How can God declare His righteousness for the remission of past sins?
God declares His righteousness for the remission of past sins by setting forth Christ Jesus as a propitiation through faith in His blood. Christ shed His blood and paid redemption’s price, so when we place faith in His blood, God can declare His righteousness for sins that are passed, through His forbearance.
Les explains that the Christ Jesus of verse 24 shed His blood and paid the price of redemption, and God set Him forth to be a propitiation. That big word, propitiation, is often slipped over, but it is through faith—faith in His blood. Both faith and the blood appear within half a verse. God made Christ a propitiation when we place our faith in His blood, and then God can declare His righteousness again for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. Les also says that before returning to the Exodus account, he wants us to look at 1 John chapter 2, verses 1 and 2, where “My little children” is a term of endearment, and the writing says, “that you sin not, and if...” In other words, we will.
Whom 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;
More Questions
How can God be just and still justify believers?
Through faith in Jesus' blood God declares His own righteousness—not ours—so that He remains just when He justifies believers.