Four Ways Christ’s Death Satisfied the Father and Secured Our Salvation

The following message is from a sermon by Pastor Francisco Rosario, based on Romans 3:24-31, edited for article format.

“..they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

-Romans 3:24-31 (CSB)

In recent years, spending time with unbelievers outside the usual church environment reveals how many people struggle to find purpose. People often take refuge in work or illegitimate pleasures, yet find that nothing truly makes sense. This reality brings a deep gratitude for the salvation God provides and a recognition of human unworthiness for such a great privilege. God’s infinite grace fills the heart with joy and calls for a reflection on the very center of Christianity: the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

As weak individuals prone to fear, shortcomings, and inabilities, believers find great comfort in God’s grace. As the Scriptures declare, blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account (Romans 4:7-8). The Psalmist echoes this profound truth: “Lord, if You kept a record of iniquities, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).

It is easy to get swept away by the details of daily life, making it beneficial to step back and return to the simplicity of a relationship with Jesus Christ, provided through His death and resurrection. Many churches are filled with people who do not truly understand this saving message. It is highly probable that people attend congregations for years without ever entering a personal relationship with Christ until they hear a clear presentation of the Gospel. The Gospel must be taught simply so that no one misses the good news at the heart of the Christian faith.

The Many Perspectives of the Cross

When we turn to Romans chapter 3, we are reminded that the death of Jesus Christ can be viewed from several different perspectives.

The Human Perspective: We often see the cross as the act where Christ provided our salvation, delivering us from sin, death, hell, and the power of the flesh. Through it, He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, brought us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son, and granted us eternal life. He delivered us from the wrath to come and turned enemies into friends of God.

The Angelic Perspective: Holy angels examine the atoning work of Christ, seeking to comprehend deep mysteries they cannot fully experience, as they do not need redemption. They marvel at the majesty, glory, and goodness of God’s mind as He provides for unworthy sinners.

The Demonic Perspective: Satan and his demons see the cross as the moment the Son bruised the serpent’s head. The one who held the power of death was destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ, who now holds that power. While demons thought it was their moment of victory, Jesus openly triumphed over principalities and powers.

Christ’s Perspective: We can see the cross through the agonizing rejection where He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”. It was also His moment of glory, the fulfillment of His promise to die, and the greatest demonstration of love, as He laid down His life for others.

God’s Perspective: Romans 3:24-31

But what did the cross mean to God the Father?. How did it glorify Him?. Romans 3:24-31 outlines four specific things that the atoning death of Christ accomplished from God’s perspective.

1. The Cross Declares the Justice of God 

Christ died to manifest or declare God’s justice. Mankind has always struggled with how a sinful man can be right with a just God. This very question has produced all forms of religion as an attempt to appease a deity and resolve the heart’s cry. Men fear that God’s wisdom is too deep and His power too vast to dispute. He shakes the earth, seals the starlight, and does unsearchable wonders. Even an innocent man would find his own mouth condemning him before such a holy Judge.

If God simply forgave man without a penalty, it would compromise His justice and holiness. However, God’s nature and attributes are completely immutable. Because no human can do anything to satisfy God’s righteous demands or achieve perfection, the initiative for salvation had to come from God. God offers justification as a free gift by His grace. A gift cannot be earned, or else it would be a wage.

He provided this through the “redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. Redemption means paying a ransom price to buy someone back from slavery and set them free. God’s holiness and justice could never be set aside, so the required price for sin—death—was paid by His own Son. Christ was publicly displayed as a propitiation, which in Greek (hilastērion) means a “satisfaction”. God passed over past sins because He knew this ultimate price would satisfy His justice.

2. The Cross Exalts the Grace of God 

In salvation, human boasting is entirely excluded. Salvation operates on the “law of faith,” which refers to a working principle rather than a set of commandments. Only the principle of faith glorifies God because it removes all credit from human hands. We do nothing but receive the gift of grace. Because faith is so heavily emphasized, it is vital to examine if our faith is genuine.

Consider what does not prove saving faith:

Visible morality: Being a good, honest, or religious person does not equal regeneration.

Intellectual knowledge: Knowing biblical facts is necessary, but one can know the truth and still reject Christ.

Religious involvement: Having a form of godliness without power is empty religion.

Active ministry: Figures like Balaam, Judas, and those mentioned in Matthew 7 even had ministries, but did not know the Lord.

True saving faith is marked by a supreme love for God and repentance from sin. The unregenerate mind is at enmity with God, but a renewed soul loves Him fundamentally. Consequently, true love for God demands a hatred for the sin that offends Him and killed His Son.

3. The Cross Reveals the Consistency of God 

God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles. Because God is one, He justifies everyone through the exact same method: by faith. From Noah to Moses to Abraham, salvation has always been by grace through faith, independent of works.

4. The Cross Confirms the Law of God 

Faith does not invalidate law; it confirms it. Placing Jesus on the cross to pay the penalty for sin demonstrates how seriously God takes His standard of righteousness. Because God could not violate His law or waive its penalty, He allowed Christ to die, proving the law is holy, just, and good.

A natural objection arises: If we are saved by faith apart from works, doesn’t this make the Old Testament Law useless? Doesn’t grace encourage lawlessness?

Paul’s response is an emphatic “Absolutely not!” (mē genoito – May it never be!). The gospel of justification by faith actually upholds and establishes the Law in three distinct ways:

It fulfills the Law’s penalty: The Law demanded death for sin (Ezekiel 18:20). The gospel does not ignore this; it affirms it by pointing to Christ, who endured the Law’s ultimate death penalty (“ministry of death” 2 Cor. 3:7) on our behalf.

It fulfills the Law’s prophetic purpose: The Law and the Prophets were always and ultimately pointing forward to Jesus (Romans 3:21). To believe in Christ, to seek salvation from God apart from yourself is to do exactly what the Old Testament Law intended for you to do.

It fulfills the Law’s ultimate goal: Once justified by faith, the believer is given the Holy Spirit, enabling them to begin walking in righteousness from a heart of love, rather than a heart of fear (Romans 8:4).

Conclusion

When we look at the cross, we see God’s justice, grace, consistency, and law, all working together for His glory. The Reformers summarized this beautifully: Sola gratia, sola fide, soli Deo gloria—by grace alone, through faith alone, to the glory of God alone.

Viewing the cross as God sees it opens an avenue of true worship, allowing believers to express deep affection for what God has accomplished. For those who do not know Christ, salvation can be found today by believing that Jesus, God in the flesh, died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, resurrected, and provided perfect satisfaction. By turning from sin and following Him, anyone can receive the gift of eternal life.

-Francisco Rosario, BCMS Dominican Republic

Credits:

Content adapted from Pastor Francisco Rosario’s sermon, with insights drawn from D.A. Carson, Sinclair Ferguson, R.C. Sproul, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, William Hendriksen, and Pastor Juan José Pérez of Grace Baptist Church in Santiago, Dominican Republic. 

Soli Deo Gloria