What is the meaning of Romans 3:25? God presented Him - The initiative is entirely God’s. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16). - Jesus was “handed over by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23). - Isaiah 53:10 reminds us, “Yet it pleased the LORD to crush Him.” - God’s public presentation of His Son at the cross shows that redemption is not human invention but divine provision, perfectly aligned with His unchanging Word. as an atoning sacrifice - The sacrifice fully satisfies God’s holy wrath and secures pardon for sinners. - 1 John 2:2 declares, “He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - Hebrews 2:17 affirms that Jesus became “a merciful and faithful high priest… to make atonement for the sins of the people.” - Just as the Old Testament sin offering bore guilt away (Leviticus 16), Christ’s death literally removes the barrier between God and us. in His blood - Forgiveness is grounded in a real, historical shedding of blood. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). - Leviticus 17:11 teaches that “the life of the flesh is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement.” - Through that precious blood “we have redemption” (Ephesians 1:7) and have been “washed… by His blood” (Revelation 1:5). through faith - Salvation is received, not achieved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9). - Faith unites us personally to Christ: “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). - Believing hearts are “justified by faith” and “have peace with God” (Romans 5:1). in order to demonstrate His righteousness - The cross proves that God can forgive without compromising justice. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne” (Psalm 89:14). - Romans 3:26 continues, “so that He would be righteous and the one who justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.” - By placing our sin on Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), God’s holiness is upheld while mercy flows freely. because in His forbearance - For centuries God exercised patient restraint. “The Lord is not slow concerning His promise… but is patient with you” (2 Peter 3:9). - Acts 17:30 notes that “God overlooked the times of ignorance,” displaying a kindness meant to lead to repentance (Romans 2:4). - This forbearance magnifies the grace finally unveiled at the cross. He had passed over the sins committed beforehand - Old-covenant believers were forgiven on credit, looking ahead to the coming sacrifice. “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant… to redeem those under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15). - Annual sacrifices “could never, by the same sacrifices… make perfect” (Hebrews 10:1), yet God withheld judgment until the true Lamb arrived. - Psalm 103:10 captures this mercy: “He has not dealt with us according to our sins.” The cross retroactively satisfies the debt those earlier sins incurred. summary Romans 3:25 reveals God’s perfect plan: He Himself set forth Jesus, whose literal, bloody death fully atoned for sin. The benefit becomes ours only by faith. In doing this, God proves His unwavering righteousness, showing that all earlier patience toward sin was not indifference but anticipation of the once-for-all sacrifice. At the cross justice and mercy meet, inviting every believer into confident, eternal peace with a holy God. |
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