to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Truth to Learn
God’s plan of salvation draws attention to His righteousness.
Behind the Words
The word, “demonstrate” if translated from endeixis, which refers to “the act of pointing something out, especially with the finger.” Thus, it implies drawing attention to something.
“Righteousness” is from dikaiosunē, meaning “the characteristic of always doing what is right (see Romans 3:21).
The phrase “at the present time” is from en tō nun kairō, which literally means “at the now time.” In other words, “right now.”
The word “just” is from dikaios, meaning “someone who does what is right.” This word could be translated “righteous.”
“Justifier” is from dikaioō, meaning “to make someone righteous.”
Meaning Explained
At the end of the previous verse we said that the purpose of the entire plan of salvation is to glorify God. Today’s verse tells us how God will be glorified in the plan of salvation. You will recall that we said God can “pass-by” our sins because they will be “covered” by the blood of Christ.
The result of His passing-by our sins is that His righteousness is on display right now. The translation “that He might be just” is unfortunate in that it makes it appear that God might be just, but he might not. That’s not what the Greek text says. A better translation would be “resulting in His being righteous.”
You see, God cannot ignore sin, he must judge it and exact payment for it. The blood of Christ is the payment for our sins and is sprinkled as a covering over our sins. Because this payment is made, God can pass-by our sins and still be doing what is right. It means He is righteous in forgiving our sins.
Now, here’s the best part of this verse, “and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Do you see what that says? Not only is God proven to be righteous by his plan of salvation and the “passing-by” of our sins covered by the blood of Christ, but in doing so He actually is “justifying” us. That is, at the time of our salvation God declares that we are righteous (just like He is). This means that in His record book we are credited with having kept the law and never having committed a single sin. We are declared righteous!
Remember what Paul said back in verse 20? “Therefore by the works of law no flesh will be justified in His presence, for through the law is the knowledge of sin.” We cannot become righteous by keeping the law, but we can be declared righteous by believing in the blood of Jesus Christ. God’s plan of salvation for us is a perfect plan because it provides a way for Him to judge sin and forgive the sinner. Wow! Praise be to God!
Application
These last couple of verses are very complex, but they demonstrate how perfect God’s plan of salvation really is. He has found a way to judge sin but forgive the sinner. You are a sinner. Do you believe in the blood of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins? If not, then you are a sinner who will be judged!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved