Romans 3:19-31

Romans 3:19-31

Paul has shown that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty before God. The universality of human guilt is undeniable. Romans 3:23 is often quoted as a summation of our guilt. But in the next two verses, there is a sort of summation of God’s grace and our redemption. Paul expresses it using three words that are deeply meaningful and which we have sometimes hurried over.

The first word is “justified”; it means to be declared or treated as innocent. If a person is charged with the crime and in the trial it is proven beyond any doubt that they are innocent, they are acquitted and treated as innocent. But in our case we are undoubtedly guilty, having broken numerous laws. Nevertheless, God treats us as innocent. The trial is held, the evidence is presented, and in the face of a mountain of proof of our guilt, God says, “Not guilty,” and we walk away with all the rights and privileges associated with being innocent.

How is this possible? That brings us to the next powerful word that Paul uses, “redemption”. We might better understand this if we use the word “ransom.”. Today the word ransom is not well respected, being used almost exclusively in situations of kidnapping. But in the past, the word was a little more respectable. It was used to describe the cost of bringing POWs back from war. It was the price that was paid to bring a loved one home. In the view of the value of the suffering husband, son, or friend, it was well worth it to pay the price. If the POW wasn’t worth the ransom price, the government would not pay, and the POW would either be executed or become a slave. But God loves man so deeply that He considered the ransom price worth it.

So what was this ransom price? That brings us to the next word Paul uses, “propitiation”. This is a word never used in our world today. In short, it means a sacrifice that deflects or turns away wrath. When, in ancient times, a man sinned, he would sacrifice an animal. The punishment that should fall upon the man would be directed to the animal. It was a case of the innocent victim taking the punishment of the guilty. Ultimately that sacrifice is Jesus.

And in these three words, we see the expression of God as our Judge declaring us innocent, our King paying our ransom, and our Priest making the sacrifice for us.

“Lord, thank You for the mercy You gave me. AMEN”