²⁵ God ·sent [or appointed; or presented] him ·to die in our place to take away our sins [as a sacrifice of atonement; or as the mercy seat; ^Tas a propitiation; ^Cthe Greek term could mean the place where sacrificial blood was dripped (the mercy seat) or the sacrifice itself; it implies an atoning sacrifice that turns away divine wrath]. We receive forgiveness through faith in ·the blood of Jesus’ death [^Lhis blood]. This showed ·that God always does what is right and fair [^Lhis righteousness], as in the past when he was patient and ·did not punish people for their sins [^Lpassed over/delayed punishment for previously committed sins]. ²⁶ And God gave Jesus to show ·today [or at this present time (of salvation)] ·that he does what is right [^Lhis righteousness/justice]. God did this so he could ·judge rightly [or be shown to be just/righteous] and so he could ·make right [declare righteous; justify] any person ·who has faith in Jesus [or on the basis of Jesus’ faithfulness; see v. 22]. [^CChrist’s sacrificial death shows that God is both just (sin is justly punished) and merciful (God saves undeserving sinners).]

²⁷ ·So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! [^LWhere, then, is boasting? It is excluded.] ·And why not [^LBy what law/principle]? It is the ·way [law; principle] of faith that stops all ·bragging [boasting], not the ·way [law; principle] of ·trying to obey the law [^Lworks].