…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 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. 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.
None of us can deny that we have broken God’s law (verse 23). Even if we weren’t aware of the Bible, we all know and can recall times when our internal consciences told us that something was wrong, yet we did it anyway (Romans 2:14-15). Not to mention all of creation around us, which clearly preaches of Christ, his goodness, his beauty, and the horrors of sinning in darkness (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20).
So, every one of us needs to admit that we’ve sinned. And that’s bad news because if we don’t live up to God’s glory, then we deserve to be dealt with in the glare of his glory, which rightly destroys all who fail to live up to his expectations (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 6:23). But we’re told here by the apostle Paul that there is good news—there is an opportunity to be made righteous (verse 24). That’s what it means to be justified; it’s a gift. And gifts are good because all we need to do with them is to receive them (Ephesians 2:8-9).
There is redemption; we can be bought back through God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13-14). God the Father put his Son forward as a propitiation, as an offering designed to turn away his wrath (1 John 2:2). That’s what propitiation is: a wrath-appeasing offering. It was his blood that made all the difference, and all we need to do, as Paul says, is to receive that blood by faith—to say “yes” to Jesus (Romans 5:9, John 1:12).
Jesus shows us God’s righteousness, God’s righteousness that is offered to all of us (verse 22). God is willing to pass over our former sins, and he is willing to be the one who not only justifies us but who is our justification (verses 25-26). Not only is he willing to make us righteous, but he is also the one who makes us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). The key detail has to do with faith in Jesus (Galatians 2:16).
Do you have faith in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in him? Do you say “yes” to him? Do you accept him? Do you look to him? That is the only qualification required for someone to be saved from the wrath of God and to live with God forever in heaven and in a future recreated universe, where there will be no more tears, no more sadness, no more sin, and no more pain (Revelation 21:4, Isaiah 65:17).
