God's Righteousness

Introduction

For a while it seemed like every week was directed at the Jews in our study through the book of Romans. However, last week Paul brought the Gentiles into the equasion. Paul said that it was not only the Jews but everyone is bad and no one seeks after God. The conclusion of last week left us on a note that was a bit of a downer because the emphasis was all on man and how man will never be good enough. You may have been left wondering if there was good news like when we went through Ephesians. The good news is what we will be talking about tonight. Paul did not mean to leave the readers hung out to dry just knowing how bad they are but he used this as a way to transition to the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel is not that man is bad without hope but instead that man is bad and has hope not in their own righteousness but in the righteousness of God.

Before we dive into the text I want each of you to think about this question right now and as we go through this text. I heard not too long ago that each of us are continually asking ourselves a list of questions so I want you to add this question to the list. What justifies my existence? In other words, what makes it right for you to be in existence? Some people find their reason for living in their work, some in their kids. It has literally been said by people that their work justifies their existence or their kids justify their existence. Not everyone that has said this means it literally. This could be meant as a hyperbole meaning that their kids have great meaning to them. However, there are those who base their live’s entire meaning on their children, job, or something else.

Righteousness Revealed in the Cross (21-26)

The first part of this text Paul is explaining where righteousness comes from. Back up to verse 20 where Paul says, “For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.” We have previously discussed the significance of the law and that the law is not enough to save a man only enough to condemn. This is what Paul is saying, righteousness does not come through the law. You are not intended to be righteous by upholding the law because you cannot uphold the law. The law can mean many things in Scripture but as we have mentioned this is talking about the Ten Commandments and the other written laws that the Jews had because they believed that this was the way of salvation. Paul says the law was intended not for you to follow it but to show you that you cannot follow it and need a savior. So, how is righteousness obtained if not through the law?

Revealed through Faith (21-23)

Paul begins by stating that righteousness is revealed apart from the law. He also makes the statement to his readers that this is nothing new because it was attested b the Law and the Prophets. This is still part of the debate or argumentation part of this epistle to the Romans. Paul states that instead of works of the law it is instead through faith that righteousness of God is revealed. As we have previously discussed, faith in and of itself is not what saves a man but insted the object of that faith. Paul says that the object of the faith is Jesus Christ. This means that righteousness is not revealed just through faith in general but instead through faith in Jesus Christ. Sola Fide would be false doctrine without Solus Christus. Paul goes on to say that this is to all who believe since there is no distinction. Paul has been erasing the line between Jews and Gentiles so that he can tell his readers that the righteousness of God is extended through faith in Jesus to those who believe and that is it. There are no prioritized people in the kingdom of God, just those who believe and those who do not. Then we see that verse that most if not all of you know, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This comes from an archery term that means to miss the mark, meaning the mark that God has set cannot be reached by men so He sent Jesus to reach that mark for them in their place.

Man is justified through faith in Jesus, but this does not answer the question of how faith is obtained.

Revealed by Grace (24)

Paul states in verse 24 that they are justified freely by His grace. The word justified is commonly misunderstood. When you hear or see the word justified what do you think about? Some take this as to mean forgiven, but forgiven does not carry the same weight as justified. Someone who is forgiven is just merely spared from consequences that their actions deserve. This is what mercy is, witholding from someone that which they deserve; which does take place, but we will discuss that here in a little bit. If someone is justified it goes beyond being forgiven. Forgiveness says, “I am no longer angry with you,” while justification says, “I am no longer angry with you, and I love you, I want to walk through life with you.” Forgiven means that someone ceases being angry with you while justification rights the wrong that you did to need forgiveness in the first place.

So man is saved by grace through faith, so is this just a free gift and no one has to pay for the sins committed?

Revealed in Atonement (25a)

Revealed out of Mercy (25-26)

Verse 25 answers this question with an emphatic, NO! Paul says in verse 25, “God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith.” The sins of man are not simply looked over but instead are paid for on the cross of Christ. The death that Christ died was to sin and for sin. Through Christ, man can have propitiation for their sins. This means that now those who have their sins propitiated before God, or have their sins atoned for through Christ; can have communion with God. Like we mentioned earlier justification is not just God’s forgivenes but also His invitation to become His child.

Paul continues with the reason why Jesus mad this atoning sacrifice, “To demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.” So Jesus did this as a way to demonstrate His righteousness. Through the restraint of God meaning that his wrath was restrained, He passed over sins previously committed; not meaning that He just overlooks sin but that those sins are now through the blood of Christ atoned for.

Righteousness excludes Boasting. (27-31)

Being made righteous by God’s grace creates a lot of issues for people. We have discsussed those that went after Martin Luther when he was teaching that men are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The same thing that he was rebuttled with is still said today, “If man is saved not by what he does but rather by grace through faith, what will keep them from acting the same way they currently do?” This is a legitimate question considering that we just discussed that salvation has nothing to do with man’s works but instead the works of Christ.

“If when you lose all fear of punishment, you also lose the incentive to live a good life; then the only incentive you had to live a good life was fear.”

Fear is operated with out of selfishness so really when someone is trying to earn their righteousness it is out of an act of selfishness not out of a desire to please God. Justification does not negate the need for sanctification. The two go hand in hand, those who are justified will be sanctified and then like Paul says in they will also be glorified.

Application

Recently we have discussed sin and depravity to the point that each of you should know the necessity for atonement for sins and the need to confess and repent of sin. However, you also need atonement and to repent from your own righteousness. Your righteousness means your attempts to be good enough or finding your justification elsewhere. At the beginning I told you to ask the question what justifies your existence. If you asked that question and your response was anything other than the grace of God you need to repent for whatever your answer was. Nothing that you do regardless if it is school, family, sports, etc. related; it does not justify your existence here on earth and if dependent upon that for your existence when you do well in that area it will be very exhilarating but at the same time when you fail it is going to be all the more devastating. Christian is a good noun but a horrible adjective. You should never think of yourself as a Christian athlete, Christian worker, Christian student, etc. Those who are in Christ are first and foremost a Christian that just so happens to do these other things like work, school, and sports.