It seems more than appropriate that born-again Christians would regularly gaze upon and enjoy the gospel gifts we have received through faith in Jesus Christ. The precious gospel gift of justification means to be declared to have a right standing with God. Yet Scripture makes it clear that there is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). So, how can sinful men and women justly be declared to stand right before God? God makes that clear through the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. In Romans 3:21-26 we find that justification is a gracious gift from a righteous God.

The gift has finally arrived. Romans 3:21: “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it”. And what did the Law and the prophets bear witness to? Man’s need for a Savior – the Messiah – Jesus Christ. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel, who mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear – and now He has!

The gift is received by faith. “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why … He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.” Sometimes we are guilty of thinking of God like He is a cosmic Santa Clause. But the Bible makes it clear that the gift of justification – being declared right with God – is not the result of “being good for goodness sake”, but is instead a gift freely given by God and received by faith: Romans 3:22-2 “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

The gift was not cheap. Romans 3:25 “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith”. This gift purchased by Jesus’ blood completely satisfies the wrath of God. Dear friend, God does not look at the blood of His Son and say, “More must be done”.

The gift glorifies the Giver. Sometimes the question is asked, “How can God punish sinners?” Yet the question that should be asked is the one which Paul seeks to answer in Romans: “How can God justify sinners? How can God declare sinful men righteous?” So we read in Romans 3:25b-26 “This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” He does not wink at sin or merely sweep it under the rug. Justice is carried out on a substitute – the Lord Jesus Christ. The holiness, justice, glory, and love of God is seen in that our being declared right with God requires the death of the precious Son of God in our place.

So you must ask yourself, “Have I received the gift of justification by faith alone in Christ? Or am I trying to earn that right standing by being “good enough for goodness sake”? Am I putting all my efforts aside? Do I see the abyss impossible for me to cross? Do I see my spiritual bankruptcy and that I desperately need Christ? Dear friend, my prayer is that you can say with the words of this precious hymn: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.