Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 3:24

"being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" — Romans 3:24 (ASV)

One might think that Paul is committing himself to a doctrine of universal salvation—that all who have sinned are justified. That impression is certainly incorrect. The problem can be handled in either of two ways. Either the last statement in v.22 and all of v.23 should be regarded as semi-parenthetical (joining this verse with “all who believe”), or else Paul intends us to read it this way: “Since all have sinned, all must be justified—if they are to be saved—by God’s free grace.” The concept of “justification” (GK 1466) is the leading doctrinal contribution of Romans. How to be just or righteous in God’s sight is the age-old problem of humanity (Job 9:2; Job 10:14). To get at the meaning of the doctrine, some attention must be given to terminology. The Greek verb used here (“are justified”; GK 1467) is a forensic term (i.e., the language of the law court); in both OT and NT it means “to acquit” (Exodus 23:7). But the idea of “acquittal” expresses only a part of the range of the word, for there is a positive side that is even more prominent in the NT—“to consider, or declare to be, righteous.” God not only acquits believers, but he declares them to be righteous in his sight.

In the background is the important consideration, strongly emphasized by Paul, that the believer is “in Christ,” a truth that he unfolds in greater detail later in his discussion (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21). His doctrine of justification and its link with being in Christ is perhaps best stated in Php 3:8–9: “that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.” To be justified, in other words, includes the truth that God sees sinners in terms of their relation to his perfect Son.

Though justification has much in common with forgiveness, the two terms ought not to be regarded as interchangeable, for even though forgiveness of sins can be stated in comprehensive fashion (Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 4:32), one’s continuing need for forgiveness (cf. Jn 1:8-9) sets it somewhat apart from justification, which is a once-for-all declaration of God on behalf of the believing sinner.

Sinners are justified “freely” (GK 1562), i.e., as a gift. The same word is used in Jn 15:25, where it bears a somewhat different but not unrelated meaning —“without reason.” God finds no reason, no basis, in sinners for declaring them righteous. He must find the cause in himself. This truth goes naturally with the observation that justification is offered by God’s grace. If “freely” is the manner in which justification operates and if grace is its basis, “the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” is the means a gracious God employed to achieve this boon for humankind. The benefit that redemption brings in this life, according to Eph 1:7, is forgiveness of sins, and this is applicable in our passage. Another aspect, belonging to the future, is the redemption of the body, which will consummate our salvation (8:23; Ephesians 4:30).