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“Grace Unbound” centers on one of the most important passages in all of Scripture. Paul is not merely giving a doctrine; he is declaring God’s unchanging method of making sinners righteous.
Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
> 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.”
> — Romans 3:23–25 (KJV)
The lyrics simply echo and compress the message:
This passage takes us from universal guilt to God’s gracious remedy, from our inability to God’s initiative, from bondage to sin to freedom through Christ’s sacrifice. It is grace unbound—grace that is not limited by our failures, our past, or our weakness, but grounded solely in the work of Jesus Christ.
We must see where these verses stand in Paul’s argument. Romans is Paul’s great systematic exposition of the gospel. In the first three chapters, he does something many modern preachers avoid: he proves the entire human race guilty before God.
1. Romans 1 – Paul exposes the Gentile world. They knew God through creation but refused to glorify Him. God “gave them up” to impurity, idolatry, and rebellion.
2. Romans 2 – Then he turns to the religious Jew. They had the Law, the covenants, the sign of circumcision. Yet they did not keep the law they boasted in. Outward religion without inward obedience brings no righteousness.
3. Romans 3:9–20 – He summarizes:
> “We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” (v. 9)
And later:
> “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (v. 10)
> “That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” (v. 19)
So when we reach Romans 3:23, Paul is drawing a conclusion:
> “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
This is the verdict. No exceptions. Moral people, immoral people, religious people, irreligious people—all are under sin.
But the Holy Spirit does not stop with guilt; He never stops with the problem. Immediately, Paul introduces God’s solution:
> “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation…” (vv. 24–25)
Here we move from the courtroom to the altar, from the judgment hall to the mercy seat. The God who judges is also the God who provides a sacrifice.
Paul is a former Pharisee, steeped in the Law, the sacrificial system, the Day of Atonement. When he says, “God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin,” his mind is full of the blood of bulls and goats, the high priest entering once a year into the holiest place, the mercy seat sprinkled with blood (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9). But now God has set forth *His own Son* as the final, perfect sacrifice.
So Romans 3:23–25 stands at the turning point: from universal condemnation to God’s universal offer of justification. This is the landscape behind “Grace Unbound.”
To understand this passage more deeply, we will examine two key words: “justified” and “propitiation.”
### 1. “Justified” – Greek: *dikaioō*
Romans 3:24:
> “Being justified freely by his grace…”
The Greek verb is *dikaioō* (δικαιόω). It does not primarily mean “to make someone morally good.” It is a legal term. It means “to declare righteous,” “to pronounce just,” “to acquit.”
Picture a courtroom. You stand as the accused. The evidence proves you guilty. There is no defense. But then a substitute steps forward to bear your sentence. Your penalty is fully paid. Then the judge does not merely say, “You may go.” He declares, “You are righteous in My court.” That is *dikaioō*.
So when the lyric says, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous,” it captures the legal force of this word. God is not pretending. He is not overlooking sin. He is issuing a judicial decree based on the finished work of Christ.
This means your righteousness is not based on your feelings, your recent performance, or your past record. It is based on a legal transaction accomplished at the cross and ratified by the resurrection.
### 2. “Propitiation” – Greek: *hilastērion*
Romans 3:25 (KJV):
> “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood…”
The Greek word is *hilastērion* (ἱλαστήριον). This word is rich and must be understood carefully.
In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), *hilastērion* is used for the “mercy seat”—the gold cover of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:17–22). Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice onto the mercy seat. There, between the cherubim, the holy God met with sinful Israel, not on the basis of their works, but on the basis of shed blood.
So *hilastērion* has these ideas:
Many modern translations render this as “sacrifice of atonement” or “atoning sacrifice.” The core meaning:
A sacrifice that:
So when the lyric declares, “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin,” it is summing up this rich word *hilastērion*. Jesus is:
This means grace is not sentimental; it is legal and sacrificial. God’s love does not bypass His justice; His justice is satisfied at the cross, so His grace can flow without limit.
Let us trace the theology of the lyrics, using Scripture to interpret Scripture.
### A. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” (Verse 1 / Outro)
This is Romans 3:23. It answers three vital questions:
1. Who has sinned?
“Everyone.”
2. What is sin?
The Greek word for “sinned” is *hamartanō* (ἁμαρτάνω), which means “to miss the mark.” But what is the mark? Not human morality. Not religious standards. The mark is “God's glorious standard”—literally “the glory of God.”
3. What does it mean to fall short of the glory of God?
Humanity was created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7). Adam was crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). But through sin, that glory has been lost.
So to sin is not merely to break rules; it is to fail to manifest the glory we were created for, to fall below God’s own character and purpose.
Spiritually, this means:
This first line destroys all self-righteousness. It leaves us with nothing in ourselves to offer God. And that is exactly where the gospel begins.
### B. “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.” (Chorus)
This is Romans 3:24, captured in simple form.
1. “Yet God”
When Scripture says “But God” or “Yet God,” it signals a divine intervention:
Human failure is not the final word. God interrupts the downward spiral.
2. “With undeserved kindness”
This is grace. The Greek word is *charis* (χάρις).
Titus 3:4–5 says:
> “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
> Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
> but according to his mercy he saved us…”
3. “Declares that we are righteous”
As we saw, this is *justifies*.
> “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
> that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Christ took our sin; we receive His righteousness. This is a divine exchange.
Theologically, this chorus proclaims:
### C. “He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Verse 2)
Romans 3:24 again:
> “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
1. “Through Christ Jesus”
There is no other channel of salvation:
Grace is not a vague divine mood. It is located and administered in a Person—Jesus Christ.
2. “When he freed us from the penalty for our sins” – *Redemption*
The key word here is “freed,” reflecting redemption (*apolytrōsis*, ἀπολύτρωσις).
This word comes from the slave market. It means:
We were:
Christ paid the ransom with His own blood:
So the lyric says, “He freed us from the penalty for our sins.” The penalty is death and judgment (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27). Christ bore that penalty in our place. Therefore:
This is not theory; it is a spiritual legal fact.
### D. “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life.” (Bridge)
This is Romans 3:25 in clear language.
1. “God presented Jesus”
Salvation originates in God. He initiates.
The cross was not an accident of history. It was God’s set purpose.
2. “As the sacrifice for sin” (*hilastērion* – propitiation, mercy seat)
This means:
3. “People are made right with God when they believe…”
Here we come to the human response: faith.
Romans 3:28:
> “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Faith has an object: “that Jesus sacrificed his life.”
We are not saved by believing in faith itself, or by general religious sincerity. We are saved by believing in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
4. “When they believe…” – Not when they work, earn, or improve
> “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
> Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Faith transfers trust from self to Christ. It stops arguing, stops bargaining, stops promising God future performance, and simply accepts what God has done.
Spiritually, this bridge line declares the central truth of the gospel:
### E. Repeated Chorus / Outro
The repetition of “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous” interspersed with “For everyone has sinned” forms a powerful pattern:
1. Our universal failure.
2. God’s singular remedy.
3. Our sin.
4. His grace.
5. Our falling short.
6. His righteous declaration.
This reflects Romans itself. Paul does not skip our sinfulness, but he never leaves us in it. Grace is not denial of sin; it is God’s decisive answer to sin.
Spiritually, this back-and-forth serves a purpose:
The truths of Romans 3:23–25 are not merely to be admired; they are to be applied. Let us outline some clear steps.
### 1. Acknowledge God’s Verdict on Your Condition
First, we must stop defending ourselves.
Psalm 51:4:
> “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
> that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
Stop comparing yourself with others. Measure yourself by God’s glory, and you will see your need for grace.
### 2. Transfer Your Trust Completely to Christ’s Sacrifice
Second, we must cease from our own works as a basis for acceptance.
Philippians 3:8–9:
> “That I may win Christ, and be found in him,
> not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
> but that which is through the faith of Christ,
> the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Consciously say:
This is a decisive act. It is how you are saved initially, and it is how you stand every day.
### 3. Receive and Confess God’s Declaration: “Righteous”
Third, we must align our confession with God’s verdict.
Whom will you believe?
Romans 10:10:
> “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
> and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
You believe with your heart; you confess with your mouth. That confession activates spiritual realities.
Practical step:
This is not arrogance; it is humility—agreeing with God against your own feelings and against Satan’s accusations.
### 4. Walk as One Redeemed and Justified
Fourth, we must live in the reality of justification.
Grace does not lead to lawlessness; it produces holiness (Titus 2:11–12).
Because you are justified:
But you must walk this out:
Practically:
Let us now make a proclamation based on Romans 3:23–25 and the truths expressed in “Grace Unbound.”
### Proclamation of Faith
Say this aloud, thoughtfully and deliberately:
> I proclaim that all have sinned, and I too have sinned,
> and fallen short of the glory of God.
> I renounce all trust in my own righteousness,
> my works, my religion, and my efforts.
>
> I declare that God, with undeserved kindness,
> has justified me freely by His grace,
> through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
>
> I proclaim that God has presented Jesus
> as the sacrifice for my sin,
> as my mercy seat, my atoning sacrifice.
>
> I put my faith in the blood of Jesus,
> in His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
>
> On the basis of God’s Word,
> I receive His verdict over my life:
> I am declared righteous in His sight.
> The penalty for my sins has been fully paid.
> I am redeemed, justified, and accepted in the Beloved.
>
> Therefore, there is now no condemnation for me,
> for I am in Christ Jesus.
> This I confess, and in my heart I believe.
> Amen.
### Prayer
Father God,
I come to You in the name of Jesus, acknowledging that I have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. I have nothing in myself to offer You. I lay down every claim to my own righteousness.
I thank You that You, in Your undeserved kindness, have provided a perfect sacrifice in Your Son. Thank You for presenting Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for my sins. Thank You that His blood has fully satisfied Your justice.
I now put my trust wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ—His death for my sins and His resurrection for my justification. On the authority of Your Word, I receive Your declaration that I am justified freely by Your grace.
Holy Spirit, write these truths on my heart. Deliver me from condemnation, from self-righteousness, and from every attempt to earn what You have already given. Teach me to walk each day as one redeemed, cleansed, and accepted in Christ.
I yield myself to You. Let the righteousness of Christ be displayed in my life, not by my strength, but by Your grace working in me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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