The Place of Mercy
Dearly beloved, God made righteousness available through Jesus Christ and his accomplishments.
Romans 3:21-24
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith [pistis: believing] of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For there is no difference [between Judean and Gentile]: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
God justified us from the sin of Adam and its condemnation freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption by his believing; by his believing to fulfill all that was written regarding him as the Savior and Redeemer.
What does “justify” mean? It means to set forth as righteous, to justify by a judicial act according to His standard for justice. God established His standard for justice and Jesus Christ fulfilled it.
God freely justified us from the condemnation of the sin and the death that Adam brought upon us through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:25 and 26
Whom [Christ Jesus] God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God set forth Christ Jesus to be the place of propitiation. The Greek word is "hilasterion". It is only used here and in Hebrews 9:5 where it is translated “mercy seat”. The word means the place of expiation from sin, and conciliation, that which is done to appease and accomplish reconciliation.
The Mercy Seat was the lid that covered the Ark of the Covenant. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the Mercy Seat. Jesus Christ was our Mercy Seat and he alone accomplished atonement for our sins.
The expression, “through faith in his blood” is the figure of speech, metalepsis, which is a double or compound metonymy of which only one is expressed. First, “blood” is put for his shed blood representing his death, and then his death is put for what it accomplished.
God declared His justness for the remission of sin through believing in the merits of the atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ’s death.
Romans 3:26
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God is just, and He determined the standard by which He would justify us. He justifies those that believe in Jesus Christ and his accomplishments.
Romans 3:27-30 Nestle-Aland
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith [pistis: believing]. For we hold that a man is justified by faith [believing] apart from works of law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised [the Judeans] on the ground of their faith [believing] and the uncircumcised [the Gentiles] through their faith [believing].
There is nothing for either the Judean or the Gentile to boast about. Neither of us did the work necessary to justify us from the sin and the condemnation of death that Adam brought upon us.
Jesus Christ did all the work required by God to justify us. We were justified freely by the work of Jesus Christ and by his accomplishments. He is our Mercy Seat.
How do we attain God’s righteousness? We receive it on the basis of believing in the Lord Jesus, not by any works that we do.
If anyone wants to boast, our boast should be in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he accomplished for us, dearly beloved! Thank God for His exceeding great grace!