Justified Freely and By Works

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, THROUGH FAITH in Jesus Christ, to all and on all WHO BELIEVE. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being JUSTIFIED FREELY by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God sent forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26)

Propitiation (v.25) is noted (NKJV) as mercy seat. "In His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed"; that includes each of ours. A place of mercy for each one, "to all and on all who believe", the beginning of the demonstration of His righteousness on each life.

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? THUS ALSO faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY MY WORKS. You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe---and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father JUSTIFIED BY WORKS when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, AND BY WORKS FAITH WAS MADE PERFECT? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY.' (James 2:14-24)

So the believer is justified freely by God's mercy through the blood of Christ. The only work in that is asking God to birth you again, beginning again in the name of Jesus. But once you have been justified freely, you begin to learn how to be justified by the works of faith in Christ. The righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, which the world NEEDS to see must be witnessed to them by us. Not by the works of the Law, nor by our own way, but by the working of faith in His name.

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith." (Romans 3:27) We have no boast in this, but joy in Him!