Ro.3:24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
"Being Justified."
In other words, being made righteous. To justify means to make righteous.
God supplies just what the sinner lacks.
Let no reader forget the simple meaning of justification.
Some people have the idea that there is a much higher condition for the Christian to occupy than to be justified. That is to say, that there is a higher condition for one to occupy than to be clothed within and without with the righteousness of God. That can not be.
"Freely."
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." That is, let him take it as a gift. So in Isaiah 55:1: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
It was the Epistle to the Romans that accomplished the Reformation in Germany. Men had been taught to believe that the way to get righteousness was to purchase it either by hard work or by the payment of money. The idea that men may purchase it with money is not so common now as then; but there are very many who are not Catholics who think that some work must be done in order to obtain it.
Making Prayer to Be a Work. The writer was once talking with a man in regard to righteousness as the free gift of God, the man maintaining that we could not get anything from the Lord without doing something for it. When asked what we must do to win forgiveness of sins, he replied that we must pray for it.
It is with this idea of prayer that the Roman or Hindu devotee "says" so many prayers a day, putting in an extra number some days to make up for omissions. But the man who "says" a prayer, does not pray. Heathen prayer, as for instance when the prophets of Baal leaped and cut themselves (1 Kings 18:26-28), is work; but true prayer is not. A man comes to me and says that he is starving. Afterwards he is asked if anything was given him, and he says that he received some dinner, but that I made him work for it. When asked what he had to do for it, he replies that he asked for it. He could hardly make any one believe that he worked for his dinner!
True prayer is simply the thankful acceptance of God's free gifts.
Redemption in Christ Jesus.
We are made righteous "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." That is, through the purchasing power that is in Christ Jesus, or "through the unsearchable riches of Christ." Eph. 3:8. This is the reason why it comes to us as a gift.
Some one may say that everlasting life in the kingdom of God is too great a thing to be given to us for nothing. So it is, and therefore it had to be purchased, but since we had nothing that could buy it, Christ has purchased it for us and he gives it to us freely, in himself. But if we had to purchase it from him, we might as well have bought it in the first place, and saved him the task. "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. 2:21. "Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ." 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. The blood is the life. Lev. 17:11-17. Therefore the redemption that is in Christ Jesus is his own life.
"Being Justified."
In other words, being made righteous. To justify means to make righteous.
God supplies just what the sinner lacks.
Let no reader forget the simple meaning of justification.
Some people have the idea that there is a much higher condition for the Christian to occupy than to be justified. That is to say, that there is a higher condition for one to occupy than to be clothed within and without with the righteousness of God. That can not be.
"Freely."
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." That is, let him take it as a gift. So in Isaiah 55:1: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
It was the Epistle to the Romans that accomplished the Reformation in Germany. Men had been taught to believe that the way to get righteousness was to purchase it either by hard work or by the payment of money. The idea that men may purchase it with money is not so common now as then; but there are very many who are not Catholics who think that some work must be done in order to obtain it.
Making Prayer to Be a Work. The writer was once talking with a man in regard to righteousness as the free gift of God, the man maintaining that we could not get anything from the Lord without doing something for it. When asked what we must do to win forgiveness of sins, he replied that we must pray for it.
It is with this idea of prayer that the Roman or Hindu devotee "says" so many prayers a day, putting in an extra number some days to make up for omissions. But the man who "says" a prayer, does not pray. Heathen prayer, as for instance when the prophets of Baal leaped and cut themselves (1 Kings 18:26-28), is work; but true prayer is not. A man comes to me and says that he is starving. Afterwards he is asked if anything was given him, and he says that he received some dinner, but that I made him work for it. When asked what he had to do for it, he replies that he asked for it. He could hardly make any one believe that he worked for his dinner!
True prayer is simply the thankful acceptance of God's free gifts.
Redemption in Christ Jesus.
We are made righteous "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." That is, through the purchasing power that is in Christ Jesus, or "through the unsearchable riches of Christ." Eph. 3:8. This is the reason why it comes to us as a gift.
Some one may say that everlasting life in the kingdom of God is too great a thing to be given to us for nothing. So it is, and therefore it had to be purchased, but since we had nothing that could buy it, Christ has purchased it for us and he gives it to us freely, in himself. But if we had to purchase it from him, we might as well have bought it in the first place, and saved him the task. "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. 2:21. "Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ." 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. The blood is the life. Lev. 17:11-17. Therefore the redemption that is in Christ Jesus is his own life.