Is God reluctant to accept you? See how Romans 3:23–24 answers: all have sinned, but God justifies freely by his grace through redemption in Christ.
Introduction: Paul’s Most Important Paragraph
We turn again to what one commentator said is “possibly the most important single paragraph ever written.”[1] That’s a bold claim! Last week we heard “but now” God reveals a righteousness apart from the law, received through faith…for all who believe (3:21–22). Now, Paul tells us why it must be that way.
Illustration:
A while back I was in a checkout line and the cashier said, “Do you have rewards?” I didn’t. I paid full price. The person behind me said, “I’ve got it,” and scanned their rewards and suddenly the price dropped. Nothing about me changed. My items didn’t change. I didn’t suddenly become a better shopper. The difference was simple: someone else had what I didn’t and applied it to my account. That’s what God’s grace is like: not something you earn, but a gift applied to you.
Many people think in Christianity God is the cashier and we’re trying to earn enough points to bring the total down: “Look at my church attendance. Look at my effort. Look at my improvement.” And when we don’t have the points, we panic; when we think we do, we get proud.
But here’s the problem: if you live on a performance system, you’ll either become proud when you think you’re doing well—or crushed when you know you’re not. Enter our Scripture passage.
Theme
Here’s Paul’s point: We’ve all fallen short of God’s righteous standard—therefore God justifies freely, by grace, through Christ’s redemption.
In other words, your acceptance with God doesn’t rest on your performance, but on God’s gift—received by faith.
My goal is to move strugglers and strivers from self-approval projects to assurance: not the worthiness of their faith, but the worthiness of Jesus.
Strivers: stop performing for acceptance; receive Christ’s gift.
Strugglers: stop reading God’s smile through your week; rest in the verdict “freely.”
Summary: where we’re at in Romans and where we’re going in this passage.
Let’s remember where we’re at. In 1:17 Paul promised that in the gospel “the righteousness of God is revealed.” Why? Because 1:18–3:20 said the righteous judgment of God has come on our unrighteousness. “But now” God manifests a righteousness that he gives so that we can stand before him confident that we’re acceptable to him (3:21).
Today we’re taking the next step: Paul explains why this righteousness must be received as a gift—why it can’t be achieved, earned, or negotiated.
Relevance Bridge: What does this have to do with me?
Everything! Because Romans 3:23–24 confronts two kinds of people in every church:
The striver who thinks, “If I do enough, God will accept me.”
The struggler who thinks, “Because I’ve failed again, God can’t accept me.”
Paul speaks to both with one sentence: all have sinned, therefore God justifies freely. The problem is universal; so is the solution.
Transition: So, let’s walk through Paul’s logic step by step: problem → gift → meaning →ground.
The Universal Problem (v. 23)
First, Paul names the universal problem. Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Paul doesn’t leave wiggle room for spiritual peacocking. All means all. Not “those people.” Not “out there.” Not merely the notorious sinners. All.
That phrase fall short of the glory of God is a way of saying: we don’t measure up to what we were made for. God created us to reflect his glory—to honor, love, and obey him. But instead, we fall short.
If you’re honest, you don’t need a theologian to convince you of this—you feel it in your conscience.
Application: Strivers, this humbles you; strugglers, you’re not uniquely broken.
Transition: And if we can’t build acceptance, God must give it.
The Free Verdict (v. 24a)
Paul announces the free verdict. The righteousness revealed in 3:21 becomes the verdict announced in 3:24: justified by his grace as a gift. Or better, justified—freely—by his grace.
Paul doesn’t merely say here that we’re justified by his grace, which would have been sufficient to show that it’s by grace alone, but in the original text he actually inserts the adverb, freely, in between the verb and the noun to say that we’re justified freely by his grace. He doubles up on this to make clear that we’re justified by grace alone.
That’s Paul’s emphatic point: not just grace—but grace that’s free. Not just a gift—but a gift with no fine print.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God is reluctant to accept you, Paul says: He justifies freely. The reluctance isn’t in God. The problem’s in you.
Application: Strivers, you can’t earn; strugglers, you can stop despairing.
Transition: But what does justification mean in real life—where consciences ache?
The Meaning of Justification: Acceptance You Can’t Earn (v. 24a)
Paul explains what that verdict means. When God’s grace alone enters our lives and by faith alone we embrace Jesus Christ alone, we’re “justified.” One of the reasons this is “possibly the most important single paragraph ever written” is because of the cluster of concepts and vocabulary used here.
What is justification? Note the context: it’s in contrast to our condemnation in 1:18–3:20. Then Paul says “but now” (v. 21) we are justified by God’s grace as a gift (v. 24).
So, ultimately, justification is being accepted by God. Let me illustrate. Illustration: I once watched a documentary about Brett Favre, who said all he ever wanted was his father’s approval. It hit me: this isn’t just something athlete’s want, but something we all want. How much more so as image-bearers of God our Creator? In life, though, we get this approval by working hard, being the best, and doing spectacular things. The problem is that we transfer that attitude to our relationship with God. That’s the performance mindset—trying to give to God what can only be received from God. This is why we try to obey the law that’s in our hearts. What’s wrong with that? Look back at 3:20: “through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” We can’t achieve acceptance on the basis of obedience.
So, justification is the opposite of condemnation—acceptance with God. It’s what our Heidelberg Catechism says:
“without any merit of my own,
out of sheer grace,
God grants and credits to me
the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ,
as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner,
and as if I had been as perfectly obedient
as Christ was obedient for me.
—if only I accept this gift with a believing heart” (Q&A 60).
Why is justification so important? Because your conscience will never be at peace until it rests on the mercy of God alone. “But my faith is so weak,” you might be thinking. Justification is so important because it assures you that it’s not the worthiness of your faith but the worthiness of him whom your faith believes that makes you acceptable to God.
Faith doesn’t justify you because faith is strong. Faith justifies because it holds on to a strong Savior.
Transition: Paul doesn’t leave justification floating—he anchors it in something Jesus did.
The Ground of the Gift (v. 24b)
Paul grounds it in redemption. How does my faith in the worthiness of Jesus Christ actually justify me? There’s a second foundational vocabulary word used here: redemption. We are justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (v. 24).
Children: how many of you collect cans and bottles to recycle? Have you noticed that on every can and bottle is a little abbreviation: “CRV”—“California Redemption Value.” When you take your cans and bottles to a recycling center, they redeem them from you and give you five or ten cents. They buy it back. That’s redemption. Redemption means Jesus paid the price to buy you back—out of bondage, out of guilt, out of condemnation, and into freedom.
Jesus redeems us. As 1:18–3:20 said, we were once incarcerated in sin, but now that Jesus redeems us, we’re liberated from sin. In other words, our sins were like that heavy backpack on Christian’s back in The Pilgrim’s Progress. But when we come to Jesus, he takes the burden away; he forgives. That’s redemption in lived experience: guilt lifted, condemnation gone, and a prisoner set free. So, how does my faith justify me and make me acceptable to God? Faith receives Christ who forgives us of the penalty of our sins and who frees us from the burden of our sins.
Application: Let me pause for a moment and apply this truth about our relationship with God to our relationships with one another. We prayed this morning, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” God’s forgiveness of you needs to affect how you forgive others. God’s acceptance of you needs to affect how you accept others. Some of you don’t see eye to eye with each other on politics, how you discipline your kids, or how you spend your money. Some of you don’t really get along with each other. Maybe it’s personality, maybe it’s age, or maybe it’s social standing. But if God has forgiven your brother or sister and accepted them into his family, you need to do the same. You don’t get to choose who’s in your earthly family; you don’t get to choose who’s in your church family. But they’re your family. Amen?
Gospel Bridge
If you’re not a Christian yet—or you’re not sure if you are—listen carefully. Paul doesn’t begin with “try harder.” He begins with reality: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That includes you—and me. You don’t need a theology degree to know this; you feel it in your conscience. You’ve fallen short. And deep down you know it.
But Paul doesn’t stop there. He immediately says we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That means God isn’t offering you a self-improvement plan. He’s offering you a verdict: forgiven, counted righteous, accepted—freely. Not because you cleaned yourself up, but because Jesus paid the price to redeem you. That’s grace!
So don’t do what so many people do: hear all have sinned and think, “I’ll come back when I’m better.” That’s exactly backwards. You don’t come when you’re better. You come because you’re guilty; God justifies the guilty freely.
If you turn from your sin and trust Jesus Christ today, God will justify you—freely—by grace—as a gift. You don’t have to negotiate. You don’t have to make promises. You don’t have to “get spiritual” first. You receive Christ, and God declares you right and acceptable with him.
Don’t put this off—today is the day to be right with God. If you’re ready to do that, tell him right now quietly in your heart: “Lord, I’m a sinner. I can’t fix myself. I believe Jesus died and rose for me. Justify me freely. Redeem me. I trust You.”
If you prayed that—or you want to—I’ll be available after the service. Let’s talk and pray together.
If you are a believer—but you’re doubting, struggling, or weak—this text is for you! The devil loves to take Romans 3:23 and use it like a hammer: “You fell short again. You sinned again. God must be finished with you.” Then your conscience joins in.
But Paul doesn’t only say all have sinned. He says: and are justified freely by his grace. Your justification doesn’t rise and fall with your week. God didn’t justify you because you were strong. He justified you freely. And he didn’t justify you because your faith was impressive. He justified you because Jesus is worthy—and your faith is simply the hand that receives him.
So, when you’ve had a great week, don’t boast—give thanks. And when you’ve had a terrible week, don’t despair—repent, and then go right back to the same ground you stood on the first day: freely, by grace, as a gift, through redemption in Christ.
Conclusion: Strivers and Strugglers
All have sinned; God justifies freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
If you’re a striver: stop trying to earn what can only be received.
If you’re a struggler: stop concluding that your failures are stronger than Christ’s redemption.
And if you’re not sure you belong to Jesus, don’t wait until you “feel ready.” Romans 3:24 calls this a gift. Receive the gift.
You fall short—but in Christ, God justifies freely, by grace, as a gift.
[1] Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans (Pillar, 1988), 173.