#100. Romans 3:24 – A Brief Interlude for the Nerds – Mapping Grace (Justification Series, Part XXIII)

Part III: Our Justification, Confirmed

Being justified gratuitously in His grace…

Before we proceed, I deem it necessary to emphasize the general progression of “grace” throughout Paul’s letters, to see how, exactly, God builds upon the basic premise of grace as the source of our justification. This is not designed to be argumentative, but prepare us for the direction grace will go beyond Romans.

Grace Glorifies

It is told to us, in Rom. 5:1-2, that grace glorifies us–

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

Christ is said to be the Means through which we have access to the grace which glorifies us. Indeed, Christ is “full of grace and truth” (Jo. 1:14.) He is the “Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8.) He takes us to Himself “for God’s glory” (Rom. 15:7.) Because this justification enables Him, even now, to be joined to us in spirit (Rom. 8:9,) among us, we now have an “expectation of glory” (Col. 1:27.)

We are, then, to be invigorated by the grace which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1.) Grace accords entirely with the spirit of God and serves as the underlying method of accomplishing His purpose. Therefore, the whole of our salvation, and the salvation of all, is accomplished through His grace (1 Tim. 2:4-7, 2 Tim. 2:1.) Thus Paul makes claims as here in Titus 2:12–

For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity, training us…

The grace of our Lord overwhelms the saint (1 Tim. 1:14.) Since this is the sphere of salvation, and not law (Rom. 6:14,) we now stand in grace, to exempt us from condemnation (Rom. 7:24-8:1)–

What will rescue me out of this body of death? Grace! I thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Consequently, then, I myself, with the mind, am indeed slaving for God’s law, yet with the flesh for Sin’s law. Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.

Gratuity of Grace

Romans 3:24 is not the only place where we see the word gratuitous related to grace. We see also, in Rom. 5:15–

For if, by the offense of the one, the many died, much rather the grace of God and the gratuity in grace, to the many superabounds.

There is, indeed, a gushing outflow of grace given to “the many.” This accomplishes far more than the offense of the one, which only enslaved us to death (Rom. 5:12.) The undeserved favor of salvation was first bestowed upon Paul, who is called the “foremost of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15,) and “less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8.) He is the pattern of all, who will inevitably believe.

To me, less than the least of all saints, was granted this grace: to bring the evangel of the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, and to enlighten all as to what is the administration of the secret, which has been concealed from the eons in God, Who creates all…

The Riches of His Grace

Practically speaking, the whole of our blessings in Christ are the “riches” of God’s grace. The bulk of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians expand on the grace introduced in Romans. God does this by turning grace into a descriptive noun, into that “genitive” case we have discussed at length. It describes other words which beg our attention, and take us on other word studies. All of these (words like “riches,”) demand their own word study, and find their concepts revealed in similar progression to grace.

The phrase in question is found in Ephesians 1:7. Allow me to share the whole passage with you, with few omissions:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessings among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son, for Him, through Christ Jesus… for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved:

In Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace, which He lavishes on us, in all wisdom and prudence making known to us the secret of His will… to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ – both those in the heavens and those on the earth – in Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory, who are pre-expectant in the Christ.

The Transcendent Riches of His Grace

Still further, grace’s riches are not of equal value. Some spiritual grace is revealed in Romans (1:13) – and its effects appear to be summarized in the Ephesians passage above. Yet Ephesians still unfolds greater blessing, truths which transcend the riches we are reading about in Romans. These are summarized in Eph. 2:4-7–

Yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us… vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved!) and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus, that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Here our blessings stretch out much farther than we see in Romans. In Rom. 3:26, we read that God justifies us now so that we are a display of His righteousness in the current era. At present, through this deliverance which is in Christ Jesus, God can show His grace. Yet when our salvation is complete, our destiny actually shown, and our blessings put into physical effect, the transcendent riches of His grace will be clearly seen, even by the heavenly hosts of all (Eph. 3:10.)

The Glory of His Grace

Shown before, but not emphasized, is the phrase “the glory of His grace,” also present in Ephesians 1. Here it is again:

[God] chooses us in [Christ] before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for [God] through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the applause of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved…

If, for whatever reason, you still do not believe the passages expressly telling you that your action is not the pre-requisite for your salvation, then let the above passage further correct you. It is God Who chooses us. We do not choose ourselves through commitment or dedication to any view.

Before the universe entered into sin (the “disruption of the world,” see God's Timeline chapter 2, which by necessity includes our individual sins,) God chose us to be saved, and become holy (set apart) and flawless (without error) in His sight. We were seen to be without flaw, blemish, or wrinkle, even as He perceives His Son. This was prompted by love. He located us in His plan beforehand, to be placed as sons, exactly as His Image, the Son of His Love, appears to us now in spirit. By being accounted righteous, our “lot is cast” in Christ (Eph. 1:11,) so that we now share the same glory and honors that have been bestowed upon Jesus Himself – making us the body of the “Christ,” or, the “body of the Anointed.”

But how can God do such a thing, knowing full well that we are sinners, knowing that we are flawed, knowing our hearts, that we are not holy, and begin, indeed, as a part of the mass who are considered “unjust,” that not even one is supposed to be apart from?

The answer is grace, a favor gratuitously bestowed upon us. Though we do not deserve it, in truth Christ deserves it. He requires glory and honor. Those saved through Paul’s message are the first to intelligently and competently give this to Him, and appreciate His desire to lavish blessing. Our salvation in His grace, which brings God, Christ, and ourselves glory, is to be applauded for every subsequent age – known in spirit now, and fulfilled in glory later.

- GerudoKing