Introduction

God just and merciful? Have you ever heard the expression “If there is a loving and just God, why does he let bad things happen to good people?” Maybe you have heard it from your friends, children, or grandchildren. I often hear that garbage spewed in the workplace by atheists who hate God. I sort of find it funny that those who claim God does not exist also claim to hate Him. I don’t believe in leprechauns, fairies, or ghosts, but I don’t hate them. This kind of thinking shows there is really no such thing as an atheist; because they prove God is real, and they know it, by hating Him (Romans 1: 18 – 23).

Yet, this question really trumps up Christians. The reality is that people are not basically good (Romans 3: 10 – 18). All people lie, steal, use God’s name in vain, hate others, and lust for what they should not have. The question really should be “Why does God allow good things to bad people?” Both questions question God’s goodness, and rather, justice. How can a good God show mercy to sinners. The answer Paul gives is Christ’s propitiatory atonement.

Text

Let us read our passage of study,

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 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, 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. 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 (Romans 3: 21 – 26, ESV).

Thesis

Christ’s propitiatory atonement demonstrates God is both good and merciful in forgiving sinners who trust in Jesus. God forgives sinners through faith based upon the atonement of His Son.

Outline

This will be seen in three movements. I. Christ’s atonement shows God is merciful. II. Christ’s atonement shows God is just. III. Christ’ atonement satisfies God’s wrath.

Christ’s Atonement Shows God is Merciful

Let’s examine the first part of the passage,

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 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, (Romans 3: 21 – 23, ESV).

            Paul just showed everyone is sinful at their core (Romans 3: 10 – 20). Everyone justly deserves the wrath of God (1: 18). One theologian said, ‘The idea that God is angry is no more anthropopathic than the thought that God is love.”[1] God is angry at sinful mankind and will judge the whole world according to their deeds (2: 3 – 11).

Think about it like this. We are righteously angry over the murder of an innocent person. Since God is a greater judge, should He not be angry at liars, thieves, murderers at heart, and all forms of wickedness? Justice demands it.

This assessment leads the believer to seek some other way for God to grant righteousness apart from their works. The answer is in the righteousness of Christ. This passage shows this goodness is accredited to the believer by faith, committed trust, in Christ (3: 21 – 22). This is the only way anyone can receive forgiveness since all people have sinned and do not reach God’s standard (v. 23).

This shows God is merciful by nature. He does not seek everyone’s destruction (2 Peter 3:9). God demonstrates this mercy by providing a different way for sinners to be good. 2 Corinthians 5: 21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (ESV). God is merciful.

Christ’s Atonement Shows God is Just

This brings up a problem. If God is merciful, how can God be just? We get angry if murderers, rapists, and thieves go unpunished. We might be alright with it if we are the guilty party. Yet, if someone else murdered, raped, and stole from our grandmother, we would demand the criminal be punished. If a judge let that criminal go, we would demand the judge be punished for mocking justice. Yet, that is what God does in forgiving sinners. Someway, somehow, justice has to be done. However through Christ’s atonement, God is legally able to forgive sinners.

Let’s read verses 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 (Romans 3: 25 – 26, ESV).

God had passed over the sins of Gentiles and Jews who had faith in God despite their many sins like Naaman the Syrian and David over the affair of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11, 2 Kings 5). The cross solves this point. Jesus’s death on the cross was able to pay for every sin of all time for those who trust in God and the one whom God has sent.

Christ’s Atonement Satisfies God’s Wrath

Let’s read 24 – 25a, “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: 24 – 25a, ESV).

This passage shows how God is both just and merciful at the same time. Jesus’s sacrifice was a “propitiation.” This is the most important word in the whole New Testament. It means a blood sacrifice that appeases the wrath of a deity, or, better put, “When God is propitiated by the sacrifice of Christ, his justified wrath is immediately turned away once and for all. The one-time nature of the hilasterion argues for propitiation as the correct view.”[2]

You cannot get any better deal than that. The only way any of us can be forgiven is by the sacrifice of Christ. This can be seen in the prophesy concerning Christ in Isaiah 53, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (ESV).

The reason we are forgiven is solely by the blood appeasing sacrifice of Jesus to God for our sin. There is no other way to go about it. You and I are wicked sinners who deserve God’s wrath; however, God, in his mercy, sent his Son to appease that wrath on our behalf through his blood sacrifice.

Conclusion

Why do bad things happen to good people? They do not. Bad things happen to bad people because all people are totally evil. Why do good things happen to people? God is love. God is merciful. These things can be reconciled in the cross of Jesus, who was the only good person. Jesus, the only good person, lived a sinless live, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins. God allows us to receive this new righteousness given by Christ through faith.

This is the answer you can give to your grandson when he gets snarky with you about your faith in Christ. This is the answer you can give to your coworker when they want to mock your faith. This is the answer you can give your son who has walked away from the church.

God is shown to be both merciful and just through the one who has faith in Jesus. Let’s look at that last part again. Read it with me,

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. 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 (Romans 3: 23 – 26, ESV).

            As Paul concluded, this leaves no room to be proud, or brag (v. 27). We are all debtors to Christ. Thank God He raised Christ from the dead to give us new life as well as forgiveness. Let us go and give this hope to all who have ears to listen.

If you want more biblical resources on studying the Scriptures, check out the store at strivingforeternity.org/store. There are also a lot of other articles on the website to encourage you to dive deeper into God’s Word. Please also check out Apologetics Live at ApologeticsLive.com, where Andrew Rappaport, Anthony Silvestro, and Justin Pierce answer your questions and teach you how to defend the faith. It is on from 8pm – 10pm EST. Also, do not forget to check out the Rapp Report, where you can hear the teaching of Andrew Rappaport and the Christian Podcast Community. Lord bless you.

[1] F. F. Bruce, Romans: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 6, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 90.

 

[2] Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier, Romans, vol. 6, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 120.