Being Justified Freely

…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 3:24 

What does it mean for us to be justified freely? Here is the heart of the gospel of free grace. This is what separates the truth of Christ from all works-righteousness. The Westminster Shorter Catechism gives a succinct definition of justification as, ‘an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.’ Within this definition we see the various elements to which Paul has been alluding to already. While the Catechism is not inspired, it does offer us definitions which enable us to succinctly articulate what Paul sets forth more elaborately. Our text, as part of his thesis statement, brings us to dwell upon what it is that makes us acceptable to God. We find that He justifies us freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. We are the recipients of this freely granted justification. God freely justifies us. He does so by the grace that arises out of His Character. He does so on the basis of what Christ has done. We have no part in effecting our own justification. It is all of grace and all of God. Above all, Christ is at the heart of justification. Therefore He deserves first place in all our thinking, our preaching, our worship, our living, and our allegiance. Our contemplations must be Christocentric.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice at the Gospel of free grace. 
We praise You that justification by faith, 
 is at the very heart of it. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning