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For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.

Romans Romans 3 ²¹But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. ²⁷Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. ²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. ³¹Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

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After the gloom of yesterday’s conclusion—‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (vv. 10—12, 20, 23, emphasis added)—Paul comes to the glorious solution: ‘righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe’ (v. 22, emphasis added). Now, there is a new way! We were under the judgment of the law; now we are ‘justified freely’ by God’s grace’ (v. 24). This is God’s gift to us, brought about through the obedient self-giving of his only Son, Christ Jesus (vv. 24, 25).2 He has been given as the once-for-all sacrifice for our atonement.3 We are redeemed! Like slaves set free! God has paid the price for our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus (v. 25). God is both just (Christ died for our sin) and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (v. 26)—there is no other way to be put right with God.

Who has any right to boast then (v. 27)? It was hard for Jewish Christians: they were the chosen people; they had been given the law. Now, however, there was a new law—the law of faith. Whoever you are, deeds can never make you right with God; all humankind are equal before him (v. 29). Whether you have followed the religious rites or not, it is only faith in Christ that justifies (vv. 26, 30). So, was Paul saying the old law is of no value? No! God’s law is fulfilled, on our behalf, in Christ (v. 31).4

What about us today? Is God only the God of people like us (v. 29)? Do we sometimes find ourselves wanting to exclude others from God’s grace? Paul makes it clear. Whoever you are, we are made righteous only by God’s grace and by faith in Jesus (v. 24).

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