“God Justifies and Redeems” Romans 3:21-26

Reality isn’t what it used to be.

Now a days, there’s a lot of “reality” shows on our televisions. The problem is that most of these shows have more scripts than the scripted shows.

I’m not a fan of reality TV, but I admit Kim and I watch more of it than I care to admit. We don’t watch the usual ones, but we watch a lot of HGTV. Every show on that channel is reality, to one degree or another. And every show we watch goes like this. First, the house is a mess. Second, work begins on making it over. Third, an “unforeseen” problem arises, causing a mini-crisis. Fourth, the problem is solved and the work is finished. Finally, we get to see the wondrous transformation of this former wreck of a house into a beautiful home for people that will probably never really live in the house.

No, reality isn’t what it used to be.

But there is one reality we can always trust. The reality that is stated in the Bible is a reality that can change our lives. Last week, we looked at the reality that we are a new creation. Today, we consider the reality that we really are justified and redeemed.

Background

Paul is writing an introductory letter to the Romans. He has plans to visit the Church there, but he has never been there before. This letter is his way of telling them what he believes and preaches.He begins the letter with a statement of his conviction of the power of salvation. He then begins to talk about who is able to gain God’s favor. He begins with the immoral, and quickly dismisses their possibility of being in right relationship with God.

Next, Paul looks at the moral people, but he concludes they, too, fall short. Finally, he considers the religious—specifically, those who obey God’s laws. He concludes that they, too, fall short, since God uses His law to point us to our sinfulness and our need for His forgiveness.

Finally, as Paul begins what we call the third chapter, Paul concludes that no one is righteous, that no one can claim to be able to have a right relationship with God as long as we are relying on our own initiative.

Having reached that conclusion, he then writes the words we read just a few minutes ago.

Central Truth: God has already justified and redeemed us through Christ.

A Righteousness from God (21-22)

It must be very difficult to feel hopeless. There must a sense of emptiness, of helplessness, that overwhelms that person. I would think a person who is reading Romans for the very first time, who has never heard the Gospel message before, must have such a feeling. If no one, not even those we would normally consider righteous, have a chance to stand in right relationship with God, then who can?

The good news—the Gospel—is that God has taken steps to bring us into that right relationship. It is by His power and grace that we are made righteous. This righteousness is initiated by God, made available by God and given to us by God.Paul is very clear that this righteousness originates with God—“But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known.” When Peter made his great confession of Jesus—“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16)—Jesus was quick to tell him that his confession came from God’s revelation of Himself through Christ—“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).So it is here. God makes it possible for us to be righteous—to have a right relationship with Him—and God is the one who has made this righteousness known. Paul writes that the message was made evident in the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets. It was their testimony, inspired by God, that tells us about Jesus and about God’s redemption story through His Son.This righteousness is made available to only a select group of people. These people are the ones who have faith in Christ. To all who believe in Jesus, God gives this righteousness.

The last four words of v. 22 are important. “There is no difference.” This is a righteousness that is available to the immoral, the moral, the religious. It is available to every person in the world, as long as that person believes in Jesus by faith. That belief is demonstrated in our commitment to and obedience to Christ, but this obedience is not a prerequisite of our righteousness. We cannot earn righteousness; it is a gift of faith by God. The obedience grows out of this belief and this faith.

God is the author and presenter of the righteousness that is a gift of God’s grace and mercy. It is a righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. It is a righteousness that can only be gained in our belief in Jesus Christ, a belief that is a statement of faith.Justified and Redeemed through Christ (23-24)Paul clarifies what he means by, “There is no difference.” Verse 23 is the first of the verses used in the “Roman Road of Salvation.” It says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Since we have all sinned, we all fall short of God’s glory. And since we have all sinned and fallen short, then it means there is no difference in people in God’s sight. We are all in need of His wonderful gift of righteousness.

Verse 24 is what I want us to focus in on, because it holds two of the realities we need to take to heart as followers of Christ. Building off of the universality of sin in v. 23, Paul goes on to say that these same people are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

“Justified” is a legal term. It is similar to righteousness. To be declared righteous is to be declared not only innocent but in the right. To be justified is to be told why we are made righteous. For instance, “justifiable homicide” means that a person may have killed someone, but there was a valid reason to do so. Self-defense is justified homicide. It extends to all sorts of crimes. We may be accused, but if we had a valid reason for breaking the law, it can be excused, and we can be justified in the eyes of the law.

When God justifies us, He declares us in right relationship with Him. And it’s very important that we understand what it means to be justified in God’s eyes.We are justified the moment we accept Jesus Christ as Savior. The moment we profess our faith in Jesus, we are justified. That means all our sins that were committed are now forgiven. God now has placed our sins in our past and has separated them from us. He does this through Jesus Christ. That’s what Calvary was all about.

This justification came about by God’s grace. It was not something we did to get in God’s good graces; Paul has already written two chapters demonstrating how that was impossible to do. This justification is a gift that comes to us through Christ.

But Satan, that great Liar, doesn’t want us to know we are justified. He likes to tell us that we don’t feel justified, that we don’t feel forgiven. He plays on that emotion. He’ll remind us of the sin we committed and ask if we really think God has forgiven that sin. He’ll tell us that a particular sin makes us singularly unworthy of God’s love and usefulness. He’ll use our feelings to destroy our faith.

Years ago, I had a cousin who eventually succumbed to breast cancer. Kathy was a bright, talented young lady, and she and my sister, Karen, were very close. One of the last times we were able to be with Kathy, Karen told her how much she had envied Kathy. Karen said she always thought Kathy had her life together. Kathy smiled and laughed, and told Karen, “I always thought you were the one who had her life together.”

I tell that story because I believe churches across our country, including our church, are filled with people who feel inadequate compared to everyone else in the church. We look around and it seems that everyone else is right where they should be in their walk with God, while we’re struggling and floundering. We look at others and wish we could be as close to God, but we are reminded of our sins and how God can’t really love us. We try and we try to achieve the feeling that we are justified, but inevitably we fail.

That’s Satan talking, playing on our feelings. We need to tune him out.The reality is that you and I are already justified in God’s eyes. We don’t need to explain ourselves to Him. He already knows we are sinners, but more importantly, He knows we are sinners saved by grace. Because we believe in Jesus, God has justified us and redeemed us through His Son.

Our faith in God must be the thing that steers our lives. We can’t rely on feelings, because feelings are what Satan uses to distract us and defeat us. The Bible cannot be any clearer. We are justified freely by grace. That justification happened the moment we believed. We were justified then, and we are justified now. We will be justified for the rest of our lives.

This doesn’t mean that we are free to sin. Far from it. What I does mean is that when we sin, we should not feel defeated. We must recognize our sin, repent of that sin, and ask God for the strength to overcome temptation and the wisdom to discern when we are being tempted.One other thing. Satan will tell us that temptation is just as bad as sinning. He is a liar. Everyone is tempted, but that doesn’t mean we automatically sin when tempted. Remember, Jesus was tempted in every way that you and I are tempted, but He was without sin. Without sin. Tempted, yes. Sinning, no. When Satan tempts us, let the Spirit show you it is a temptation. Acknowledge it for what it is and ask God’s deliverance.

And remember—you are justified by faith in Christ.

A Demonstration of God’s Justice (25-26)

Why does God go to all this trouble for us? The Bible tells us in the next two verses. The Bible tells us God does this to demonstrate His justice.

From the beginning of time, people have sinned. The sins of the world have been piling up. But God had a plan from before time began. His plan was to redeem the world through His Son Jesus Christ. Knowing that He would redeem those who profess Christ by faith, God left the sins of our world unpunished. God’s timing meant that Jesus would not come to bring redemption and justification until the time was right. To punish those who never had the chance to hear of Jesus would be unjust.

So, the Bible tells us that God has not punished sin until after Christ had died for our sins. Peter, in his first letter, wrote, “For this reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged” (1 Peter 4:6a).

When Jesus told the story of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus described a place where all the dead were, a place called Hades. Those who were righteous were seated with Abraham, while those who were unrighteous were on the other side of a vast chasm, being tormented. When Jesus died, it stands to reason that He spent the time between His death and resurrection there, and those who were present heard the Gospel. My guess is that those who were already receiving their reward welcomed the good news, while those in torment no doubt rejected it. My guess is those on the other side of the chasm were unwilling to believe in Jesus because He was dead. I can only imagine their shock and horror to realize that this dead Jesus was suddenly resurrected.

Ultimate judgment will come when Christ returns. At that time, all who have failed to have faith will be cast into the lake of fire, while those whose names are written in the book of life will spend eternity in fellowship with God through Christ. And our names are written in the book the moment we believe.

We are justified and we are saved.

Conclusion

There are a lot of times when I don’t feel very “Christian.” There are times when I don’t really feel that God can be happy with me at all.But those are feelings.

I know that I am very Christian, because God has already justified me because of His grace and His Son. I believe, and I am saved. I am justified, and I am a child of God.This isn’t feelings. This is faith. This is reality.We are justified and redeemed through Christ.

Let us all walk in that reality.