Paul presents in Romans 1:18 through Romans 3:19 this truth. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No one is righteous. And no one seeks God. No chance for anyone to work their way to righteousness. Yet, it is important to understand that God’s Glory is at stake. If He did not fulfill His righteousness, His justice, and His Love in dealing with the sin of humanity. How can anyone be truly justified freely? Can He remain fully just and righteous if He allows the despising of His Glory without any decree of punishment? Without Wrath?
To be truly Justified Freely, requires the shedding of blood. But if we cannot of our own volition be saved from the sin that entraps us, how can we be saved? Our justification cannot be by our own working to be better. Then how can we be freely justified? The wage of sin is death. The just decree is our death with no hope. There is no propitiation for sin, no satisfying the offense against God’s Glory, without the shedding of blood. Once dead, no chance to repent. But if the only innocent, sinless person who walked the earth freely paid the price for us. Would that be enough to declare everyone free? It would except what about those who do not believe in Him? Was He the propitiation for their sin? Did He bare their wrath as well?
Would that be Just? If Jesus bore their wrath, why should they? Or was it, He gave His life for His bride. Knowing, seeing, and loving each one of us before the earth was formed?
How Can God be the Justifier and We be Truly Justified Freely
Could it be like Boaz redeemed Ruth, Christ became our kinsmen redeemer. Or the ram caught in the thicket that died in the place of Isaac because of faith. Noah who because of faith was saved through the flood. Not because of perfect righteousness. But because He believed God. Or even Adam and Eve who did not die themselves. But were saved from sudden death by the substitutionary death of an animal from which God clothed Adam and Eve. This a representation and foreshadowing of what was to come. Jesus would take their wrath upon Himself, shed His blood, and clothe all who believe in Him with His righteousness.
How do I know their salvation was due to faith? Read this from Genesis 3.
Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:8-13 NASB
Note at this point there was no true repentance. Nor was there really any hope. Yet, God had not appeared in sudden wrath. Instead, He was walking in His Shekinah Glory as He had always walked with them. It was at that point, God said,
So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 Berean Standard Bible
At this point God foretold of Jesus Christ who was to come and crush the head of Satan.
To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you shall deliver children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16 NASB
He then points out that sin entered because Adam chose to listen to his wife instead of God. Instead of trusting God, Adam put his wife ahead of God. It had been Adam God told not to eat. He was to be the protector and the leader of his wife, the God given role.
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you;
With hard labor you shall eat from it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
Yet you shall eat the plants of the field;
By the sweat of your face
You shall eat bread,
Until you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19 NASB
It was then that Adam named EVE (life), indicating that he understood God was sending someone through her to crush Satan’s head.
Now the man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Genesis 3:20 NASB
Now it was after Adam believed by faith that salvation was going to come by God Alone through a redeemer, then God clothed them in His righteousness because of faith. Yet, God proclaimed the salvation to come before they demonstrated faith. This is crucial to understand. Choice is present. Also, God foreordained the response of Adam and salvation comes only through the absolute Sovereign work of God alone. Even if I do not understand fully how both are true, I know the Bible teaches both as equally true. One day I will understand. Yet, this truth has been ever present from the beginning.
Justified Freely by Faith Because of the Gospel
Paul had introduced the truth that justification is by faith in Romans 1.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16 NKJV
That is the good news Paul wants to share with the Romans and all the world. But before they could understand this, he spent the next verses and chapters explaining how all have sinned. None are righteous on our own. Therefore, without the gospel of Christ there is no means of salvation. Now he has returned to further explain the truth of salvation. It is apart from the law and not through the law.
now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, Romans 3:21-25 NKJV
God is the only hope of Righteousness for the human race. For only He is righteous. Only He can provide a robe of righteousness to all who believe in the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Redemption set forth by the propitiation provided by His blood, through faith. Thus allowing those who believe to be fully justified freely.
I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, Isaiah 62:10 NASB
How Are We Justified Freely by Propitiation of the Blood of Jesus Christ
Propitiation is the act of appeasing or making well-disposed a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding divine retribution. The word was well known throughout all the nations and all the false religions. Yet, is the word denoting payment in full for the sins of the ones seeking restitution to favor.
It was at a tremendous price. Jesus Christ came and took upon His flesh the full weight of the wrath of God against Himself. That was the struggle we saw in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet, His love for us and His absolute surrender to the will of the Father were what drove Him to the cross. His blood was the propitiation for our sin.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. I John 2: 1-2 KJV
This is further explained by John McArthur in his study bible.
2:2 propitiation. Cf. 4:10. The word means “appeasement” or “satisfaction.” The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross satisfied the demands of God’s holiness for the punishment of sin (cf. Rom. 1:18; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:3). So Jesus propitiated or satisfied God. See notes on Heb. 2:17; 9:15 for a clear illustration of propitiation. for the whole world. This is a generic term, referring not to every single individual, but to mankind in general. Christ actually paid the penalty only for those who would repent and believe. A number of Scriptures indicate that Christ died for the world (John 1:29; 3:16; 6:51; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9). Most of the world will be eternally condemned to hell to pay for their own sins, so they could not have been paid for by Christ. The passages which speak of Christ’s dying for the whole world must be understood to refer to mankind in general (as in Titus 2:11). “World” indicates the sphere, the beings toward whom God seeks reconciliation and has provided propitiation. God has mitigated His wrath on sinners temporarily, by letting them live and enjoy earthly life (see note on 1 Tim. 4:10). In that sense, Christ has provided a brief, temporal propitiation for the whole world. But He actually satisfied fully the wrath of God eternally only for the elect who believe. Christ’s death in itself had unlimited and infinite value because He is Holy God. Thus His sacrifice was sufficient to pay the penalty for all the sins of all whom God brings to faith. But the actual satisfaction and atonement was made only for those who believe (cf. John 10:11, 15; 17:9, 20; Acts 20:28; Rom. 8:32, 37; Eph. 5:25). The pardon for sin is offered to the whole world, but received only by those who believe (cf. 4:9, 14; John 5:24). There is no other way to be reconciled to God.
Therefore, We are Justified Freely
To be justified is a court term. Rather than being condemned we are declared not guilty. That is how we are covered by the robes of righteousness that are Jesus Christ’s robes. Covered by the blood of Christ, our sins have be covered completely. That is the only way God could remain just and allow us to be justified freely through faith. The price was paid by Jesus Christ. Therefore the Glory of God, His Righteousness remained on display.
On the way to the Garden Jesus prayed that the Glory of God the Father be revealed through Him to the world. And in thus, His own Glory restored as He returned to His throne beside the Father. Furthermore, He prayed that their Glory be shared with us who believe in him.
That is how God’s full righteousness is displayed.
A quote from Jonathan Edwards to close:
Do not presume upon the mercy of God, and so encourage yourself in sin. Many hear that God’s mercy is infinite, and therefore think, that if they delay seeking salvation for the present, and seek it later in life, that God will bestow His grace upon them. But consider, that though God’s grace is sufficient, yet He is sovereign, and will use His own pleasure to determine whether He will save you or not. If you put off salvation till the end of your life, salvation will not be in your power. It will be as a sovereign God pleases, whether you shall obtain it or not. Therefore, seeing that in this matter you are so absolutely dependent on God, it is best to follow His direction in seeking it, which is to listen to His voice, which says, “Today, if you hear My voice, do not harden your hearts” [Psalm 95:7-8].
Beware also of discouragement. Take heed of despairing thoughts, because you are a great sinner, because you have persevered so long in sin, have backslidden, and resisted the Holy Spirit. Remember that, no matter what your case may be, no matter how great a sinner you are, God can bestow mercy upon you without the least prejudice to the honor of His holiness, which you have offended, or to the honor of His majesty, which you have insulted, or of His justice, which you have made your enemy, or of His truth, or of any of His attributes. Let you be what sinner you may, God can, if He pleases, greatly glorify Himself in your salvation. Amen. Jonathan Edwards https://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/je-sovereign.htm
And please read some of J. I Packer to further understand
The particular antinomy which concerns us here is the apparent opposition between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, or (putting it more biblically) between what God does as King and what He does as Judge. Scripture teaches that, as King, He orders and controls all things, human actions among them, in accordance with His own eternal purpose (See Gen. 45:8, 1:20; Prov. 16:9, 21:1; Matt. 10:29; Acts 4:27 f.; Rom. 9:20 f.; Eph. 1:11; etc.). Scripture also teaches that, as Judge, He holds every man responsible for the choices he makes and the courses of action he pursues (See Matt. 25; Rom. 2:1-16; Rev. 20:11-13; etc.). Thus, hearers of the gospel are responsible for their reaction; if they reject the good news, they are guilty of unbelief. “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed…” (John 3:18; cf. Matt. 11:20-24; Acts 13:38-41; 2 Thes. 1:7-10; etc.) Again, Paul, entrusted with the gospel, is responsible for preaching it; if he neglects his commission, he is penalized for unfaithfulness. “Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 14:16; cf. Eze. 3:17 ff., 23:7 ff.
) God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are taught us side by side in the same Bible; sometimes, indeed, in the same text (E.g., Luke 22:22, “the Son of man goeth (to His death), as it was determined; but woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed’’ Cf. Acts 2:23.). Both are thus guaranteed to us by the same divine authority; both, therefore, are true. It follows that they must be held together, and not played off against each other:
Man is a responsible moral agent, though he is also divinely controlled.
Man is divinely controlled, though he is also a responsible moral agent.
God’s sovereignty is a reality, and man’s responsibility is a reality too. This is the revealed antinomy in terms of which we have to do our thinking about evangelism.
To our finite minds, of course, the thing is inexplicable. It sounds like a contradiction, and our first reaction is to complain that it is absurd. Paul notices this complaint in Romans 9. “Thou wilt say then unto me, Why does He (God) yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will?’ (Rom. 9:19). If, as our Lord, God orders all our actions, how can it be reasonable or right for Him to act also as our Judge, and condemn our shortcomings? Observe how Paul replies. He does not attempt to demonstrate the propriety of God’s action; instead, he rebukes the spirit of the question. “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?’ (Rom. 9:20).
The creature has no right What the objector has to learn is that he, a creature and a sinner, has no right whatsoever to find fault with the revealed ways of God. Creatures are not entitled to register complaints about their Creator. As Paul goes on to say, God’s sovereignty is wholly just, for His right to dispose of His creatures is absolute (Rom. 9:20 f.). Earlier in the Epistle, he had shown that God’s judgment of sinners is also wholly just, since our sins richly deserve His sentence (Rom. 1:18 ff., 32; 2:1-16.).Our part, he would tell us, is to acknowledge these facts, and to adore God’s righteousness, both as King and as Judge. Our part is not to speculate as to how His just sovereignty can be consistent with His just judgment, and certainly not to call the justice of either in question because we find the problem of their relationship too hard for us. Our speculations are not the measure of our God. The Creator has told us that He is both a sovereign Lord and a righteous Judge, and that should be enough for us. Why do we hesitate to take His word for it? Can we not trust what He says?
The Creator is incomprehensible to His creatures We ought not in any case to be surprised when we find mysteries of this sort in God’s Word⎯for the Creator is incomprehensible to His creatures. A God whom we could understand exhaustively, and whose revelation of Himself confronted us with no mysteries whatsoever, would be a God in man’s image, and therefore an imaginary God, not the God of the Bible at all. For what the God of the Bible says is this: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8 f.).
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility – J. I. Packer
How both biblical truths coexist in God’s grace, by J. I. Packer, 1961
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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Please note: This Post only has quotes from the NKJV Bible except where otherwise indicated
