Romans 3:21-31

Justification

Tyndale Bible Dictionary Justification, Justified

The act of God in bringing sinners into a new covenant relationship with himself through the forgiveness of sins. It is a declarative act of God by which he establishes persons as righteous—that is, in right and true relationship to himself.

Justification is apart from the law (21)

Justification is through faith in Christ (22a)

Faith is only as good as the object

Justification is for all men (22b-23)

Justification is by grace (24)

Justification came at a great cost to God (24b-25)

Salvation is free but it is not cheap

Propitiation

Tyndale Bible Dictionary Propitiation

The idea that God cannot be angry is not based on the OT or the NT. God does have anger for the sins of the human race. Whenever his children sin, they provoke the anger of God. Of course, his anger is not an irrational lack of self-control, as it so often is with humans. His anger is the settled opposition of his holy nature to everything that is evil. Such opposition to sin cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. It requires something much more substantial. And the Bible states that it was only the cross that did this. Jesus is “the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (

Propitiation means the satisfying of God’s holy law, the meeting of it’s just demands.

Justification is in perfect justice (25-26)

A God of love wants to forgive sinners, but a God of holiness must punish sin and uphold His righteous law.

How can God be both just and justifier? Jesus Christ

When Jesus Christ suffered the wrath of God on the Cross for the world’s sins He fully met the demands of God’s Law and also fully expressed the love of God’s heart.

Justification establishes the Law (27-31)

The doctrine of justification is not against the law, because it establishes the law through Jesus Christ.

God obeyed His own law in working out a plan for salvation.

Jesus in His life and death completely fulfilled the demands of the law.