May 26, 2025 - Romans 4:25 -"Christ Crucified and Risen"

Romans 4:25

"Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

Here we pause and meditate on this glorious text, a summation of the Gospel of substitution by the finished work of the LORD Jesus on the cross. Romans 4:25 sets forth two great Gospel pillars: Christ’s substitutionary death and His victorious resurrection. Both acts are not mere historical events, but Divine transactions rooted in God's eternal purpose, finished redemption, and absolute justification by the death of the LORD Jesus on the cross.

“Who was delivered for our offences…” This speaks of the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death. The word “for” here means because of — He was delivered up because of our offences. Not for His own sin, for He had none, but for ours. This is substitution, pure and simple. He stood in the stead of His people, bearing their guilt, enduring their judgment, satisfying divine justice in their name. It was not merely a potential atonement, but an actual propitiation — a real and effectual offering for specific transgressions. Christ was not delivered in hope that some might be justified at some later time, but in certainty that all those whose sins He bore would be eternally cleared once He had laid down His life.

Therefore, we must say: when Christ died, God once for all justified those for whom He died. The penalty was paid, the debt canceled, and the record of sin was blotted out. Isaiah 53:11 declares, “by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” The bearing of iniquities and the justification of sinners are inseparably linked, and simultaneous. There is no justification apart from the substitutionary death of Christ, and there is no substitution without certain immediate justification when the work was complete.

Then Paul adds, “and was raised again for our justification." Again, “for” here means because of , not to justify us, but because justification had been fully accomplished at the cross. His resurrection was not finishing the work, but the divine proof and public declaration that the work was done, accepted, and complete. Christ did not rise to make justification possible; He rose because justification had already been accomplished. The resurrection is God's Amen to Christ’s "It is finished" (John 19:30).

Therefore, when we read Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith…”, we must see the comma rightly placed: “Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are not justified because of our faith, but being already justified, we receive and embrace that justification by faith. Faith is not the cause, but the effect. This is the heart of sovereign grace: a finished salvation, a full justification, accomplished entirely by Christ, and embraced by God-given faith. No room for boasting. No ground for fear. Christ was delivered because of our sins, and raised because of our justification.

May the LORD cause us to rest entirely in His finished work, rejoicing in the peace we now have with God through Him. Amen.