The Righteousness of God

The ending plays out in an unexpected manner, but in the last couple minutes the film quickly shows a behind the curtain view of what actually happened. I remember my 15-ish year old self being shocked by the “ending” and then being amazed as the curtain was pulled back to revealed how all of it was accomplished.

After all we have covered in Romans 1-3, we would be crazy not to wonder how this reality of mankind’s position before a Holy God can be made right.

Romans 1

Paul, a servant of Christ, is under obligation to preach the gospel to the nations, especially in Rome. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. In the gospel, God’s righteousness is revealed.

All of humanity stands opposed to God and the truth of His existence. He has clearly revealed himself so no one is without excuse. We give up the truth for a lie, and we pursue the desires and pleasures of the flesh in our nature.

Romans 2

Jews and Greeks alike stand condemned before God in their sin. God judges all impartially. Even those without the law become a law unto themselves as they live in accordance with the law written on their hearts.

The hypocrisy of the Jews and their misunderstanding of the Law’s purpose cause the name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. Paul says that true circumcision is a matter of the heart and not the flesh.

Romans 3

The Jews were privileged in their possession of the oracles of God! Mankind’s unfaithfulness to the commandments of God does not call into question the faithfulness of God (Matthew 5.48). By no means! God must judge sin justly according to His character.

No one is good. Our understanding of goodness falls infinitely short of God’s standard of goodness in Himself. The whole world will be held accountable to the one true God. We stand before His perfect standard condemned, and our good works cannot justify us before Him.

Where is the plot twist???? How does the author of this bleak story, which includes all of us, redeem the narrative to a great, glorious conclusion?

Today we are walking through one of the most core doctrines of the Christian faith: The Doctrine of Justification

Today, I hope to help us use this section of Romans 3 and other supporting sections of scripture to answer the following question: Based on what we have seen in Romans 1-3 already, how can a just God judge sin and justify the sinner at the same time?

Throughout history, those in the church have answered this question in many different ways.

During the time of the Reformation (16th century), hundreds of people died defending how this question is answered via the scriptures. This is not a “You say tomato, I say tomahto” situation. This is not merely a discussion of semantics!

As we examine this section of Romans 3 together, I pray the Lord will pull back the curtain for us and show what happened at the cross.

I pray our understanding of God, Christ, faith, grace and redemption will be shaped and molded into how God desires for us to understand these things.

Romans 3:21–22 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

1. We receive God’s righteousness through Christ (v.21-22)

“But now...”

What a glorious opening to this section! After all that we have covered, Paul opens in v.21 with an unexpected shift. In our sin we are only deserving of God’s judgment which he extends to all impartially, BUT..... Paul inserts one of the biggest “Buts” in all the Scriptures.

God has made a Way! Feel the weight of this, church family. Mankind has spit in the face of God throughout all of history. We have turned aside to our own sinful passions and we joined with Satan in Genesis 3 in saying “Did God really say…?”.

Even if we believe in God, we naturally defend ourselves as not deserving of the judgment of God based on some measure of goodness in ourselves.

Even so, God has made a way for sinners to be justified before Him.

Paul says in Romans 3:21 “21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law...” meaning that God has revealed something that was previously not seen clearly.

God’s righteousness has been revealed and it is apart from the Law. This sounds very similar to a verse we walked through previously in Romans 1.

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

So…. in the gospel the Righteousness of God is revealed. This seems to communicate the gospel is in many ways God focused instead of man focused.

What does this mean?

Isn’t the gospel just Jesus loves us and He died for our sins?

JUSTIFICATION

What Paul is truly arguing here is one of the most crucial doctrines of the Christian faith - The Doctrine of Justification

As I mentioned a little earlier, this doctrine deals with the following question: How can a just God judge sin and justify the sinner at the same time? The gospel of God which Paul was set apart to proclaim answers this question for us.

What do we know about God’s View of Justice?

Proverbs 17:15 ESV

15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

God must judge according to His character, so He cannot just let us off the hook. What happens in our salvation is not merely a pardon of sin. NO! That would not be just.

Our God judges all impartially. He does not choose ultimately to look over the sins of his people, but then justly judge the sin of unbelievers.

So then… what does this revelation of God’s righteousness mean?

God’s Righteousness is the method of bringing mankind back into right relationship with God, and it is not a righteousness of our own.

Contrary to the Jewish viewpoint, the righteousness that God requires for justification before Him would not come through observance of the Law. Paul just concluded the previous section of Romans 2 and 3.

JEWS

Romans 2:23–24 “23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.””

Romans 2:28–29 “28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

Romans 3:20 “20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

Along with the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 and with the entire letter to the Galatians, we all agree the Jews could present themselves before God in right standing because of their works.

GENTILES

Romans 2:12 “12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

Romans 2:15–16 “15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

Neither could the Gentiles be in right standing before a Holy God in working in accordance with the Law engraved on their hearts.

If the basis of our right standing before God is righteousness, what hope do we have?

This message of hope was not new, but the The Law and the Prophets (aka the OT) had spoken about it for generations. The hope of salvation and eternity with God is not a reality of the NT only. God has not changed the manner in which He justifies sinners.

The Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:25–27 ESV

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

ALL of the scripture, the Law and the Prophets have always pointed hopeless sinners to Christ!

Justification is the gracious act of God by which He declares a sinner righteous solely through faith in Jesus.

The righteousness we need is a righteousness outside of ourselves, and it has been given to us by the great love with which He loves us in the person of Jesus Christ. This is the true Gospel!

The righteousness of God is revealed, manifested, made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

Through faith in Christ and his work at the cross, we receive the Righteousness of God instead of the condemnation due our sin.

The Righteousness of God himself is given to all who believe and their sin was placed on Christ, the Son of God, at the cross (2 Cor 5.21) where He became a curse for us (Gal 3.13) and sin was judged justly.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God’s requirement for right standing justified before Him has always been perfection (Lev 19.2, Matt 5.48). This is what we receive in Christ, the holy righteousness of God. We are not perfect, but praise God our Savior is.

A Righteousness Not from Us

Philippians 3:8–9 ESV

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

APPLICATION:

What is your hope in life and death?

Is your hope in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the God Man, who lived perfectly, died sacrificially, and rose from the grave gloriously?

Are you trying to earn your justification before the Lord?

2 Corinthians 5:17–20 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Be reconciled to God today through Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

Paul states that such a righteousness comes only by God, to sinners, through faith in Jesus for all who believe.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

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Romans 3:23–26 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

2. We are Justified by His grace alone (v.23-26)

Paul finishes out v.22 and uses all of v.23 to double down on his previously stated position that there is no line of distinction drawn by God when judging Jews or Gentiles.

We have all fallen miserably, infinitely short of God’s standard in our sin. The gReek term used here is in the present tense, meaning this is not a one time mishap. The language used is translated “keep on falling short”.

Our understanding of how God justifies sinners is expanded here in v.24 where Paul reveals that we are justified by God’s grace as a gift.

The Grace of God

This is what separates Christianity from every other religion in this world! The God that must judge justly according to His character does not sit idly by waiting to be appeased with a perfect gift. He does not snub his nose at the prize of His creation waiting for men, women, and children to earn their way back into His favor.

NO! He extends his own righteousness to them gratuitously!

GRACE: this Greek term communicates the idea of good will, favor. Conveys the sense of a gift of kindness and favor given to a person or persons (Lexham Theological Wordbook)

“justified by His grace as a gift” (v.24)

Never lose sight that this is something being given to us! God’s grace is received by the sinner, not earned or obtained in some way.

If it could be earned or obtained in some way, it would not longer be a gift of grace.

Please notice the HEAVY WORK of God in these verse describing what happens in our justification.

Titus 3:3–7 ESV

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

By His goodness and kindness, He saved us! Again, this was not a righteousness in us, but a work of mercy and regeneration through Christ alone. In being justified by Hid grace, we are heirs with Christ.

By Grace Through Faith

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

By grace….the gift of God.

Death in sin to life in Christ

The Jerusalem Council

Acts 15:11 ESV

11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Both Jew and Gentile saved in the same way

By His grace alone, we receive the righteousness of God needed to be justified before Him.

As a whole, mankind struggles with this idea of grace when it comes to salvation. We think “it cannot be that simple. surely I must provide something.”

Example: An Invitation to dinner

After accepting an invitation to dinner, we naturally ask “What can we bring?”

The homeowner responds with “nothing”.

This bothers most of us! Surely we cannot just receive their kindness without also bringing something to the table.

APPLICATION:

Justification is the gracious act of God where we receive the righteousness of God.

What else would we add to this? It cannot be improved upon.

Sinner and Saint, I urge you to believe in the God of the Bible that in His love graciously provided a way of being right before Him once again. It is based on nothin in you, and solely by His grace.

By His Grace, We Have Redemption

By His grace, we have redemption in Christ Jesus, but what does this really mean?

REDEMPTION: The act of freeing or the state of being freed from bondage, such as that of a prisoner or slave, by payment of a ransom (Lexham Theological Wordbook).

In the NT, this refers specifically to the act of redemption or the state of being redeemed.

In Christ alone, our redemption is both now through the forgiveness of our sin (Eph1.7, Col 1.14) and our redemption is eternal as we are sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption when Christ returns. (Rom 8.23, Eph1.14, Eph 4.30)

By His Grace, He is Our Propitiation (v.25, 1 John 2.2, 1 John 4.10)

By His grace, God put forth Christ as a propitiation by his blood for His people.

This idea has extensive OT significance and connection to the sacrificial laws given to the Israelites. The term here literally means “Mercy Seat”. But in short this term means that God put forward Christ as a means of the removal of sin from us AND as the place of atonement for us.

This wonderful word details Christ as our substitute sacrifice who bore our sin at the cross and endured the wages of our sin that we deserve, DEATH.

David Platt, SC10

“At the cross, God expresses his judgment on sin, At the same time, God endures His judgment against sin.”

In the OT, the Mercy Seat cover on the ark of the Lord was where the priests would once a year on Yom Kippur sprinkle the blood of the spotless goat as a sin offering for the people of Israel.

In the NT, the person of Christ is the spotless, perfect, once for all offering for the sin of all those who will repent and believe in Him alone for their salvation.

To Show God’s Righteousness

Paul throws us quite a twist in v.25-26 saying that God by His grace justifies sinners that fall short of God’s perfect standard to show the righteousness of God.

Again he says in v.26 that this was to show the his righteousness at the present time. What does this mean? How does this effect our understanding of God’s work through Christ at the cross?

Wasn’t God’s work at the cross to save us from our sin?

Yes of course. What was accomplished at the cross was the ultimate display of God’s love.

1 John 4:7–10 “7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Jn3.16, God showed His love for the world in this way.

Rom5.8, God’s love displayed through providing a substitute

Primarily, the cross and our justification is a display of the character of God.

Paul shows us here that this gracious work of God through Christ was to show His righteousness in solving the universal problem of humanity.

In His “divine forbearance” (v.25) He had passed over former sins. Though He would have been just to do so in all people, God in His steadfast love and patience has allowed sin to remain unpunished.

This Greek term simply means God is slow to anger. He has refrained from judging sin in His patience with His creation.

The Lord’s Patience with David

2 Samuel 12:13 ESV

13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Murder, Adultery, and Pride simply passed over. David deserved death under the Law!

Is God then unjust? Certainly Not.

Repentance Focused Patience

Romans 2:4 ESV

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

According to Paul, what God accomplished at the cross was ultimately for God’s sake. We often have a man centered view of the cross, but Paul is calling us to have a God centered view of the cross.

At the cross, God is exalted as both just in judging sin and the justifier of sinners through faith in Jesus (v.26).

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Romans 3:27–31 ESV

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

3. We are Justified through faith alone (v.27-31)

The theme of “Faith” is scattered all throughout this passage in Romans 3, and Paul will continue expanding on this theme throughout this epistle.

We have seen that we receive God’s righteousness through Christ, which is the method by which He remains just in His judgment of sin and establishes Himself alone as the justifier of sinners.

We have seen that our justification before a holy God is by His grace alone. His GRACE is a free gift, and by His grace we receive redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and adoptions as heirs with Christ.

You may be thinking: Where do we come into the picture?

Romans 3:22 “22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:”

Romans 3:25 “25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

We receive this free gift of God’s grace by Faith in Jesus Christ. Every verse in v27-31 points the reader to the importance of FAITH.

(v.27)

After all we have seen in v.21-26, Paul questions his audience: “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded.” (v.27)

Paul is saying: What boast do we have in our Justification???? We have none in ourselves.

Biblical Boasting

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Christian, BOAST IN THE LORD for your salvation instead of trying to defend what you brought to the table. Based on what we see in Romans 1-3, we can do nothing good according to God’s perfect standards.

(v.28)

Paul continues in the next verse declaring that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. You may be thinking: Have you read James?

Faith Without Works is Dead

James 2:14–26 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

What is James teaching here? Do the teachings of Paul and James contradict one another?

Weighing these two letters together can be difficult and indeed can lead to us misunderstanding the doctrine of justification.

All Scripture is from God

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

John 16:12–15 ESV

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The real question we must answer is this: Do God, the ultimate author of scripture, contradict Himself in His word through Paul and James?

We must believe in a God who is powerful and sovereign enough to reveal himself truly in His Word without error. The God of the Bible who created all things from nothing with just the words of His mouth is powerful enough to not only preserve His Word through the ages, but also to do so without contradicting Himself.

These tests do not stand in opposition to one another, but actually support each other fully. The spiritual fruit of true faith in Jesus Christ simply demonstrates the true faith of which Paul wrote so eloquently in Romans.

(v.29-31)

Paul finalizes this section by drawing both the Jews and the Gentiles to a simple conclusion: The God of Israel in the OT is also the God of the Gentiles. He will justify both the circumcised and the uncircumcised through Faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul concludes by saying the Law and the Prophets are not thrown out the window, but as the righteous live by faith (Rom1.17) the Law is actually upheld.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

APPLICATION

The call on the sinner from scriptures is to Repent and Believe in the Gospel (Mark1.14-15), a call to Faith in Christ alone for salvation and eternity with God.

YES, we are certainly involved in our Repentance and expression of Faith. We are not robots, but we have been created in God’s image and we bear the responsibility of ours choices.

He is The Author and Perfecter

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

God’s Gift of Repentance

Acts 5:27–32 ESV

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

God’s Gift of Faith

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Why do we work so hard at times to defend what we have done in our salvation? If God is the author and perfecter of our Faith, how about we just give Him the glory for the work He has done?

Justification is the gracious act of God by which He declares a sinner righteous solely through faith in Jesus.