Predicazioni/Romani/Abbandonare la cultura dell’alibi morale per l’unica giustificazione che conti/English Version
Abandoning the culture of moral alibi for the only justification that matters (Romans 3:19-26)
We live immersed in a culture that absolves itself, that always finds an alibi, an external culprit, a justification for its own unjust behavior. But if every voice is ready to apologize, who still has the courage to call sin sin? And if true justification is not found within us, where can we find it? This reflection, based on the biblical text of Romans 3:19-26, guides us to discover the only justification that not only absolves us, but radically transforms us, restoring us to communion with God and a life that "makes a difference."
Our tendency to justify ourselves
We live in a society where everyone tries to appear righteous, both as individuals and as entire nations in their governments' decisions. When they objectively do what is wrong, committing blatant injustices and causing suffering, they always have "a good reason" to say they were right to act as they did. Even the most serious crimes are sometimes justified, rationalized, and reinterpreted.
We live immersed, in effect, in what we might call the culture of moral alibis. It is the increasingly widespread tendency to find justifications for every choice—even the most selfish, unjust, or destructive. The modern sinner doesn't say, "I have sinned," but, "I had my reasons." The adulterer justifies himself by saying that marriage had become "an emotional prison." Those who commit financial fraud cite "market pressures." Even wars are dressed up with noble intentions: "to liberate," "to protect," "to export values." But it is nothing other than the ancient human sin: refusing to acknowledge one's own wrongdoing before God. Fine words that mask filthy interests.
This spirit often creeps in even among those who attend church. They feel "good" because they are religious, because they help someone, because they are not "like everyone else." But the Word of God allows no gray areas: "All a man's ways are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits" (Proverbs 16:2), it says. We can tell ourselves a thousand stories, but before God, human justifications crumble. He has established, whether we like it or not, a moral law, absolute and holy, and one day everyone will be called to account for it. No one will escape. No excuse will be accepted.
This trend is certainly not new: it is human sin that has been repeated throughout history. While people already find ways to justify themselves in the face of conventions, national or international laws, the real tragedy is that, in attempting to justify themselves, people ignore or defy God's law , as if they could evade it. But God has in fact established an objective and immutable moral law , which will judge everyone, without exception. They may deny its existence (just as even for convenience, people deny the existence of God), but, however suppressed, their conscience bears irrepressible witness to it.
Today we want to hear what God has said in his Word, so that no one may be deceived. Human justification does not lie in itself. God has provided the only valid justification for us, and the meaning of the term "justification" in Christian teaching takes on very different meanings than what is commonly understood.
The biblical text
Let us listen, then, to what the Word of God tells us in this regard:
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held in judgment before God. Because by the works of the law no one will be justified in God's sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, being testified by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 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 set forth as a propitiation by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance of God he had passed over the sins committed beforehand; to demonstrate, I say, his righteousness at the present time, that he himself might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:19-26).
This text is taken from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christians of Rome. In it, the apostle completes his argument on the universality of sin and the failure of any human claim to righteousness. After demonstrating that both pagans and Jews are guilty before God, Paul forcefully affirms that "the whole world" is subject to divine judgment, and that "by works of the law no one will be justified in his sight." This puts an end to any illusion of self-justification. The law is not, initially, the instrument for obtaining righteousness, but the mirror that reveals our injustice.
Precisely in this context of guilt and moral impotence, Paul announces the central turning point of the Christian message: a righteousness that comes not from human beings, but from God himself; a righteousness that is received by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by personal merit. And, in God's purposes, embracing the person and work of Christ is what changes us. This passage is one of the most profound and decisive texts in all of Scripture, because it explains how God, remaining just and holy, can declare righteous those who trust in Him. It is the heart of the Gospel, the divine response to the desperate condition of human beings, and the very foundation of Christian hope.
I. God has established an absolute moral law, and no one can avoid it
Before we even talk about justification, we must recognize that God has established his law . This is a fact of fundamental importance. God has established an absolute moral law, and no one can avoid it, or "swerve," as they say. It is the objective norm of good and evil, not a social convention. It is the eternal measure of justice. Every human being is subject to this law, whether they like it or not. Scripture states: "For God will bring every work into judgment, even every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:16).
The conscience of every human being does not lie about this. Even when we shout at God, even when we rewrite the rules of good and evil, the human conscience remains a silent but implacable judge. No ideology, no propaganda, no rationalization can completely erase the inner voice that says, "This is evil." You can stifle the conscience, but you cannot kill it. And just when you delude yourself into thinking you've silenced it, it speaks again, with accusations the soul cannot ignore.
But human beings, in their proud hearts, set themselves up as their own law. They do not confront divine truth, but seek loopholes, reinterpretations, and extenuating circumstances. "All a man's ways are pure in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the spirits" (Proverbs 16:2), says Scripture.
The Apostle states that the law has a specific purpose: to silence every excuse, every presumption, every boasting . "Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be held in judgment before God" (Romans 3:19).
II. Everyone justifies himself, but no one is just
This is how everyone justifies themselves, but no one is righteous. Every day we hear people who absolve themselves. They say, "I don't harm anyone ," or "God knows I have a good heart ." But Scripture says that the heart is deceitful above all else (Jeremiah 17:9). Even the conscience can lie. "...for their thoughts either accuse or excuse one another" (Romans 2:15).
In the Gospel of Luke, the man who questioned Jesus about the law was looking for a loophole: "But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'" (Luke 10:29). It was a way to limit the commandment, to feel righteous... but still remain in sin. This question does not arise from a genuine desire to obey God's law, but from a subtle defensive strategy. The scribe wants to "justify" himself, that is, to demonstrate his righteousness, avoiding acknowledging his moral limitations. Thus, he seeks to narrow the scope of love owed to neighbor, reducing the divine commandment to a question of definitions. But Jesus, with the parable of the Good Samaritan, unmasks this pretense, showing that those who truly want to be righteous before God do not seek dialectical loopholes, but active compassion. The scribe's question reflects an ever-present dynamic: human beings attempt to justify themselves by changing the meaning of the law rather than acknowledging their failure to fulfill it.
Before God, no one can justify himself. This truth is found in the Psalms: "No one living shall be justified before you" (Psalm 143:2). Here the psalmist, while calling himself a "servant of God," acknowledges that he cannot survive divine judgment if God were to treat him according to His pure justice. It is a radical confession: before God's holiness, no one can claim innocence, not even the most pious. This text anticipates the need for justification that comes from God himself, not from moral pretensions or religious works. It is the voice of one who appeals to divine mercy, knowing that the only justice possible before God is that which He Himself provides by grace. This verse condenses the entire human need for a Redeemer.
III. No one will be justified by the works of the law
The Apostle states that "No one will be justified by the works of the law." What does this mean? Many think that simply "doing good" is enough to be accepted by God. But no work, no effort, no ritual can erase guilt. The law, when initially proclaimed (and we must!), does not justify ; it reveals sin .
The Apostle writes: "Through the law comes the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). God's law was never a means of salvation, but initially served to reveal sin, to "convince of sin," to be a transgressor of the Law, and to lead the sinner to grace. Like a mirror that does not heal but shows us the evidence of illness, so the law sheds light on our true moral condition. Through the law comes the knowledge of sin because it reveals God's justice (what God deems right and demands) and the inadequacy of our lives before Him. However, once the sinner has been led to Christ by faith, the moral law itself, freed from any salvific pretense, becomes a guide and norm of life for the redeemed believer. It is no longer feared as a condemnation, but loved as an expression of the will of God the Father. Therefore, for the Christian too, the law retains its authority: not to justify, but to form us in holiness of life.
What, then, is the way to human redemption from sin? In Galatians 2:16 the Apostle writes: “... knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law no man will be justified .” Even the Apostle Paul, who was an irreproachable Pharisee, had to renounce his personal “righteousness”: “...not with my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.” (Philippians 3:9).
IV. Justification is a free gift of God in Christ
Of course, the good news is that God, in his mercy, provided what we could not obtain. In Christ, God manifested his justice not by canceling the condemnation , but by taking it upon himself .
Paul says, "They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). Christ was given as a propitiation —a sacrifice that appeases God's wrath and satisfies his justice. Thus, God remains just , but can justify the sinner . To many, this is a thought that seems absurd, even scandalous. That God himself, in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, took upon himself the condemnation that awaited the guilty, is something that goes against the human logic of justice. Yet this is precisely the heart of Christian revelation: a justice that does not evade judgment, but satisfies it in a surprising and mysterious way, through love and sacrifice. It is a mystery that may initially seem meaningless, and which only faith makes intelligible. The Apostle says: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).
And then he continues: "...that God may be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). This justification is not a formal act, nor an empty declaration. It is not a simple "pass to heaven," as if God turned a blind eye to sin. On the contrary, it is the beginning of a profound transformation: those who are justified by faith also receive a renewed heart, a new interior disposition, a sincere love for God, and a growing desire to walk in His ways. God's justice not only absolves, but transforms. The faith that justifies is inseparable from the faith that regenerates, because it is vitally united to Christ. Being justified does not simply mean being "accepted as we are" and then remaining that way. On the contrary, justification opens the door to a new life, because those who believe are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit, who is the inseparable gift of justification by faith, begins a work of interior renewal that bears visible fruit: the justified sinner no longer continues to live as before, because the grace that has forgiven him is also the grace that teaches him to renounce ungodliness and to live a sober, just, and holy life (Titus 2:11-12). It is therefore not a "fictitious righteousness," but a righteousness that acts, because it is founded on the real work of Christ and brought to life by the Spirit in the believer's heart. The faith that saves is a living faith, and the justified are never left as they were, but are gradually conformed to the image of the Son of God.
And whoever believes in Christ has peace with God : "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "Peace with God" is the re-establishment of communion with Him. This is the key to our being able to "make a difference" in this world. "Peace with God" is not simply a subjective feeling of serenity, but an objective fact: the end of the enmity between the sinner and his Creator, thanks to the reconciling work of Christ. From this new communion, a new identity is born: we are no longer enemies, but children, called to reflect the light of the Gospel in the world. Precisely because we have been reconciled with God, we can become instruments of reconciliation and truth for others as well: it is from this peace received that our ability to make a difference in a world marked by division, conflict, and despair arises.
Conclusion
Initially, we observed that we live in an age dominated by a culture of moral excuses, where everyone tends to justify themselves, to construct an immaculate identity by shifting responsibility for evil elsewhere. But God is not fooled by these illusions—neither individually nor among nations: His judgment is just, penetrating, universal—and "does not look anyone in the face." As we have seen, no one can be justified before Him by presumed conformity to the law, because all must first renounce self-justification and remain silent, recognizing that they are far from the justice that should characterize us. They are thus called to change their ways and listen attentively to the Gospel.
The message we receive from the Apostle Paul remains essential today. Today we have recognized, first, the universality of sin and divine judgment: no one can escape God's tribunal, nor appeal to their own conscience or religiosity to escape absolution. Second, we have seen the futility of human alibis, which seek to justify themselves without ever addressing the heart of the problem: our real guilt before the Holy One. Third, we have contemplated the law's effectiveness in revealing sin, but also its inability to save us: the law accuses us, but cannot heal us. Finally, in the fourth point, we have heard the proclamation of the Gospel: God justifies the sinner not by canceling the condemnation, but by placing it on Christ, thus revealing both his justice and his love.
This justification is not an abstract formula or a legal settlement, but a reality that transforms life: it frees us from fear, gives us a new identity, and introduces us into communion with God. And from this renewed communion is born a new way of living, loving, serving, and forgiving. Only those who are justified by God can truly live justly before others. This is the justice that the world cannot give or understand—but which it desperately needs. This is absolutely not a secondary issue. It is the very foundation of our salvation—in the broadest sense of the word. If we try to justify ourselves, we will be judged mercilessly. But if we acknowledge our guilt and trust in Christ, we will be justified. Truly.
As the Lord God says in Psalm 46: “Be still… and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth” (v. 10). How? Precisely in this state of perdition, in God who has opened a way of salvation for us: justification by grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Concluding Prayer
Let us pray. Lord, you have established your law, and I have transgressed it. I have sought excuses, I have hidden my guilt, but now I declare my surrender. Forgive me, not for what I have done, but for what Christ has done for me. I renounce all my justifications, O God, and I accept Your grace in Christ Jesus. And renew me, so that I may live as one justified, and no longer as a hateful and arrogant rebel against You and Your good and holy Law. Amen.
Paolo Castellina, July 17, 2025