Romans 3:22-28

“For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 23-24

Once Paul eliminates the law as a means of salvation for all humanity, he quickly lets the Roman Jews know that there is abundant hope. Even though it is true that all have sinned, it is also true that all have been justified, i.e. made righteous, by God’s grace as a gift. And he links all of this to the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ.

That whole idea of redemption was especially important for the believers who had been Jews because they’d been so totally hooked into the sacrificial system of Judaism. They already believed that there was grace and forgiveness in the sacrifices offered in the temple rituals. And now, after the destruction of the temple, they needed another way, which Paul provided by pointing to the death of Jesus on the cross.

Many believers in our time, not having ever experienced a sacrificial system, have no difficulty simply accepting God’s grace as a gift, and some don’t even understand Jesus’ death as a sacrifice for sin. And that’s not really an issue! The grace and forgiveness that we have through faith is not dependent on holding to proper doctrines or theories of the atonement. It’s simply a matter of trusting that God’s forgiveness is real and that it is ours totally by grace.

Thought for the Day: Why are doctrines so important for some believers?