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“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time,
so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
— Romans 3:23–26 (NIV)
The central theme before us is this: How can a righteous God declare unrighteous people righteous and still remain righteous Himself? That is the heart of Romans 3:23–26. This is the heart of the gospel. And this is the theme your lyrics are repeating and declaring:
Here we are dealing with righteousness revealed. Not human righteousness trying to climb up to God, but God’s righteousness coming down to man through Jesus Christ. Paul has already shown that the whole human race is guilty. Now he shows how God can righteously deal with that guilt.
Everything stands or falls here:
If we misunderstand righteousness, we will struggle all our lives with condemnation, legalism, or spiritual passivity. If we understand this righteousness revealed, we will stand, as Paul says, “established in grace.”
Let us look at what the Word of God says.
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Romans is Paul’s most systematic presentation of the gospel. By chapter 3 he has already built a courtroom scene.
Then comes Romans 3:19–20, just before our text:
> “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law,
> so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
> Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;
> rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
The scene is this:
Then, in Romans 3:21, two words change everything: “But now…”
> “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known,
> to which the Law and the Prophets testify.”
We move from accusation to revelation. From human failure to divine provision. From law to grace. From our lack of righteousness to God’s gift of righteousness.
Paul is speaking as an apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, revealing how God, the Judge of all the earth, can righteously justify the ungodly. Your lyrics are simply paraphrasing and proclaiming what Paul is saying in Romans 3:23–26. Each phrase is drawn from this courtroom revelation.
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Two key words in this passage open up the depth of the gospel: “justified” and “sacrifice of atonement” (or “propitiation”).
### 3.1 “Justified” – Greek: *dikaioō*
Romans 3:24: “all are justified freely by his grace…”
The Greek word is δικαιόω (*dikaioō*). It is a legal term. It does not mean “to make someone morally perfect in their behavior.” It means:
It is the opposite of “to condemn” (*katakrinō*).
To “condemn” is to declare guilty.
To “justify” is to declare righteous.
Justification is a verdict before it is an experience. It is a judicial decision of God, the Supreme Judge, based on the finished work of Jesus. When God justifies you, He is not pretending. He is acting on the basis of a fully satisfied justice. It is legal, final, and righteous.
This is why this word is crucial for spiritual warfare. Satan is “the accuser of our brothers and sisters” (Revelation 12:10). He accuses us before God. How do we answer? Not by claiming our own righteousness, but by declaring: God has justified me through the blood of Jesus. The highest court has spoken.
### 3.2 “Sacrifice of atonement” – Greek: *hilastērion*
Romans 3:25: “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement…”
The Greek word is ἱλαστήριον (*hilastērion*). This word is very significant. It is used in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) to translate “mercy seat” – the golden cover on the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:17–22).
The mercy seat was:
So when Paul says God presented Christ as *hilastērion*, he is saying:
The word also carries the idea of propitiation – turning away wrath by an offering that fully satisfies justice. God’s wrath against sin is not ignored. It is satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore, God can show mercy without compromising His righteousness.
So, your lyric: “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith” is packed with meaning:
---
Now we will take each line of the lyrics and open it with scripture.
### 4.1 Verse 1 – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
> “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
> — Romans 3:23
This is God’s assessment of the entire human race.
God created man in His image, for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Sin is not just breaking rules; it is falling short of the purpose for which we were created. We were made to reflect God’s glory. Sin is refusing that purpose and choosing our own way.
Romans 3:10–12 has already said:
> “There is no one righteous, not even one;
> there is no one who understands;
> there is no one who seeks God.
> All have turned away…”
The first step to receiving righteousness revealed is accepting this verdict: I have sinned. I fall short. I have nothing to plead. My mouth is stopped.
Many believers struggle because they never fully accept this divine diagnosis. They still cling to some imagined goodness of their own. Your lyrics begin where God begins: universal guilt.
### 4.2 Chorus – “And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
> “and all are justified freely by his grace
> through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
> — Romans 3:24
Notice the parallel:
The same “all” who have sinned are the “all” to whom justification is freely offered.
Three key phrases:
1. “Justified freely” – The Greek word for “freely” is *dōrean*, meaning “as a gift,” “without cause in the recipient.” We contributed nothing. We did not earn it. We did not deserve it. It is sheer grace.
2. “By his grace” – Grace (*charis*) is God’s unmerited favor, His active love toward the undeserving. Ephesians 2:8–9 confirms this:
> “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
3. “Through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Redemption (*apolytrōsis*) means:
We were slaves of sin, under the curse, under condemnation. Jesus paid the price – His own blood – to buy us out of that slavery.
1 Peter 1:18–19:
> “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…
> but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
So, the chorus is preaching:
This strikes at pride and legalism. There is no boasting. No mixture of grace plus works. The ground at the cross is level.
### 4.3 Verse 2 – “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
> “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
> — Romans 3:25a
Notice who took the initiative: “God presented Christ…”
John 3:16 stands behind this:
> “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”
The Father is not unwilling, needing to be persuaded by the Son. The Father Himself initiated the sacrifice.
Leviticus 17:11:
> “For the life of a creature is in the blood,
> and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar;
> it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”
Hebrews 9:22:
> “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Then: “to be received by faith.” Here is human responsibility. The provision is complete. The price is paid. But it must be received. Not by feelings, not by religious effort, but by faith. Faith is simply trusting that what God says about the blood of Jesus is true, and basing your whole life on that.
For the believer struggling with condemnation, the issue is usually this: Will I believe my feelings, or will I believe what God says about the blood?
### 4.4 Bridge – “He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.”
> “He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
> he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time,
> so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
> — Romans 3:25b–26
Twice Paul says: “to demonstrate his righteousness.”
This is the key issue: God’s righteousness.
Before the cross, God had “passed over” sins. In the Old Testament:
The question arises: On what righteous basis could God do that? Animal blood cannot take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). So how could a holy God forgive, again and again, and still be just?
The answer: God was looking ahead to the cross.
In His forbearance, He “left the sins committed beforehand unpunished” in the sense that the final punishment was postponed. All the sin of all ages was accumulated and placed on Jesus at the cross.
Isaiah 53:6:
> “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
> and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
At the cross, God’s righteousness was demonstrated. He did not sweep sin under the carpet. He dealt with it fully, finally, publicly, in His Son.
So Paul says in 3:26:
> “so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Here is the divine dilemma and its solution:
How can He do both?
The answer: the cross.
At the cross:
The bridge of your lyrics declares this central truth: righteousness revealed is not God ignoring sin; it is God judging sin in Christ so that He can justify believers righteously.
### 4.5 Outro – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The repetition of Romans 3:23 at the end is significant. It brings us back to the first half of the equation.
To stay healthy spiritually, we must keep both truths together:
If we forget the first, we fall into pride.
If we forget the second, we sink into condemnation.
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The revelation of righteousness is not abstract theology. It is the basis for victorious Christian living and effective spiritual warfare. How do we walk this out?
### 5.1 First: Accept God’s Verdict About Your Sin
Stop arguing with God. Stop minimizing, excusing, or comparing yourself with others.
Proclamation of truth in your heart:
1 John 1:9 says:
> “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession means saying the same thing as God. Only when we agree with His verdict about our sin can we receive His verdict about our righteousness.
### 5.2 Second: Transfer Your Trust Entirely to Christ’s Blood and Righteousness
Many believers mentally accept “saved by grace,” but emotionally still trust their performance. That leads to instability. One day they feel saved; another day they feel condemned.
You must make a deliberate, ongoing decision:
I will trust only in the blood of Jesus and the righteousness He provides.
Philippians 3:9:
> “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
> but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
You can say:
My righteousness is a person: Jesus Christ, made righteousness to me (1 Corinthians 1:30).”
### 5.3 Third: Confess Your Justified Status Against Condemnation and Accusation
Satan’s main weapon against believers is accusation. Revelation 12:11 says:
> “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”
You overcome:
When condemnation comes, you must answer it out loud with the Word of God:
It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one.” (Romans 8:33–34).
Your mouth must agree with God, not with the accuser.
### 5.4 Fourth: Live as One Purchased and Set Apart
Redemption means you have been bought. You are not your own.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20:
> “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
> Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Practical implications:
This will affect:
When temptation comes, you can say:
Romans 6:14:
> “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Grace does not excuse sin; grace breaks the dominion of sin by uniting us to Christ in His death and resurrection and clothing us with His righteousness.
---
### Proclamation
Say this aloud, thoughtfully, in faith:
> “All have sinned, and that includes me.
> I have fallen short of the glory of God.
> I confess that I have no righteousness of my own.
> But I also believe what God has said:
> I am justified freely by His grace
> through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
> God Himself has presented Jesus
> as my sacrifice of atonement,
> my mercy seat,
> through the shedding of His blood.
> I receive this by faith.
> I renounce all trust in my own goodness,
> my works, my religion, or my efforts.
> My trust is in the blood of Jesus alone.
> God has demonstrated His righteousness at the cross.
> He is just, and He is the One who justifies me
> because I have faith in Jesus.
> Therefore, I declare:
> I am forgiven.
> I am justified.
> I am redeemed.
> I am no longer under condemnation.
> I belong to God, bought with the blood of His Son.
> This is my righteousness:
> not my own, but the righteousness of God in Christ.”
### Prayer
“Father God,
I thank You for the revelation of Your righteousness in the gospel.
Thank You that, though I had sinned and fallen short of Your glory,
You did not leave me in my guilt and condemnation.
You Yourself presented Your Son, Jesus Christ,
as the sacrifice of atonement for my sins.
I bow before Your justice and I receive Your mercy.
I put my faith in the blood of Jesus.
Let every accusation of Satan be silenced
by the verdict of Your Word:
‘Justified freely by His grace.’
Holy Spirit, write these truths deep in my heart.
Teach me to live as one redeemed, justified, and set apart for God.
Strengthen me to stand against condemnation,
to confess Your Word boldly,
and to walk in the freedom of Your righteousness.
I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.”
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