3:24 justified. In Scripture, justification is the opposite of condemnation (e.g., Prov. 17:15). It is the declaration of the believing sinner to be just, and it comes about by virtue of the imputed righteousness of Christ, the “gift of righteousness,” as 5:17 terms it. Christ’s righteousness is now legally considered to be the possession of the sinner. Justification is final and irreversible (8:1, 33, 34). It is grounded in Christ’s lifelong obedience, in which He fulfilled the precepts of God’s law for us, and in His death on the cross, bore the penalty of God’s judgment against us. Believers now share the same righteous status as the risen Christ Himself, with whom they are united now and forever (2 Cor. 5:21).

by his grace as a gift. Paul’s repetition of the same idea in different words emphasizes the divine initiative and mercy in freely granting our salvation.

redemption. Freedom gained through the payment of a price; here specifically, release from the former condition of bondage in sin. This is accomplished through Christ’s death, the ransom price for our salvation (Mark 10:45; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 9:15).