#99. Romans 3:24 – An Introduction to Grace (Justification Series, Part XXII)

Part III: Our Justification, Confirmed

Being justified gratuitously in His grace…

Ah, “grace.” At the beginning of this study, I had called grace “the critical theme to Romans.” I stand by this, within the context in which I had said it. As a review, here is every occurrence of “grace” as we have seen it thus far:

…through [Christ] we obtained grace and apostleship for faith-obedience…

Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Both of these passages are found in Romans’ intro. Beyond this, grace is absent until our present verse. This is more evidence to the fact that “grace” is not in view where “indignation” and “judgment” were present, as neither of those topics were the “evangel of God” (Rom. 2:16.)

How, then, is “grace” the critical theme to Romans? Let’s examine some statistics, and the claim will be understood. The word “grace” is charis in Greek. It appears 25 times in Romans. This is the most it is used in any literature in the New Testament, yet again emphasizing its importance in this epistle. It should come as no surprise to you at this point that Paul uses the word “grace” the most out of every New Testament writer. Of its 155 occurrences, 100 times the term is used by Paul – almost twice as often as every other writer combined.

What is Grace?

Christian expositors will give you hundreds of different answers to this question. This does not mean there is no answer, of course; man’s confusion disguises the answer – it does not erase it. So what is grace?

The answer is simple: it is “favor.” To “favor” something. It has, in the past, defined as “an act of producing happiness; a benefit bestowed upon one who deserves the opposite.” This answer is not given by a Christian expositor, but one Peter Lamb, a student of the concordant text! Yet even Peter’s answer is lacking clarity. It is not entirely wrong, but there are contexts in which this definition lacks sense. Take, for example, Luke 2:40–

Now the little Boy grows up and was staunch in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him.

The “Boy” in this context is none other than Jesus Himself. Who would say that this Boy did not “deserve” God’s favor? Indeed, this shining example shows us that grace is not bestowed to one who “deserves the opposite,” for Jesus does deserve God’s favor, being just.

We see, again, that “grace” cannot mean “unmerited favor,” since we already have another word within Romans 3:24 which loosely means “unmerited” – that is, gratuitous. The passage cannot say “Being un-meritoriously justified in His unmerited favor,” for this is redundant and cancels out the “undeserving” quality of justification. It must simply mean “favor.” It is even translated thus elsewhere in the Concordant Literal NT, in its first occurrence, Luke 1:30, where the messenger Gabriel first appears to Miriam to tell her that she is preggers–

And the messenger said to [Miriam], “Fear not, Miriam, for you found favor with God!”

The Agenda

Let this chapter serve as an introduction to grace, and perhaps a road-map for this topic. This study is not meant to be comprehensive, as we will be elaborating on grace’s function in Paul’s message. Romans educates us on the basics of “grace.” It is important that we learn this now, and its addendums in 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Galatians. We must know the foundational points concerning grace before moving into Ephesians.

That said, it does not hurt to see the later passages, for this will give us some intimation on where Paul plans on taking us, upon showing us these basics. We will continually return to the basics before building on them in later passages where the word appears again.

What Does Grace Do?

The answer is aptly given us in Acts 20:32, Paul speaking to the elders of the ecclesia in Ephesus–

And now I am committing you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to edify and give the enjoyment of an allotment among all who have been hallowed.

Thus, we have our answer. Grace builds us up, and prepares us to enjoy a role as a tenant in God’s plan of us. Indeed, grace will be an extremely prominent feature of Romans moving forward. Grace serves as the premise on which we are educated by Paul. Furthermore, the “allotment” here alluded to will be explained in Romans 8:14-18.

We are introduced to the effects of grace in Rom. 5:1-2–

Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we have the access also, by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we may be glorying in expectation of the glory of God.

Later, in Galatians (a letter which is the complementary teaching concerning justification,) grace is personified, in 1:15–

Now, when it delights God, Who severs me from my mother’s womb and calls me through His grace…

The natural follow-up question is, “Called for what?” Paul answers this in Gal. 5:13–

For you were called for freedom, brethren, only use not the freedom for an incentive to the flesh, but through love be slaving for one another.

3:24

It would be well to review every occurrence of “grace” in Romans. These are 1:5, 7, 3:24, 4:4, 16, 5:2, 15, 17, 20, 21, 6:1, 14, 15, 17, 7:25, 11:5, 6, 12:3, 6, 15:15, and 16:20. Every occurrence builds upon its first real presentation, throughout Rom. 3:21-4:25. The cause is the heart of God, since we are justified gratuitously, and the grace is His. It is “in grace, through faith, we are saved, and this is not out of you. It is God’s approach present, lest any man should be boasting” (Eph. 2:8-9.) This, too, is expressly told to us in Romans 3:27, that “boasting is debarred,” and re-framed again in relation to our actions in Rom. 11:6–

Now if it is in grace, it is no longer out of works, else the grace is coming to be no longer grace. Now, if it is out of works, it is no longer grace, else the work is no longer work.

As far as we are concerned, then, this grace is not appealed by our actions, whether this is baptism, repentance, faith, prayer, or any other “good” pious move. The grace itself is the most expensive gift, only given beyond measure because of Who paid for it. The greatest suffering and loss is God’s suffering. He had already lost the entire universe – yet at Golgotha, He lost the One Who was most dear to Him, being His own Son. Thus the entire universe lost all apparent hope, and was cast into darkness with the loss of its Master.

Yet this cost was always before God. The sacrifice of His Son, as of a flawless and spotless lamb, was foreknown before the first “sin” ever occurred (1 Pet. 1:19-20.) When the “full time” came – that is, the moment when sin’s victory appeared inevitable, as all appeared to be liable to death and enslavement (more on this when we study Galatians) – God delegated His Son to come of a woman, under law (Gal. 4:4.) His Son divested Himself of all regality, all honor, and much more (Phil. 2:7-8,) becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, to be the ultimate Sacrifice. We even read, later in Rom. 8:3-4–

For what was impossible to the law, in which it was infirm through the flesh, did God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sin’s flesh and concerning sin, He condemns sin in the flesh, that the just requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who are not walking in accord with flesh, but in accord with spirit.

And again, in 2 Cor. 5:21–

For the One not knowing sin, [God] makes to be [a] sin [offering], for our sakes, that we may be becoming God’s righteousness in Him.

As before, in itself, divorced from creation’s divine directive, this act could not bring a greater horror, to both God and creation alike. Yet its purpose justifies the action. The result is the above grace which has been imparted to us, and is destined to reach all (Rom. 3:22, 5:18.) This purpose is so satisfactory that God claims that He desired to crush Christ, and caused Him to be wounded (Is. 53:9-10,) so that not only would Israel’s blessings have a righteous premise, but that all mankind would be justified on this same basis!

“Such a deliverance, beloved, is entirely on the ground of grace, and bars all boasting unless it be in Christ and in His God Who has become our Justifier. Through our justification by faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord, we are placed in the unclouded favor of God, where ‘Nothing, consequently, is condemnation to us in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 8:1). What more could we desire? May He give us the grace to exclaim from the depths of our hearts—to Him be the glory for the eons of the eons! Amen!” – Adlai Loudy, God’s Eonian Purpose

- GerudoKing