 Scripture
Study for the week of November 12th, 2005
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ” Romans 3:24. No one upon this earth is ever actually sinless in God’s sight; we all are corrupt and sinful. How then does God declare not guilty those who are guilty? By noticing the definitions of the terms in this text we are given the answer . .
Justify: (Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words) “showing to be righteous, declaring to be righteous, or pronouncing to be righteous”.
Freely: “wholly without cause”.
Grace: “a free gift given wholly from the love of God upon those who deserve the exact opposite, indeed entirely in spite of the person”.
Redemption: (Classic Greek) “loosing or releasing the bonds of a prisoner or slave by payment of a ransom, purchase of release by means of the payment of a ransom”.
Our text states that, “Though imprisoned in the penalty of sin, by the payment of the ransom of Christ’s blood, the Lord wholly without cause in the individual declares, shows, or pronounces righteous those who in and of themselves deserve the exact opposite”. Indeed, “ . . . whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:29-34).
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