This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
Romans 3:22-25a NIV
In the early part of this chapter, Paul made clear that no one is good, no one is righteous, and no one seeks God. The condition of humanity is hopeless. And there is nothing that we are capable of doing that will reverse that condition.
But, praise God, he did not leave us in that helpless condition. The righteousness of God has now been made known to us, a righteousness that comes through the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross. This righteousness is given freely by God’s grace through faith to all who will believe.
On my own, I never would have sought after God, and was actually incapable of doing so. But God’s grace, his unmerited favor, enabled me to believe and to accept his offer of salvation. A salvation that is received through faith in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9). It is by the gift of God’s grace that I have been justified freely and now share in the righteousness of Christ. A gift that is freely given and totally undeserved. Thank you, Lord, for your undeserved gift of salvation!
