Declares

So far, Paul, in his letter to the Jesus followers in Rome, has gone to great detail to explain the problem we all face ... we have sinned and will be judged for it. Today, Paul begins explaining how God has solved that problem. The term used by Bible scholars for this solution is “justification”.


Romans 3
22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.


Declares. Romans 3:23 is one of the most famous, most memorized, most repeated verses in the Bible. It is a declaration that we are all on the same page when it comes to our relationship with God ... we are separated because of our sin. As important a realization as that is, the really important news is in the verses that follow ... a declaration that we can be made right with God when we believe in Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Praise God! Thank God!