November 30

“Being justified freely by his grace.” Romans 3:24

The word here translated “freely” is the same as is translated “without a cause” in Jesus’ quotation from the Psalms: “They hated me without a cause” (John 15:25). Thus to say that God’s grace justifies us freely means that he justifies us without any cause or reason. Since grace is gratuitous, it is not at all conditional on the recipient's state. Those who consider themselves fairly good stand just as much in need of the grace of God as those who see themselves, like Paul, as “the chief of sinners.”

God will not give less grace to those who have sinned more, and more grace to those who have sinned less. In no sense at all is grace a reward. In the realm in which grace operates, both the sinner and his works are completely set aside. God saves us without a cause.