Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Other translations are helpful here. 

J.B. Phillips says, "Under this divine system a man who has faith is now freely acquitted in the eyes of God by his generous dealing in the redemptive act of Jesus Christ." 

So too, the OJB, the Orthodox Jewish Bible has "They are acquitted..."

TLB (The Living Bible) says, "yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins."

NET © 
But they are justified 1 freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

It's a judicial declaration. Matthew Poole says, "it is without any cause or merit in us; and by the free favor of God to undeserving, ill-deserving creatures, Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:8; Titus 3:7."

1Or “declared righteous.” Grk “being justified,” as a continuation of the preceding clause. (Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the NET translation.

The CEV (Contemporary English Version includes, "But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.

March 25 2021 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Earlier in the cited chapter, Paul was distinguishing between Jews and Gentiles with respect to God's plan of salvation from the standpoint of the Jews originally having been selected by God as His chosen people who received the words contained in the Old Testament, to the exclusion of non-Jews (that is, Gentiles).

However, as recounted in Acts 10, after the finished work of salvation that Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection, God definitively indicated that Gentiles were now to be included among those who could receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in Christ. (This was pre-figured even during Jesus' ministry, when He commended the Roman centurion who believed that Jesus could heal his servant from a distance as having greater faith than He had been able to find even among the Israelites to that point (Matthew 8:5-13).) 

Thus, justification (being made righteous in God's sight) was now freely available to all as a result of God's grace (that is, His unmerited favor that none of us deserves, since we are all universally sinful). That is why Paul refers to it as a gift.

March 24 2021 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

Romans 3:26-28 Since salvation, eternal life, is a free gift by faith alone in Christ alone apart from works, we have nothing to boast in. You can not boast in free.

For He is the just, and the justifier of them that BELIEVE in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? By the law of works? Nay, but by the law of FAITH. 

We are justified by faith in Jesus finished work on the cross alone apart from any works. Since all we have to do is believe it to be saved forever, then we have nothing to boast in. Jesus paid it all and we paid 0. 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

We are all sinners. First John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. First John 1:10. If we say we have not sinned, we call God a Liar. 

The only way we could be saved is to have a savior that could pay our sin debt in full, so we would not have to go to hell to pay for our sins. John 3:18 Believers are no longer condemned to hell, but unbelievers are condemned already because they have not believed on the name of the Son of God.

We are justified by faith apart from any works. If our works could save us, then Jesus died in vain. The only way we can be saved is that Jesus paid the debt and set us free. 

Grace has no end. Jesus is Grace. Romans 11:6 All grace, no works. If we were saved by works, it would no longer be grace.

If we could do one thing that would save us, then Jesus died in vain. Galatians 2:21 I do not void the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

We have to be as righteous as God to go to heaven, and no one is. But He has imputed His righteousness to us apart from any works. Romans 4:6. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness apart from works. Our works can not save sinners. Only Jesus finished work can save us.

Faith is not a work. Faith is what we believe. We believe on Jesus alone for the free gift of eternal life. John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me HATH EVERLASTASTING LIFE. Present tense. Since Jesus paid the debt for all sin, First John 2:2, we are justified by faith in Jesus alone apart from any works. He is the only way of salvation. There is no other way. 

Man can do nothing of himself to justify himself before God. Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, He would have something to glory in, but not before God. We can justify our selves before men by good works, but not before God.

July 02 2021 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report