We will soon celebrate the most important events in the history of the world – the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The four gospels devote much space to the historical reality of these events. And rightly so.
And the rest of the New Testament, in addition to many Old Testament passages, explains the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection in considerable detail. God wants us to know not only what happened to Jesus, but why.
In his letters, the Apostle Paul tells us what Jesus accomplished on the cross in passages that are jam-packed with glorious truths that, when properly understood, will thrill your soul with joy, enable you to persevere through any hardship, and provide the knowledge you desperately need to face death without fear.
Romans 3:21-26 is one of those passages. It has been called the greatest and most important portion of the Bible. And rightly so. Here we find words such as righteousness, faith, sin, glory, justified, justifier, grace, redemption, and propitiation.
These are weighty words that are pregnant with meaning for the believer and non-believer alike. If you comprehend these six verses, take them to heart, and respond to them with faith in Jesus Christ, you will receive a right standing before God, the removal of God’s wrath against you, and the hope of eternal life – which is what you must have to be “unshakable in a hundred crises” (John Piper).
I would like to suggest some resources that can help you better understand and apply the truths of Romans 3:21-26. For example, do you have a good understanding of “justification by faith”? According to Martin Luther, “justification is the article by which the church stands and falls.” John Calvin said, “this is the hinge on which religion turns.”
How about grace, redemption, and propitiation? These are words that God wants us to meditate on often. Can you explain what they mean and why they are in the Bible repeatedly? And if you do know what they mean, how does that knowledge impact your everyday life?
John Piper, one of my favorite Bible teachers, has a series of three sermons on Romans 3:21-26 that I highly recommend. Here they are:
- The Demonstration of God’s Righteousness
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-demonstration-of-gods-righteousness - God’s Free Gift of Righteousness
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-free-gift-of-righteousness
NOTE: This second sermon has the best explanations of sin and faith I’ve ever heard. And he takes the time to explain the meaning of justification so that anyone can understand it, savor it, and rejoice in God because of it.
- The Just and the Justifier
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-just-and-the-justifier
You can listen to each sermon online, download the MP3 file, and read a written transcript. All for free. Oh, how grateful I am for the abundance of gifted Bible teaching we can access without cost!
Here’s another excellent resource, if you prefer to read a well-written book on the topics addressed in Romans 3:21-26 – How Can I Be Right with God? R.C. Sproul is another of my preferred Bible teachers. This book is part of his “Crucial Questions” series – 36 books on key Bible topics, all free in Kindle format.
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- What the Bible Says about the Hands of Jesus (Thoughts on Psalm 24:1-2) - April 18, 2024
- Confessions of a Serial Sinner (Thoughts on Psalm 53:1) - April 10, 2024
