of punishing us, God sent Jesus to take our punishment for us. In this way, God is both “just” (because sin is punished) and “the one who justifies” (because He forgives those who have faith in Jesus).
What about me?
Romans 3:21-26 is a message of hope. It shows us that we don’t have to earn our way to God or try to be “good enough” to be accepted by Him. Instead, we can receive God’s righteousness as a gift, simply by trusting in Jesus. This passage also reminds us of the seriousness of sin and the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made to save us. His death on the cross wasn’t just an act of love—it was also a demonstration of God’s justice. Because of Jesus, we can be forgiven, set free, and made right with God.
If you’re wondering how to respond to this message, the answer is simple: Put your faith in Jesus. Trust that His sacrifice is enough to save you and accept the free gift of God’s grace. When you do, you’ll experience the joy and peace that come from knowing that you’re forgiven, loved, and part of God’s family.
And that’s the heart of the gospel—the “good news” that Paul wanted the Romans (and all of us) to understand. Through Jesus, God’s righteousness has been made known, and we have the incredible opportunity to be justified, redeemed, and restored to a right relationship with Him.