Romans 3:28 – Paul’s Teaching on Justification by Faith for The Forgiveness of Sins
Paul’s Statement in Romans 3:28
Paul suggests in Romans 3:28 For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Here he is referring to both the Jewish ritual and ceremonial law including the moral law which does not initially justify as shown in Romans 3:20-22. In Romans 3:1 he mentions circumcision. What then is the advantage of the Jews, or what is the benefit of circumcision.
Paul emphasizes the forgiveness of sins as the starting point of justification. He teaches that man cannot erase his past sins or be declared righteous before God by obedience to the moral and Mosaic Law (especially its ceremonial practices such as circumcision or rituals). This forgiveness can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, for only His atoning sacrifice fully satisfies God’s justice (Romans 3:25).
This faith is not a intellectual belief; it requires sirious repentance, a total abandonment of sins once for all, and an acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. This forgiveness, granted by grace, opens the way to an inner transformation through victorious sanctification that leads to a life in conformity to God’s moral Law.
Clarification on “without the works of the law”
Paul does not reject obedience to the moral law, but he rejects the idea that works of the law, especially those related to ritual practices, can justify one. Justification by faith abolishes confidence in one’s own efforts to blot out sin, but it does not eliminate the call to a holy and obedient life (Romans 6:1-2).
Romans 3:28 emphasizes that forgiveness of sins and initial justification are available only through faith in Christ. This verse does not deny the importance of obedience, but establishes that genuine faith is initially required for the remission of sins, accompanied by sincere and honest repentance which produces a desire for righteousness and holiness in the believer’s life.
The Greek word for salvation is σωτηρία (sōtēria), and it is derived from σῴζω (sōzō), meaning to save, to rescue, to deliver. In the New Testament, especially in Paul’s writings, sōtēria does refer to the forgiveness of sins; it signifies a complete deliverance from the bondage and power of sin, a release from slavery, leading to a sanctified life. Romans 6:18.
Justification by Faith as the Beginning of Deliverance
In Romans 2, 3, and 4, Paul speaks of justification by faith, but this justification is not the achieved salvation it is the beginning of a process in which a believer is freed from the power and slavery of sin, now his responsibility is to maintain that state. Paul is clear in Romans 6:18 (KJV): “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”
This proves that salvation is the starting point of a newness of life, being delivered from the bondage and slavery of sin in order to serve God in entire holiness.
In Romans 6:22 Paul is clear, complete holiness preecedes eternel life.
Paul also speaks explicitly about the forgiveness of sins as an first essential part of salvation. In Ephesians 2:8 (KJV), he writes: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
This grace is not just a pardon for past sins but a divine empowerment that restores the believer to a normal state, enabling him to walk in entire holiness and ultimately achieve his final salvation in the fear of God.
Restoration Through Grace (Ephesians 2:3-4)
The restoration in Ephesians 2:3-4 shows that God restored us, bringing us back from the death of sins.
The phrase “made us alive with Christ” means that we were spiritually resurrected, no longer dead in sin but restored to a new life. In this sense, we are saved by grace, as it is God’s power that revives us and enables us to walk in righteousness.
We come back with a new start, renewed to serve God in holiness, walking in obedience and sanctification in order to achieve the course set before us.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
This is why it says, “By grace you have been saved through faith” saved from the death of condemnation caused by sins. We were once under the judgment of sin, spiritually dead and unable to free ourselves, but God, in His mercy, delivered us, making us alive in Christ. It is a complete deliverance from the power of sin, restoring us to a life of righteousness, where we are called to persevere in holiness until we finish the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
Paul reinforces this in Philippians 2:12 (KJV): “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
This statement shows that final salvation requires a victorious growth of sanctification, where the believer, having been freed from sin, must continue growing in holiness without sin which precedes eternal life, for as Paul declares in Romans 6:22 (KJV):
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
This clearly establishes that eternal life is the outcome of a life of ripe fruits of holiness first of all, demonstrating that final salvation require holiness to be saved. It is not simply about escaping condemnation but about being transformed into a new creation that walks in victorious righteousness.
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Harmony Between Romans 2 and Romans 3
Between Romans 2, where he speaks of justification by the moral Law at the time of the final judgment, and Romans 3 where he deals with initial justification by faith, Paul does not contradict himself. He wants to demonstrate that Jews and Greeks are all under the influence of sin, Romans 3:9 “For we have already proved that both Jews and Greeks are all under the power of sin” and that ritual and ceremonial practices cannot justify anyone before God.
This is why, in this context, he emphasizes the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in order to resonate with Jewish readers in particular but also Greeks, who were either deeply attached to ceremonial rites and practices (Romans 4:1 and 4:9).