²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  

of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God resolved His dilemma about saving mankind while at the same time sustaining the integrity of His own righteousness by offering “faith in Jesus,” who ultimately and finally resolved the sin issue by sacrifice. “Faith” in God’s plan is the answer. God was free to relate to those who put their faith in Christ’s death for their sin because He is able to declare the believing sinner righteous. He can do this because Jesus “paid” it all. He paid the price for sin.

Jesus fulfilled all the requirements for salvation from the Old Testament ceremonies.

Ga 3:7, Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

“Faith in Jesus” means faith in which Jesus is the object. A person who has faith in Jesus is a person who relies on Jesus’ sacrifice as being what satisfies God’s standards. God is just in justifying such a person.

PRINCIPLES:

The cross honors God’s consistency with Himself.

APPLICATION:

It is not enough for God to forgive in order to be just with Himself. There is no antithesis between God’s mercy and His justice. If God would have done nothing but punish sin, that would have been just on His part. In the cross, God’s mercy and justice join together. God saves us by both His mercy and His justice.

If justification made a person subjectively just, there would be no need for the death of Christ for our sins. Subjective justification is a perversion of biblical justification. True justification is where God declares believers are right as He is right.