"Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth a propitiation, through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare at this time His righteousness; that He might be just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus" Romans 3v25-26.
What a wonderful statement of the gospel! Paul is expounding here the all embracing value of the death of Christ He refers to sins of the past and sins of the present time, all dealt with at Calvary. This glorious work, which God accomplished, through Jesus Christ, has solved the sin question for all time.
"The remission of sins that are past" refer to the old testament period of time. In that time people were sinners just the same as today, God hated sin just as today, but in remarkable forbearance, suffered long the sins of those days, knowing that Christ would take them away. The word for "remission" means "passing over". It does not mean God condoned sin, or turned a blind eye to it back in those days, He passed it over, He covered it for the time, He suffered it in the sure knowledge of the removal of sin at the Cross. The same idea is stated by Paul in the sermon on Mars hill at Athens " The times of this ignorance God overlooked" Acts 17v30 To the nation of Israel He gave a system of blood sacrifice, which would prefigure the blood sacrifice of Christ. In the letter to the Hebrews it is stated "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." Hebrews 10v4 This system of worship only existed as a shadow of the real thing that was to come "and every priest standing daily ministering and offering often times the same sacrifices which can never take away sins but this man after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God." Hebrews 10 v11&12
He goes on to say here "to declare at this time His righteousness," this is referring to the present age. Whether we think of the past ages or the present age every thing to do with sin was accomplished at Calvary, the old times in prospect, and the present time in retrospect. No longer is God merely overlooking sin, suffering it; on the cross of Jesus Christ He took it away.
John 1v29 "Behold the Lamb of God which TAKETH AWAY the sin of the world."
Hebrews 1v 3 "When He had by Himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."
Hebrews 10v14 "By one offering He has perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
Everything pointed forward to Calvary, everything looks back to Calvary; God is able to declare all the sins of the past age to be gone, and all the sins of the present age to be gone, the only common factor being personal faith in the word of God. God declares, I believe, that is how I am saved, because of Calvary all sins have been paid for to the satisfaction of God, in all past ages, and now in the present age. In the process nothing of God's eternal holy character has been compromised. The magnificent result is that God can be "just and the Justifier of everyone who believes in Jesus."
Salvation in all ages, has been the same, belief in the declared word of God.
AMAZING, GLORIOUS, WONDROUS SALVATION.
In summary of these verses Romans 3 v 21-26, which are the very heart of the gospel, we can say this: God can declare sinners right with Himself because Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for their sin by dying in their place, His death satisfied all the demands of God against sinners completely so that He can now declare to be righteous those who trust in Jesus Christ as their substitute.
Tomorrow d.v. no room for human boasting.
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