Grace at the Cross: Justified by Faith, Redeemed by Love

Introduction

In a monastery in the late 1400s AD, a German monk sits paralyzed. He is pondering the holiness of God and the sinfulness of his own heart. How could he, a sinner, stand before a holy God? He has confessed all the sins he might have committed. He has prayed. Given to the church. He has worked hard to please God and be accepted by him. But when will he know if his hard work to earn salvation has paid off? He didn’t know … and that terrified him.

People throughout history have recognized that they carry guilt. They do not always know the source of that guilt, the reason for the guilt, or even the nature of the guilt. But either way they have sought ways to atone for it–whether through religious rituals, self sacrifice or modern substitutes.

It will be easy to see the wrong in all of them except for the modern substitute. This one will be a hard pill for many to swallow because it hits not close to home but right at home. Humanity has always and will always look for a solution to sin which includes calling it something else.

Romans 3:21-26 presents the only true solution. God’s righteousness reveled in Jesus Christ, justifying sinners by faith, not by human efforts. We are so consumed by this post modern society that we do not even recognize human effort when we see it. We will discuss these. within this passage we will discuss the following 4 points.

The Revelation of God’s Righteousness

The Universal Need for Atonement

Justification: A Gift of Grace Not Works

The Cross: God’s Just and Perfect Atonement

1. The Revelation of God’s Righteousness (v.21)pray

Romans 3:21 LSB

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

“But now” signals a turning point. But the question is, it is turning from what to what? Now, in vs 20 he affirmed:

Romans 3:20 LSB

20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:20 NLT

20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Trying to please God by your perfect obedience to the law is an impossibility because you cannot be perfectly obedient to it. (Even if you started today it does not absolve you of yesterday)

So the purpose of the law has been reduced to just a ruler, a measuring stick…

Yet it was necessary for humanity to try and see its own failure and trying began from Adam, who tried to absolve his own guilt by blaming his wife, and the wife tried to absolve her own guilt by blaming the snake.

The law showed that no one reaches the bar no matter how hight they jump. The law was designed so everyone will just shut up because they have no basis for argument. No one can articulate their own defense because they are all on sin. The law points to God’s standards and illustrates people’s inabilities to live up to them.

It was designed so that we might become conscious of our sin and guilt.

But now indicates a contrast with what preceded what he had just affirmed, there is a righteousness that is available apart from the law. This in new but not new for the concept was not foreign to the OT. Remember what Abraham did after God made His promises?

Genesis 15:6 LSB

6 Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness.

But now the picture is clear all human attempts at righteousness are an act of futility and they are an affront to the holiness of God

Isaiah 64:6 LSB

6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away.

All human attempt both those that are ancient in origin and those that were invented yesterday. Sobeit sin-eating, religious penance, social justice guilt, moral self-improvement. None of them work at removing sin and or guilt.

God’s righteousness is a gift, not something that can be achieved or transferred.

The world knows its guilt but tries to fix itself through false means.

There are no other atonement means but the one that God has provided. And everyone needs atonement.

2. Universal Need for Atonement (vv. 22–23)

Romans 3:22–23 LSB

22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Everyone is guilty and no one is exempt. This is probably the simplest concept to understand and the hardest to accept because must people see themselves as victims. They are either victims of what someone, something, some system has done to them, or they have a scapegoat that allows them to transfer personal responsibility to someone or something else. ie: the man blamed the woman and God, the woman blame the snake, and the snake suddenly stopped talking.

Romans 3:10–12 LSB

10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”

The next time you have an argument with your spouse, your parent, your friend, your kid, pay attention watch how you and they shift blame. And to refrain from doing it, it requires an act of emotional and spiritual congress, it is almost physically painful to refrain yourself from passing the proverbial hot potato off to someone or something else.

Here when Paul says “for all have sinned” Paul connects what he has been saying from chapters 1 all the way to chapter 3 proving that the ethnic groups of his day, Jews, and gentiles all stand condemned.

This is why every culture, even apart from Scripture seek atonement. Have you ever heard of a sin-eater.

Sin-eater image

A sin-eater was a person in certain historical and folk traditions, particularly in Wales and England, who was believed to take on the sins of a deceased person by consuming food and drink placed on or near the corpse. The practice was rooted in the idea that sin could be transferred symbolically through a ritual meal, allowing the dead to enter the afterlife free of their sins.

The concept predates Christianity. However, it later became entangled with folk Christianity, particularly in medieval and early modern Europe.

The existence of sin-eating—whether pre-Christian or influenced by folk Christianity—reveals something profound about human nature: across cultures and time periods, people recognize their sin, guilt, and need for atonement. This universal awareness aligns with Romans 2:14-15, where Paul speaks of the law being written on the hearts of all people.

Almost every ancient culture developed some kind of sacrificial system to deal with wrongdoing.

Whether through scapegoats, human sacrifices, or symbolic rituals, people have sought to transfer guilt away from themselves.

These practices reflect a longing for forgiveness and cleansing, but they fall short because they attempt to deal with sin through human or ritual means rather than divine grace. Look at:

Hebrews 10:4 LSB

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

How much less could a sin-eater do so?The sin-eater tradition, though misguided, demonstrates that people intuitively know that sin requires payment. However, what all human traditions could not accomplish, Christ fulfilled:

The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.

Charles Spurgeon

Isaiah 53:6 LSB

6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

John 1:29 LSB

29 On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

2 Corinthians 5:21 LSB

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

There are some modern versions of sin-eating today you probably do not realize the connection:

Some try to purge guilt by activism or public confession, believing that publicly acknowledging wrongdoing, privilege, or societal sins will absolve them. This can be seen in social media movements where individuals post statements of regret or solidarity to distance themselves from blame. However, these efforts often become performative rather than genuine acts of repentance, as they seek absolution from culture rather than from God.

Others think therapy alone can deal with moral guilt, replacing atonement with self-improvement strategies. While therapy is beneficial for emotional and mental health, it cannot ultimately remove sin and reconcile one to God. Self-forgiveness without divine forgiveness leaves guilt unresolved.

Some still follow legalistic religion, trying to earn righteousness through moral deeds, religious observance, or personal sacrifice, yet falling into the same trap of self-justification rather than trusting in Christ’s finished work.

Social movements often create secular forms of penance, where individuals seek to atone for historical or societal sins through reparations, apologies, or activism. These acts function as a form of modern sin-eating—trying to transfer guilt through actions or gestures. However, because there is no true redemption in these systems, individuals are often left feeling they must continually work to earn moral purity, never finding true release from guilt.

We don’t need to find a way to be righteous.

God has already provided righteousness through Christ.

Faith in Jesus is the only way to be declared righteous before God.

So all have, and if all have sin all need to be justified by the same means and the only means of justification that has been provided

3. Justification: A Gift of Grace, Not Works (v. 24)

Romans 3:24 LSB

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Key word dikaioō “justified” which means to be declared legally righteous in God’s court. Just like someone accused of a crime can describe himself or by others as innocent, he will have to be declared innocent in a court of law or all claims to innocence are invalid. God’s court is the highest court.

Paul does not mean ‘to be made righteous’ in an ethical sense, nor ‘to be treated as righteous’ despite not really being so, but rather to receive a judicial verdict of acquittal by God from all charges that might be brought against someone due to their sin

Key word dōrean “gift” which means a gift without repayment, gratis, undeservedly, without reason or cause, free.

This means that justification is a gift, and those who place their faith in Christ are put in right relationship with him by virtue of their faith in Christ and not on the basis of their own efforts

Key word charis “grace” which means gracious kindness or favor or goodwill.

Paul uses this term to describe the way in which God has acted in Christ towards man, completely unconstrained by anything other than his own will to render a verdict of justification, supplying all that is necessary to put man right with himself, an action which is totally unmerited, and which must be received completely by faith

It means that justification is an altogether gratuitous action, unmerited by those who receive it. It is the absolutely free and undeserved favor of God, who in love comes to our rescue giving himself generously in and through Jesus Chris

Key word apolytrōsis “redemption” which means to be set free by the payment of a price.

This term was used historically to describe the payment of a price to gain release for prisoners of war or for someone under sentence of death, or to free slaves. The connotation here would be of Christ’s death as a ransom or payment that takes the place of the penalty for sins by which all people are indebted to God.

Contrast: False Atonements vc. Christ Redemption table

If we are justified by grace, we must stop trying to justify ourselves.

If redemption is in Christ, we must stop looking for it elsewhere.

Since justification is a gift, the only response is faith and gratitude.

This brings us to our 4th and final point:

4. The Cross: God’s Just and Perfect Atonement (vv. 25–26)

So he is talking about Christ Jesus…

Romans 3:25–26 LSB

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

The great sacrifice was not done in secret but publicly for all to see His holiness, His righteousness, and yes His mercy all at the same time.

Propitiation hilastērion. Carries the idea of appeasement or satisfaction. Christ’s violent death satisfied the offended holiness and wrath of God for whom Christ died.

The Heb. equivalent of this word was used to describe the mercy seat—the cover to the ark of the covenant—where the High-Priest sprinkled the blood of the slaughtered animal on the Day of Atonement to make atonement for the sins of the people. In pagan religions, it is the worshiper not the god who is responsible to appease the wrath of the offended deity. But in reality, man is incapable of satisfying God’s justice apart from Christ, except by spending eternity in hell

Isaiah 53:11 LSB

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

The blood of Christ actually absorbs the punishment we deserve. Unlike the sin-eater, Christ is both innocent and willing–the perfect substitute.

This proves God to be just. He does not ignore sin but deals with it fully in Christ.

The wisdom of God’s plan allowed Him to punish Jesus in the place of sinners and thereby justify those who are guilty without compromising His justice.

If sin is actually removed, we don’t need to carry guilt.

If Christ fully paid the price, we are free to worship and serve Him joyfully.

Instead of “atoning” for ourselves, we can point others to the cross.

The world knows sin is real and tries to find ways to remove it. Sin-eaters, works-based religion, activism, and cancel culture all try to deal with guilt—but they fail. Only Christ provides true atonement. Since we are justified by faith and redeemed by love, let us worship and serve Jesus!

The New International Version Chapter 31

Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,

‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,

and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

Then one day this monk read Romans 1:17, “The righteous will live by faith.” Martin Luther was forever changed from reading that verse. He realized that salvation came through the grace of God and by placing faith in the work of Christ alone. Luther challenged the theology and practices of the medieval church and led a revolution that changed the course of history