Freely

Romans 3:24 — “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”

What is the one condition upon which sinners are justified by God? See Rom. 3: 22, 25, 28, 30; 4: 3, 5, etc. Exactly what does this mean? That is, what is it that God asks us to believe, in order to be “justified”? (This is an all important question.)  As what, in 3: 25, does God say He set forth Christ Jesus?  God’s holy wrath against sin fell upon Whom?  When?  And now God commands us to believe what He says about Christ’s sacrifice, that He is it has redeemed us from the curse of His broken law (Gal. 3:13), and though this redemption (Rom. 3:24) He is now able, since our sins were put away in the blood, or by the death, of Christ, to freely justify us.  He asks us to believe that He has made Christ the propitiation for our sins.  He commands each of us to appropriate this by believing it true concerning himself, and say:  “Christ died for my sins;  God’s wrath against all my sins is forever satisfied.  God says so.  I believe God.  My sins are put away.”  This is the faith that justifies.  When we take this step, reckoning on God, God reckons righteousness, His righteousness, to us.  Thus we are justified.  Just what this expression “justified” means let us leave till the next lesson.  The question now is, Have we taken this step of personal faith as to our sins having been forever put away at Calvary?  If you are not sure, take the step immediately.  You have no right to doubt.  If you think that you are not good enough do you not see that you are still looking at yourself, and your works, while God says this righteousness He offers you is altogether apart from law (3:21), apart from works of the law (3:28), apart from works, 4:6?  Believe, just now, on Him who justifieth the UNGODLY (4:5; 5:6, 8).  You cannot be more that ungodly, or a sinner.  Take assurance of forgiven sin, just now, by FAITH.

Note carefully:  One Greek word in Romans 3:24, will bring blessing to your soul, if you will take it.  It is “dorean,” translated “freely.”  In John 15:25, the same word is rendered, “without a cause”:  Jesus says to His disciples, “They hated me without a cause.”  There was no cause in our Lord why men hated Him;  the cause was in their own hearts — their sins.  Just so, God justifies the sinner “dorean,” without a cause in the sinner why he should be justified — the cause being in God — in His love!

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Work Cited

Newell, William R. “The Righteousness of God:  How Revealed;  How Received” Lessons on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans: Also, Outline Lessons on the Book of Acts, J.I.C. Wilcox, 1925, p. 45–47.