Word of life: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

(Rom 3:23-24 ESV /English Standard Version 2001/)

1) What is emphasized in this verse?

The truth that “all have sinned” and “are justified by His grace ... in Christ Jesus”. The reality is that all people have sinned. All humans, except the Virgin Mary, are born as slaves of sin. They cannot free themselves from this state of spiritual death. No human merits, efforts, good deeds or anything else can loosen man from sin. God’s Word gives the only true solution. Man is justified from sin in Jesus Christ alone. It is a gift of God’s grace, through the merits of Jesus! This is the essence of our salvation.

2) The connection with other verses

Chapter 3: verses 4, 5, 8, 10, 21, 22, 25, 28, 30.

Chapter 4: verses 3, 5, 9, 13, 16. Chapter 4 presents Abraham as an example of faith. It stresses that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Using the example of Abraham, this whole chapter demonstrates justification by faith and not by works. Our works are the fruits of faith.

Chapter 6: verses 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23.

Practical application:

In prayer, I confess my sin. Such is the truth about me: I have sinned. Again and again I receive justification from sin. I receive it as a gift, through the redemption in Jesus Christ. After every fall I experience anew my salvation in Jesus.