Justification

Justification

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26, ESV)

This portion of Scripture is one of the clearest explanations of the gospel in the Bible. Everyone—every single person—has sinned and fallen short of God's perfect standard. We all deserve punishment because we've missed God's glory. But here's the amazing good news: God declares us righteous (justified) as a free gift of His grace, not because we've earned it. This happens through Jesus' redemption—He paid our debt by dying in our place. God presented Jesus as a propitiation: His blood satisfied God's righteous anger against sin, so we receive forgiveness by trusting (having faith) in Him. In the past, God patiently passed over sins, not giving them the full judgment they deserved, but now through the cross He shows He is perfectly just (punishing sin) while also being the One who justifies (declares righteous) anyone who believes in Jesus. This proves God's justice and mercy together.

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