Word of life - Rom 3:25

Word of life: “...whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.” (Rom 3:25 ESV /English Standard Version 2001/)

1) What is emphasized in this verse?

God’s righteousness. What does the righteousness of God mean? It means that a debt of justice has been paid through a propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom the Heavenly Father delivered up to death out of His love for us. Jesus’ Blood and sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all mankind has satisfied God’s righteousness. What is needed on the part of man is to admit his sin and to believe in this redeeming sacrifice of Christ, i.e. to believe that the Blood of Christ cleanses us from every sin. In the Epistle of John we read: “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7) God’s righteousness also embraces God’s mercy for those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins.

2) The connection with other verses

It has analogy with the previous verses 22, 24 and with the following verse 26, which likewise emphasize God’s righteousness and justification. Similarly, there is a connection between chapters 3, 4 and 6.

Practical application:

This verse speaks about perfect contrition again. Perfect contrition means that man becomes aware of his sin as well as of God’s righteousness and God’s mercy given to us in the Blood of Christ. We try to express perfect contrition seven times a day. We call upon the name of Jesus and realize our sinful nature and our sins. This is the most important thing. In the hour of death we will need nothing more than this saving faith.

If we should see someone dying or a seriously ill person in hospital, we cannot help him more than if we pray with him a prayer of perfect contrition, which consists in the words: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.”