100 AN OUTLINED COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

3) So a recent, highly authoritative Roman Catholic commentary

declares concerning Romans 3:24: “As always within the symbolic
universe presupposed by Paul . . . , the justification in question is
God’s verdict of acquittal to be pronounced [sic] at the judgment.
Moreover, the contrast with the preceding statement about sin (v.
23) suggests that ‘being justified’ (dikaioÚmenoi, dikaioumenoi)
contains a significant ethical element: believers are being ‘made
righteous,’ not simply ‘declared righteous’ and this is being
achieved, not by a legal fiction - which would in effect be immoral
(cf. Isa. 5:23; Prov. 17:15; Exod. 23:7) - but through a distinctive
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act of God’s grace effective in the redemptive work of Christ.”

4) Concerning the charge of “legal fiction,” commonly made by

Roman Catholicism, Moo responds, “As Paul uses it in these
contexts, the verb ‘justify’ means not ‘to make righteous’ (in an
ethical sense) nor simply ‘to treat as righteous’ (though is really not
righteous), but ‘to declare righteous.’ No ‘legal fiction,’ but a legal
reality of the utmost significance, ‘to be justified’ means to be
acquitted by God from all ‘charges’ that could be brought against
a person because of his or her sins. This judicial verdict, for which
one had to wait until the last judgment according to Jewish
theology [and Roman Catholic theology in a perfect sense], is
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according to Paul rendered the moment a person believes.” . Also
note that he who God justifies is at the same time regenerated (Tit.
3:5-7), and such life from the Spirit produces holiness in the
acquitted.

c. His grace.

Here we move from the righteous character of the gospel into the realm of God’s
motivation and attitude toward the sinners He deems to justify. Why does God
freely pardon and declare to be righteous? Why does He stoop from heavens holy
glory and condescend to save thoroughly polluted individuals from their earthly
pigsty? The answer is the “grace” of God, which is that distinctive characteristic
of His goodness and love whereby he determines to rescue sinners.

(1) Grace adored.

For this reason, and especially for man who, in the depths of his heart finds
himself despairingly engulfed in this pigsty, this term “grace” becomes the
sweetest expression he has ever heard when it is personally applied. Lloyd-
Jones rightly enquires: “What is your reaction to this word? In many ways
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this is what it means to be a Christian.” It is no wonder then that Christian
hymn writers have reached their sublimest heights when attempting to

24
Brendan Byrne, S.J., Romans, Sacra Pagina Series, 6, pp. 125-6.
25
Moo, Romans, pp. 227-8 . In addition, refer to Murray, Romans, I, pp. 359-362, also the works of
Buchanan, Bunyan, Edwards, Owen, Turrettin.
26
Lloyd-Jones, Romans, 3:20-4:25, p. 58.