for 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. Romans 3:23-24
Paul here states the most basic universal truth that we have all missed the mark that God intended for the human race and have lost the glory of the original creation. And believing the good news is what starts the process of the restoration of glory.
The next verse (verse 24) contains two of the most common words that Paul used to express the concept of salvation: “justified” and “redemption.” The first word that we are going to take a look at is “redemption.” The root meaning of “redemption” (“apolutrosis” in Greek) is ransom by the payment of a price. Therefore, to be redeemed means to be paid for, purchased, bought back or restored. It also relates to being rescued, liberated and set free. And now we come the word “justified.” “To be justified” (“dikaioo” in Greek) means to be “righteous in God’s sight,” to “establish as right” or to “set or put something right.” It was essential a judicial term that essentially means to be declared not guilty. So what Paul is saying in these two verses is that we have all fallen short of God’s mark, but God through the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus, which paid the sin debt you owed, has provide the only way for you to be declared “not guilty” for your sins (past, present and future).
Today’s Bible Readings:
Joshua 16-18, Luke 19:1-27, Psalm 87:1-7 and Proverbs 13:11