The Righteousness of God Revealed

There are moments in history that change everything. The discovery of electricity. The invention of the printing press. The first steps on the moon. These moments marked a before and after, shifting the course of the world forever.

Romans 3:21 is one of those moments—but not just for history; it is the turning point of eternity. Up to this point, Paul has been building a case that all humanity—Jews and Gentiles alike—are under the power of sin. No one is righteous, no one seeks God, and no one can be justified by their own efforts.

But then, Paul writes two words that change everything: “But now…”

These two words signal a dramatic shift in God’s redemptive plan. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known. But now, justification is not achieved by works but received by faith in Jesus Christ. But now, sinners who deserve judgment are declared righteous by grace.

The Big Question

The question we must answer today is this:

How can a holy God declare sinful people righteous while remaining just?

Our text today in Romans 3 gives us the answer.It is simple yet profound: Righteousness is not earned; it is given. It is not achieved through human effort but received through faith in Christ.

So the question today is not, “Have I done enough?” but “Am I trusting in what Christ has done?”

If you have your bibles go to Romans chapter 3. I will begin reading at verse 21.

Romans 3:21–31 NIV

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

The Revelation of God’s Righteousness

Did you ever think that two little words could be so powerful? But Now.

For the last couple of weeks we have looked at All of us are sinners, we have all sinned, no one is righteous, none of us can be justified by our own works. You are guilty.

*Reveal sign of judgment

It is like each of us has been handed a guilty judgment in the amount of $1,000,000.

How many of you could pay a judgment of $1,000,000?

It would take everything that I own and then some.

As a matter of fact, Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I am guilty of the sins that I have committed.

No of us is righteous on our own. We stand before the judge, who is God and we are guilty. He pounds the gavel down and hands us the guilty verdict. We have a fine to pay.

In my scenario the fine is only a $1,000,000, but in real life, the fine is death.

All of need to be saved from a guilty verdict. Hope seems lost. We look at a $1,000,000 judgment and think we will never be able to pay that debt. We might have ideas of how we could raise the money. We might could borrow some money, but that judgment is steep. How could I pay this?

You can’t. I love how the Message translates Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 MSG

23 Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us,

All of us are in need of a Savior. Rich, poor, religious, or irreligious. None of us are exempt of needing to pay the penalty for sin.

However, there is good news for all of us. Look at verse 24.

Romans 3:24 NIV

24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Two words in this verse are powerful for us.

Justified - to be righteous in God’s sight, to be made righteous, to establish as right, or to set or put something right.

In a judicial sense, it means to be declared “not guilty.”

The second word is redemption.

Redemption - Ransom by the payment of a price. To be paid for, purchased, bought back or restored.

Remember that I said God issued a guilty verdict. He gave you a judgment and placed a fine of $1,000,000. It is a fine that you can’t pay.

However, that same God that issued the verdict guilty, gets up from His throne and brings you a check for $1,000,000. Not only did God place down the verdict, but He paid the debt for you. God redeemed you through Jesus.

Romans 3:25–26 NIV

25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

The cross did it all. In one moment, as Jesus hung on the cross, sin is punished and sinners are saved. God’s justice and God’s grace.

It is through the faith in Jesus that we receive righteousness without compromising God’s holiness.

And you did nothing. God did it all.

In sports, when we make a good shot in basketball, we hit a home run in baseball or we get a hole in one on the golf course we like to boast to our friends about what we did.

When it comes to salvation, Paul says, we can’t boast because we had nothing to do with it. It was God that did all of it. He made the verdict to guilty and then paid the price by sending Jesus to die on a cross. There is no boasting when we don’t do anything.

The great news is that this plan of salvation is for everyone. God brought the check for everyone that believes in Jesus.

And when we have faith in Jesus, faith is upholding the law by fulfilling its true purpose, leading us to Christ.

So, to sum up this series on the righteousness of God, are you trusting in your own works?

Remember you couldn’t pay the fine. It was more than you could bare.

Or have you placed your faith in Christ Jesus?

Here is a good way to remember it.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

So, as believers, we can live in gratitude for the righteousness freely given to us.