Romans 3:25-26 - Just and Justifier

Romans 3:25-26 - 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Message: What does it really mean when I say I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ?

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

Background
This is the end of what has been called the greatest paragraph in the Bible. Romans 3:21-26 which states, (this time from the New Living Translation):

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Often, I like to look at NLT because it is written at a basic 3rd grade reading level and sometimes it is good to look at passages with the simple language.

Thus far, I can be right with God. This happens when I (or anyone) place my faith in Jesus Christ. Why is this necessary? Because of sin. Because every person has sinned. Only God can therefore declare us to be righteous. Jesus freed us from the penalty of sins.

Today's Text
So, more clearly, what are we doing when we are saying we have faith in Jesus Christ. That is the essence of verse 25 and 26. A person is stating that they believe Jesus sacrificed His life and shed His blood. When man sins, a punishment is needed. But for man, the punishment came when Jesus sacrificed His life. And so each person can be right with God by believing in Jesus.  

Looking at words and phrases in this text

• Displayed Publicly - protithemai - before place - to place before oneself
• Propitiation - hilasterion - propitiate from merciful - to appease and render favorable
• Blood - haima - the basis for individual life
• Through - dia - by means of - a marker or instrument by which something is accomplished
• Faith - pistis - trust or belief - the conviction of the truth of anything; in the Bible it includes trust
• Demonstrate - endeixis - expose to eyes and give proof - something that points to or serves as indicator of something else
• Righteousness - dikaisune - being fully justified being or in accordance with what God requires - conformity to a standard or norm; the opposite of sin which is missing the mark of God
• Forbearance - anoche - be patient with sense of enduring possible difficulty - a refraining from the enforcement of something that is due
• Passed over - paresis - send aside - intentional not regard or be concerned about certain events
• Previously committed - proginomai - before to come into existence - that which before has come into existence 
• Present - nun - now or at the actual present time
• Time - kairos - a point of time or period of time
• Just - dikaios - right - conforming to a norm; in accordance with God's compelling standards
• Justifier - dikaioo - expected behavior or conformity; not according to one's own standard, but according to a prescribed standard with prescribed punishment

Demonstrate and righteousness are repeated and both instances have the same meaning.

It is clear in scripture that a person must agree with God about their sin. A person must have sorrow for their sin. But God also requires payment for the sin. God's justice must be satisfied completely. What role part does a person have in salvation? A person must admit that they are a sinner. A person must see their sin and see that they have done wrong against God's standard. Throughout the Old Testament God passed over sins committed. People did sacrifice rams, lambs and bulls for sins and God accepted those offerings in the interim, but God knew that Jesus, at the right time, would provide the complete and necessary atonement for sins. God justifies man; God makes man right with God; Man is declared righteous then because of man's faith in Jesus and His redemption of mankind by the punishment He received. Sin has been completely paid for on the cross. Once and for all.

Promise: God is just when He forgives people.