Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Parallel translations
- WEB being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;
- KJV Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
- BSB and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
- NKJV being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
- NASB being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Sinners are justified freely by God's grace through Christ's redemption. Salvation is an unearned gift purchased by Christ.
Overview
Here Paul concentrates the gospel: justification is 'freely' given, grounded in grace, and accomplished through 'the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.' Redemption pictures a price paid to set captives free, namely Christ's atoning death. Those who deserve condemnation are instead declared righteous as a gift, not a wage.
Cross-references & the web
Theme
- Redemption"Justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ."
Cross-references · 18
- 1 Pet 1:18–19knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
- Titus 3:5–7not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
- Col 1:14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;
- Eph 1:6–7to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved,
- Rom 5:9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
- Rom 4:16For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
- Titus 2:14who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
- 1 Cor 1:30Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
- Matt 20:28even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Eph 2:7–10that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
- 1 Tim 2:6who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;
- Rom 5:16–19The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification.
- 1 Cor 6:11Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.
- Rev 5:9They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
- Heb 9:2–15For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place.
- Isa 53:11After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.
- Rev 7:14I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.
- Rom 4:4Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed.
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 3:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.