Justice Meets Grace

If you were with us last week, then you remember how Paul left us at the end of Romans 3:19–20. Humanity was in the courtroom, the evidence was overwhelming, every mouth was silent, and the verdict was unavoidable: guilty. All have sinned. No exclusions. When the Bible says “all” it means all. All fall short. Nobody can justify themselves. The law exposes our condition, but it can’t fix it.

And if Paul had ended the letter right there, we’d have absolutely no hope. We’d walk out with our heads down, crushed under the weight of our sin and without anything to look forward to.

But Paul doesn’t stop there.

He turns a corner. He reaches a turning point in the entire Bible. It begins with two simple words — two words that make the gospel possible, two words that change the story of every believer forever.

“But now…”

“But now” is Paul saying, “This is who you were… but this is what God has done.” It’s the shift from despair to hope. Darkness to light. Judgment to mercy. Those two words are the doorway that leads us into the heart of the gospel.

What we will see today is this:

God makes us righteous by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.

Let’s step through that door and see what God has done for guilty sinners like us.

I. God Reveals a New Kind of Righteousness — One We Could Never Earn

Romans 3:21 NKJV

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Paul says righteousness — being right with God — is “revealed.” Meaning, it’s not a ladder we climb. It’s not something we assemble piece by piece with our good deeds. It’s something God shows us because we would’ve never found it on our own.

The Greek word for righteousness here is — moral and spiritual rightness, being accepted by God. And Paul says this righteousness doesn’t come “through the law.” We don’t earn it by behavior, obedience, religious practices, or moral consistency.

But don’t miss this: Paul says the Law and the Prophets actually pointed to this all along. God didn’t change His plan. This was His plan. Every sacrifice, every prophecy, every promise in the Old Testament was building in one direction — toward Jesus.

So step one in understanding the gospel:

Being right with God isn’t about what I do. It’s about what God has done.

II. God Gives His Righteousness to All Who Trust in Jesus

Romans 3:22–23 NKJV

22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Paul defines how this righteousness arrives in our lives. Not by improvement. Not by heritage. Not by good intentions.

It comes “through faith in Jesus Christ.”

This Greek word for “faith” means— trust, reliance, confidence. Not just believing that Jesus existed or admiring Him from a distance. It’s handing Him your life. It’s trusting Him to rescue you because you know you can’t rescue yourself.

And Paul gets rid of every category that humans love to build.

“to all and on all who believe.”

In other words:

young or old

religious or skeptical

morally clean or morally broken

Jew or Gentile

“for there is no difference.”

Why? Because “all have sinned.” And the word “sinned” — hamartanō — means missing the mark entirely. Not “we didn’t hit bullseye,” but “we couldn’t even reach the target.” We all fall short of God’s glory.

So the playing field is level. Everyone needs grace. And everyone is invited to receive it through Jesus.

Next, we see that…

III. God Justifies Us Freely — Not Because We’re Worthy, But Because He’s Gracious

Romans 3:24 NKJV

24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

This verse is the gospel in one sentence.

“Justified” is the word that means— declared righteous. It’s the Judge slamming the gavel and saying, “Clean record. Case dismissed.”

And Paul says this happens “freely” — without cost, without charge, without condition. Grace isn’t discounted. Grace isn’t postponed. Grace isn’t earned. Grace is given.

But it cost Christ everything.

“Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Redemption — apolytrōsis — means to buy back, to pay a ransom, to purchase freedom.

We were not simply struggling. We were captive. And Jesus paid the price with His own life to set us free.

So hear this clearly:

You are not saved because you are worth saving.

You are saved because God loves you and wants to provide grace us with salvation.

Fourthly…

IV. God Poured Out His Justice on Christ So He Could Pour Out Mercy on Us

Romans 3:25 NKJV

25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

This is one of the most theologically rich sentences in the Bible.

Paul describes Jesus as a “propitiation” — the Greek word hilastērion. It refers to the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, the place where the sacrifice was offered and God’s judgment toward sin was satisfied.

Jesus is that mercy seat.

He is that sacrifice.

His blood is what satisfies God’s holy justice.

This is important, because God didn’t ignore sin. He didn’t downgrade holiness. He didn’t look the other way or loosen the standard. His righteousness demanded justice.

And in love, God allowed that justice to fall on Himself — in the person of His Son.

The cross is where God’s holiness and God’s mercy meet.

And then, lastly…

V. God Remains Just — And He Becomes the Justifier

Romans 3:26 NKJV

26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

This verse answers one of the biggest questions skeptics still ask today:

How can a holy God forgive guilty sinners and still be righteous Himself?

And Paul gives the answer:

God remained just — He judged sin fully at the cross.

And God became justifier — He gives righteousness to those who trust in Jesus.

Justice was satisfied.

Mercy was released.

Grace was offered.

The cross is not sentimental.

It is not symbolic.

It is a legal transaction, it is holy, and it is complete.

At Calvary, God condemned sin.

At Calvary, Jesus absorbed judgment.

At Calvary, righteousness became available.

And it is offered to every sinner who simply believes.

Application - What does this mean for us?

1. Stop performing for God.

Righteousness isn’t about what you do. It’s about what Christ did. You don’t have to win God’s approval — you receive His righteousness.

2. Stop defending yourself.

Our instinct is to prove we’re not “that bad.” Paul says: stop. Just admit you’re one of the “all” who sinned. And trust in the One who justifies.

3. Trust fully in Christ — nothing else.

Not your spiritual record.

Not your ministry service.

Not your Christian heritage.

Only Jesus.

Faith alone.

Grace alone.

Christ alone.

Conclusion

Romans 3:21–26 is the beating heart of the gospel. It’s the courtroom verdict reversed. It’s the mercy seat revealed. It’s righteousness offered. It’s justice carried out. It’s grace poured out.

Everyone who trusts in Christ becomes what they could never become on their own:

Right with God.

Forgiven by God.

Accepted by God.

Declared righteous by God.

At the cross, God remained just.

At the cross, God became the justifier.

At the cross, Jesus paid the full price.

And today, anyone — absolutely anyone — who trusts in Him is made right.

Grace did that.

Faith receives that.

Christ accomplished that.

That is the gospel.