GOD’S WORD FOR JUNE 15 ~ ~ Romans 3:23~ ~ “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Going along in chapter six of John Piper’s book, “The Pleasures of God”

The clearest and most important biblical statement of this truth (Christ saving sinners by being abandoned by the Father) is found in Romans 3:23-26. If I were asked, “What is the most important paragraph in the bible?” I think this is the one I would name. It goes to the very root of the Christian gospel and lays bare the heart of god like few other texts. If there is a moment in the symphony of biblical revelation when the contrasting themes of justice and mercy come together into a magnificent orchestral statement of unity, harmony and peace, it is here.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because of his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.”

( the passing over of former sins is referring to the Old Testament, where the sacrifices were given as symbols looking forward to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, which is necessary for forgiveness of all sins for all time. So, since the perfect sacrifice hadn’t happened yet, God allowed the symbolic animal sacrifices to serve for teaching his righteousness for that time, until their sins could be forgiven in reality through Christ.)

The ungodly are justified –acquitted— on the basis of a divine transaction that happens in the experience of Jesus Christ. This transaction is called “redemption.”

“They are justified by his grace as a gift, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS” Redemption refers to a kind of purchase or ransom that was paid at the death of Jesus.

Something happened in the death of Jesus that is so stupendous that it now serves as the basis for the acquittal of millions and millions of sinners who trust Christ. What happened in the redemption? What was the divine transaction that took place when Jesus died? Paul gives the answer in verses 25-26:

First, we see—as in Isaiah 53:10—that it is God the Father who puts Christ forward to die. “GOD put Christ forward as a propitiation by his blood (verse 25).

It pleased THE LORD to bruise him.

Next, we see that the reason he gave his son up to death was to make a “propitiation”. This old word is important because other words don’t press forward the idea of appeasing wrath which is in this word. The point of the word is that God’s wrath is against the ungodly because of the way they have desecrated his glory, and a way must be found for this wrath to be averted.

This is what happened in the death of Jesus. That is what propitiation means. God averted his own wrath through the death of his Son.

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