By And Through Faith - We Are Justified By Christ Through Our Faith In Him And What He Did For Us

Today's Focus Scripture: Romans 3:21-31

Romans 3:21-31

Justification by Faith

²¹ But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 

²² even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 
²⁴ being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 
²⁵ whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 
²⁶ for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
²⁷ Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 
²⁸ For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

³⁰ since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one [God]. (Deuteronomy 6:4 - Hear O' Israel, the Lord our God is One)
³¹ Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

LAGNIAPPE:

(Verse 25) PROPITIATION - ἱλαστήριον - hilastērion - hē-lä-stā'-ē-on

(Propitiation - To have been appeased, to have favor, to bring to a state of peace)

 

I.  relating to an appeasing or expiating, having placating or expiating force, expiatory; a                                                                                                           

     means of appeasing or expiating, a propitiation

         A.   used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was

                sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement

                (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by

                their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by

                this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the

                propitiatory

         B.   an expiatory sacrifice

         C.   a expiatory victim

(Verse 31) - ESTABLISH  - ἵστημι - histēmi  -- hē'-stā-mē

1. to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set
   1. to bid to stand by, [set up]
      1. in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin;
      2. to place
   2. to make firm, fix establish
      1. to cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place
      2. to stand, be kept intact (of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety
      3. to establish a thing, cause it to stand
         1. to uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything
   3. to set or place in a balance
      1. to weigh: money to one (because in very early times before the introduction of coinage, the metals used to be weighed)
2. to stand
   1. to stand by or near
      1. to stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm
         1. of the foundation of a building
   2. to stand
      1. continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared
      2. to be of a steadfast mind
      3. of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waive