“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.” – Romans 3:26

If God just excused or passed over sin, he could no longer be good or just. I hear so many people say, “I’m really a good person. When I die God won’t judge me for the things that I’ve done wrong.” Our hope of eternity is that there will be no sin, or the consequences of sin (pain, sickness, evil…). If God were to merely excuse sin, it would be to allow it to enter heaven. What hope is there in that!?

For God to be completely just and righteous and holy, and “he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim 2:13), he has to judge sin. This would leave us with no hope, but He also became our Justifier.

“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, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith.” – Romans 3:23-25

Jesus’s blood covered all our sin. He became the propitiation – the covering, the substitute, the sacrifice, the payment for every debt we owe. In this way, God stays consistent with His character, sin is forgiven but also paid for, eternity is kept sin-free and so remains a glorious hope, and salvation is made available to all who could not reach it any other way. Take a moment to reflect on the wonder of His unchanging, uncompromising character, and praise Him that He is both Just and your Justifier. We have a glorious God!

Father, I praise you for who you are, and that you do not change. Thank you for your perfect salvation and that makes me righteous through Jesus, and for the promise of eternity without sin. May I know you, worship you, and proclaim you as Just and Justifier of my soul.