What does 'justified freely' mean? Is it because we deserve it?
To be justified freely means God, as a judicial act, declares a believing sinner just as if he had never sinned—without a cause or merit. It is not because we deserve it; God justifies freely even though we do not deserve it when we believe.
Les explains that being justified is “freely, without a cause.” He defines justification as God’s judicial act whereby He declares the sinner who believes just as if he had never sinned. This is hard to comprehend: God sees the justified person like Adam before the fall. It is not that God was cornered and said, “Okay, I’ll justify you because you’ve deserved it.” No; God justifies us freely without a cause even though we don’t deserve it when we believe. Earlier in the context, this follows the point that we are sinners because we are sons of Adam, not merely because we have broken the law.
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
More Questions
How are we justified freely according to Romans 3:24?
Believers are justified freely by His grace through the redemption, the redemption word Paul uses here.
What does it mean that believers are 'justified freely' in Romans 3:24?
To be justified freely means to be justified without any cause, cost, or penny involved, and this is purely by God's grace.