Romans 3:24

ATONEMENT

‘Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’

Romans 3:24

This verse and those which follow it are a full statement of the way of salvation.

I. The source of salvation.—Our salvation is to be attributed not to works of righteousness we have done, but to the free, undeserved grace of God. There is grace—

(a) In the provision made for our salvation (2 Timothy 1:9).

(b) Grace in its application (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 4:4), first, in our conversion (1 Timothy 1:14), then in the whole life of faith (Hebrews 4:16), and, finally, in the completed redemption of the great day. The keynote of gospel is grace.

II. The ground of our salvation.—‘The blood of Christ.’ The death of Christ is represented here under three aspects.

(a) ‘ The redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’ This term denotes that Christ is the cause or author of the actual deliverance. It is a sacrificial term when used in connection with the sufferings of Christ. The term does not mean that we have our redemption by Christ, nor in fellowship with Him, as some put it, but that the ransom or means of redemption is objectively formed in Christ’s Person. The ransom secures deliverance from something, and redeems us to belong to another (Revelation 5:9; 1 Corinthians 6:20). The deliverance is from curse (Galatians 3:13), from death and the Devil (Hebrews 2:14), and it is into the lordship of Christ (Romans 14:8).

(b) ‘ A propitiation in His blood.’ It is either as a propitiatory sacrifice, or as the propitiatory or mercy seat. It implies, in either case, a wrath against sin turned aside through the infliction of that wrath upon the Mediator Who undertakes our obligations. The whole argument of the Epistle to the Hebrews is echoed in this pregnant term. There is indeed a great similarity between the present passage and Hebrew Romans 9:15, which speaks of Christ’s death atoning for trangressions under the old covenant. The central point in the old economy—the mercy seat—foreshadowed the true propitiatory. Hence we read of ‘Christ our passover sacrificed for us.’

(c) ‘ To declare His righteousness.’ This is a descriptive name for the Atonement. The righteousness of God, or the atoning work by which men are saved, has been manifested, according to the Apostle, in the fullness of time, because the sins of millions had in previous ages been passed over and remitted.

These three words represent the Atonement under three different aspects—from the standpoint of man’s captivity, from the standpoint of Divine wrath against sin, from the standpoint of the claims of Divine law.

Illustration

‘Bishop Butler in his Analogy has some very weighty words on this subject: “Christ offered Himself a propitiatory sacrifice, and made atonement for the sins of the world. How and in what particular way that sacrifice had such efficacy there are not wanting persons who have endeavoured to explain; but I do not find that Scripture has explained it. And if the Scripture has, as surely it has, left this matter of the satisfaction of Christ mysterious, left something in it unrevealed, all conjectures about it must be at least uncertain. Some have endeavoured to explain the efficacy of what Christ has done and suffered for us beyond what the Scripture has authorised; others, probably because they could not explain it, have been for taking it away, and confining His office as Redeemer of the world to His instruction, example, and government of the Church. Whereas the doctrine of the gospel appears to be, not only that He revealed to sinners that they were in a capacity of salvation, and how they might obtain it, but, moreover, that He put them into this capacity of salvation by what He did and suffered for them. And it is our wisdom thankfully to accept the benefit, by performing the conditions upon which it is offered, on our part, without disputing how it was procured on His.” ’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

REDEMPTION

The cry for grace, mercy, and peace which the heart utters from its depths when first conscious of the guilt and of the danger of sin, God meets by anticipation in His offer of grace, mercy, and peace in the apostolic epistles. ‘Conscience does make cowards of us all’; and conscience must be calmed before we can have any peaceful intercourse with God. But how is this to be brought about? The secret lies in the words adopted from God’s assurance in the text. ‘Thou hast redeemed us.’

I. What does redemption mean?—The imagery of the Word is taken from the times and customs of slavery. The person who has to be redeemed is at the time a slave. The redeemer pays a price for him, purchases him as his own, in order, not to retain him as his slave, but to make him free. The redeemed man is the bondsman thus freed, and henceforth is as free from bondage to his former master as if he had never been his slave; while he is drawn by the closer bond of love to serve his redeemer as if he had always been his child. This common image of the time is adopted to illustrate the effect of the work of Christ upon the condition of the Christian. Christ’s gift of Himself, His life and His death, are spoken of as the price paid to set us free, who before were the slaves of Satan and of sin. ‘Ye are bought with a price.’ To whom the price is paid, and how it is of efficacy for the pardon of sin is nowhere explained in the New Testament, though the facts that it is paid and that it is of efficacy are again and again asserted. The one great fact meant to be brought clearly home to us by the image and to take possession of our thoughts is this, that through our Lord Jesus Christ, through what He has done for us and what He is to us, we are set free alike from the condemnation and the power of sin, if we choose to accept that freedom. Suffer me to point out a few of the passages where this is clearly stated: ‘Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.’ ‘In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace.’ ‘In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.’

II. This redemption is in Christ Jesus; not in any one act of His, but in Himself. He is described as being both the Ransomer and the Ransom; thus it is ‘Jesus Christ Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ And it is He also ‘Who gave Himself a ransom for all.’ Is not this enough effectually to speak ‘grace, mercy, and peace’ to the troubled conscience? Jesus Christ Himself, one Person of the ever-blessed Three in the Godhead, has wrought out for you the terms of peace with God. These terms you have humbly to accept; and that which is required of you for their acceptance is simply ‘Trust in Him,’ taking Him at His word, and relying absolutely on Him for pardon and salvation. ‘Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.’

III. The peace of your soul depends upon your allowing this marvellous truth of our redemption in Christ Jesus to sink deeply into your heart and mind, and to take possession of them. It seems too good, too wonderful, at first to be true. We are tempted to be ‘staggered at it.’ But God is Love. Is any goodness too wonderful for Love? Even the love of a man will sometimes do great things for one he loves; ‘peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.’ And yet man is ‘evil,’ while God is absolutely good. But not only does the peace of our souls depend upon our acceptance of this truth, but the power of them likewise. Not only is our redemption in Christ Jesus an exhibition of God’s love, but it is an exhibition also equally wonderful of His wisdom. He knew it and adopted it as the one way to move man successfully to action. Others have tried fear; God makes use of love, and ‘the love of Christ constraineth us.’

Rev. Canon Morse.

Illustration

‘It is told that once at a slave auction an Englishman purchased at a great price a poor slave girl. No sooner was she his property than he said to her, “Henceforth you are free. I purchased you only to give you liberty.” But her heart was so full of gratitude for such unexpected goodness that she replied, “Nay, but I owe all to you, and I will only be free to serve you as long as I live.” Redemption had made her his servant for ever.’