God, the Just and Justifier

By Xh. Chimmoua Lee

Romans 3:21-26 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 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.

How does a righteous and holy God forgive a sinful people? Pause. Really think about this question, not just theologically and spiritually but also emotionally. Think about all of those who have hurt you and sinned against you. Think about all those you have hurt and sinned against. Think about the drunk driver who took the life of a toddler by running them over while intoxicated. Think about the terrorist who slaughtered hundreds of people in the name of religion. Paul is saying that those sinners who places their faith in the free gift that God gives through Jesus Christ are made right or justified. How is that possible?

Paul in his letter up to this point in our passage, is making an argument (in verse 23), that all of mankind have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This is mankind’s spiritual condition. Paul says that God shows no partiality to both Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, Jews cannot justify themselves through keeping the law of God because they fail to uphold it perfectly and Gentiles cannot justify themselves of ignorance because they know God and his invisible attributes but suppress His truth (so no one can boast). Paul wants us to understand that all have sinned and the only way God is found right to justify sinners is through putting forward Jesus Christ, His Son as a substitute and offering in place of the sinner’s punishment, death through God’s wrath. So at calvary we are not just seeing a man merely go through the gruesome Roman capital punishment, but we see God’s wrath poured out onto Christ. How do we know that God’s wrath was poured out onto Christ? Jesus prayed for this particular cup of God’s wrath to be taken away from him in Luke 22:42. Jesus experiences God’s abandonment, shouting, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt 27:46)”. If you don’t believe God’s wrath was really poured out onto Christ, consider his death. Jesus, the Son of God dies and is confirmed dead. God’s wrath was satisfied when Jesus died. That is why Paul ventures to say later in his letter that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

If Jesus really died, then that means whoever places their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior are justified because their sins have been transferred onto him. The wrath that God was going to pour out on the sinners have been poured out onto His own son.

Therefore, God is both just and the justifier because He didn’t forgive sinners merely through passive forgetfulness, but He personally put their penalty of death on His own Son. This is why this is the greatest news ever! God rightfully made a way to reconcile sinners to Himself. This is why faith is a weighty matter. Faith in Christ makes those who have been sinned against and those who have sin against others broken over their sins, looking forward to the day of full redemption and restoration (Col 1:20). Not only that, but they also have received and are commissioned to this ministry of restoration and reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).

Reflection question:

1. How does God’s justice propel you to love Him more?
2. How does God’s justice empower you to love and forgive others?
3. How can you help someone walk through the immediate and lingering consequences of sin but still have hope?

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for the blood of Jesus. It is through his blood shed that we are forgiven. It is through his death that we are justified if we place our faith in Him as Lord and as Savior. God help us to deal with the brokenness all around us, that which is sin. Help us to trust you that you will rightly judge sin and finally do away with sin and death.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.