Romans 3:24,25
"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Whenever you think of the word "forbearance," think of a debt owed. We owe a debt to a Holy God and this debt required God's forbearance. It required God to hold back judgment until such time as the debt could be paid, Yet, even in His forbearance, God was not simply looking the other way.
In Romans 3, this truth is clearly addressed. Some may have criticized how God dealt with His people in the Old Testament saying, "Well, they had a debt." This was certainly Satan's accusation before the Lord regarding Job, "Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?" God was forbearing to Job, but Satan accused Him of being arbitrary—of merely overlooking sin. However, God is not arbitrary in how He deals with His people.
As declared in Romans 3:25, God was indeed forbearing with the sins of those of the Old Testament. He withheld the payment of their debt. The phrase"through the forbearance of God," uses a word that means "to hold back from requiring what is due, for a time or a season, until such time as God would determine that it should be paid." God was forbearing until the time when Christ would pay their debt. Once the debt was paid, there was no further need for forbearance, as the debt has been paid in full. The debt went away once it was paid, and it was paid in full when Christ died.
Verse 24 declares, "Being justified freely." If you belong to the LORD and He has paid your debt, you have been justified freely. No additional penalties or fees are required beyond what Christ has already paid. He paid it fully and freely. But notice the conditions—when, where, and how this justification occurred. "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Some today argue that the timing doesn't matter, only the method. But the two cannot be separated. When was your sin debt paid if you belong to the LORD? When was mine paid? It was when Christ paid the ransom through His redemption. The word “redemption” means a ransom has been paid. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, the debt was satisfied.
It says, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." The word “ propitiation “ means satisfaction or reconciliation. If Christ has paid the sinner's debt, then nothing remains but righteousness to credit to their account because the debt has been paid.
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation," connects back to verse 24, "Being justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." What role then does faith play? The text continues,"through faith in his blood, to declare His righteousness." By faith in His blood— in His effectual death—the Spirit enables the sinner, whom Christ has redeemed, to look to Him and declare His righteousness. Faith does not justify. It declares the righteousness of God, accomplished by Christ in His life and death, and affirms God’s justice in justifying sinners once He had laid down His life on the cross for them. Faith is a confession, a declaration—a setting forth of who God is and what Christ accomplished.
"For the remission of sins that are past." That word "remission" literally means "overlooking,” or “passing over sins.” Christ's death now déclares God to be righteous in how all those years He passed over, looked over, was forbearing with His people before the cross. It says "through the forbearance of God." It was not that He was ignoring sin but that He was looking to the time when Christ would pay the debt.
From eternity, it was always God's purpose that Christ would come and pay the debt. Through His sacrifice, all the sins of Old Testament believers and those since the cross were paid in one act of redemption, fully and completely satisfying the debt owed to God.
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