believeth in Jesus. just, and the justifier of him
that believeth in Jesus.

From these words we learn: (1.) That God has publicly set forth
Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice. The following paraphrase
gives the probable connection of the words of the first clause:
Whom God, by means of his blood, hath set forth as a
propitiation through faith. But if we take the connection as
given in our version, the propitiation is still through Christ's
blood, and is thus a propitiatory or expiatory sacrifice. (2.)
That the appropriation to individual sinners of this
propitiation is conditioned on personal faith. Christ's
propitiatory sacrifice does not, in and of itself, justify any
man; but it provides a _ground_ whereby all may be justified, if
they will believe in Jesus. (3.) That through Christ's
propitiatory sacrifice God makes a public manifestation of his
righteousness in showing mercy to sinners. The phrase, "the
righteousness of God," may mean, in the usage of Paul, the
righteousness--justification--which _he gives_ through faith.
But in connection with the words that follow, "that he might be
just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus," it can
only mean righteousness as an attribute of God, his public
justice, namely, as the lawgiver and governor of the world. (4.)
That Christ's propitiatory sacrifice was necessary in order that
God might show mercy to sinners consistently with the demands of
his justice. For when the apostle says "that God might be just,
and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus," the words
necessarily imply that, without this sacrifice, he could not
have been just in justifying sinners. Christ's propitiation was
not needed to make God more merciful _in his nature_; for in
this respect he is unchangeably "the same yesterday, to-day, and
for ever." But it _opens a way_ by which he may show mercy
consistently with his justice and the sanctity of his law. When
we raise inquiries concerning the interior nature of the
atonement, we meet with deep mysteries, some of which are,
perhaps, above the comprehension of finite human understanding.
But we can comprehend, and believe upon God's testimony, the
great central fact of the gospel, that Christ offered himself to
the Father to bear in human nature the curse o