A jeweler puts a diamond on a black velvet background in order to highlight the stunning beauty of the diamond shining all the more brightly against the dark background. The gospel is the same way—it shines at its brightest when seen against the backdrop of the condemnation of sin and death that we deserve. Knowing our desperate condition—that we are under God’s wrath and hopeless without a Rescuer— makes God’s saving grace in the death of Jesus the sweetest news ever.
This week in Romans 3:21-31, we encountered the heart of the gospel. Because Jesus died in our place, those who trust in him are counted as righteous. And God, the Just and the Justifier, is satisfied. He can pardon us completely, so that when he looks at us, he sees the beautiful robe of righteousness that Jesus purchased for us (Isaiah 61:10).
