Tuesday 24th March
Read Romans 3:21-24
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (NIVUK)
The great mystery revealed by Paul in this gospel is that righteousness, right standing with God, is given freely by grace to all who believe. It is shocking. Shocking because it is simply granted to anyone who ‘trusts God who justifies the ungodly’ (Romans 4:5a).
How is it even possible that God can justify the ungodly? We all place ourselves on a scale of godliness, and, even if we know we might not quite meet the standard, we know that there are folks out there who will never and should never meet it! Yet, if they turn in faith to Jesus, they will be considered righteous by God.
Paul will draw together a range of words and situations that all help us understand that it is entirely free, entirely gracious and entirely gifted by God. He considers the law courts (justified and declared righteous), social class (redeemed and freed like a slave) and the sacrificial system (atoned for fully and completely) to establish that our sin, which rightly drew God’s wrath, has been done away with.
Good news for the hopeless.
