Justified freely by His Grace !
Rom 3:24
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Many calling themselves believers or christians do make a claim to believe this Truth of " Justification freely by the Grace of God" , but its my privilege to tell ya that they really dont believe it at all ! No they only pretend to in words, but if we examine their Testimony 1 Jn 4:1;Matt 7:20 it is finally discovered that their supposed Justification by Grace freely, in reality is Justification because of their act of faith or belief, but that doesn't qualify to being freely Justified by His Grace !
The word freely is very important here in this solemn declaration of truth, its the word dorean and means :
as a free gift, without payment, freely,something freely done (as gratis), i.e. without "cause"; unearned (undeserved); freely given (without cost) hence not done out of mere obligation or compulsion.
for naught
Now Listen, it cannot be truly freely , without cause, for naught if indeed my act of believing or faith is the real cause, and that is why those who are not Justified remain so, because they did not meet the qualification of exercising faith or belief; So hence, its either freely without cause or its not, cannot straddle the fence here !
Yet Paul explains why its without cause and by Grace, why its a Gift reckoned upon the Justified ones based solely the Redemption that is by Christ's Blood [being Justified by His Blood Rom 5:9]; They were Justified freely by His Grace as a Gift, because Christ's Redemptive Death freed them from the penalty of their sins ! Redemption does that. Lets look at Heb 9:12 to prove this vital point :
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
The word redemption here, the greek word lutrósis :
(in the Old Testament: ransoming from imprisonment for debt, or from slavery, release from national misfortune, etc.), liberation, deliverance, release. redemption from the penalty of sin:
Yes Redemption from the penalty of sin, equates to Justification from all sin, and that freely solely by the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, meaning His Blood Eph 1:7
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
This verse says the very exact thing as does Rom 3:24 only here forgiveness of sins equals Justification, Justification from the penalty of our sins and forgiveness of them are the same, and is according to the Riches of God's Grace !
All this is True because He, the Lord Jesus Christ, by His Blood shedding Death for them, satisfied all of God's vengeful Law and Justice He rightly had against all their sins against Him, So it was no cause or condition in them that influenced God to Justify them freely by His Grace, the cause was solely in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ in their stead.
So lastly again, if we say that we believe in being Justified freely by His Grace, and yet at the same time make our act of faith to be the condition and cause why God Justified us, them we do lie and believe not the Truth, we don't believe the Truth of being Justified freely by His Grace as presented in Rom 3:24 or Titus 3:7 for that matter where it reads Titus 3:7
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.