²⁵ … This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Challenge to God’s integrity is found in this human logic: “If God justifies sinners who are unjust, then in what sense is He then just?” In the modern and frequent cry, “Is there no justice?” How can God be just if He lets sinners off scot-free? Although Paul doesn’t ask that question rhetorically, he does seem to anticipate and answer it. And he asserts that Christ’s death on the cross does in fact “demonstrate His righteousness” and that supremely. It in no way diminishes His character in the least.

Historically speaking, despite His anger, God was patient with the sin of humanity prior to Christ’s coming to provide propitiation. He “passed over” them. If anything, one should question His righteousness in that, but alas, humans never complain about God’s being unfair when we benefit from the upside of that unfairness.

The NASB, with an unfortunate placement of a semi-colon at the end of verse 25, renders verse 26 as an incomplete sentence (see other translations that clarify this). The point is that God’s overlooking sin in the past set up Paul’s

demonstration of this great truth about God’s righteousness. Succinctly put, Jesus’ propitious death (and our redemption) prove that “God would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” The very act of justifying sinners is what shows God is just. Justice is shown in that God’s anger was poured out on the One who bears the sin—and Jesus bore our sin for us. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).

This is not a superficial thing, as though God winked His eye. Jesus took on the sins of you and me, and Hitler, Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, ISIS—the sin of everyone, and God’s wrath was cast on Him, and He died the death that belonged to each one of us. If we feel that was not just, then we grossly under-estimate God’s anger at us, at me, at you. We all deserved that kind of eternal wrath, not just those who in our opinion are the worst of the worst. We all have sinned and come short of God’s glory.

But not all are justified before God. Only those who have “faith in Jesus,” the Man who was God, who died in the flesh on the cross to satisfy God’s righteous anger—these are the ones He justifies.

Lord, I know I have been justified, because Jesus took Your righteous anger for me.