The righteousness of God by Faith - Romans 3:21-26
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Gospel (1:16-17)
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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
God’s wrath against Man’s unrighteousness
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Humanity under sin
Ungodly - Not revering God as we should
Unrighteous - committing sinful acts contrary to God’s Law
Futile in our thinking
Darkened Hearts
Exchanged truth of God for a lie.
Exchanged Worship of God for worship of created things
Exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones
Exchanged righteous living for unrighteous living
Jews
Obedience to the Law makes one righteous, not having the Law.
Circumcision is a matter of the heart, not the flesh.
Final Charge
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
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 the whole world may be held accountable to God.
Paul has just made it very clear that Humanity is under sin and will be found guilty when we stand before God on judgment day
What do we do? There’s nothing we can do.
So then what, do we just live the rest of our live waiting for judgment? No, God has chosen to do something about our situation.
That’s the Gospel (Good News). God has done something about it.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 3
3:21–31 Having made the point that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin (v. 9), Paul explains that the righteousness of God is available to all people equally through faith in Jesus Christ (v. 22). People are not justified by following the law, but by faith (v. 28).
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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The righteousness of God apart from the Law - (vs. 21)
The righteousness of God apart from the Law - (vs. 21)
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
Righteousness of God
righteousness (state) n. — a status of legal rectitude that satisfies the moral requirements of God’s character.
Righteous standard of God is now possible for sinful man
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Manifested
Manifested
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
to be manifest v. — to be or become clearly revealed to the mind, the senses, or judgment.
Mosaic law system n. — the Torah understood as the system of laws, civil statutes, and priestly ordinances comprising the Mosaic covenant; especially understood as the means of earning God’s favor.
Jews thought that they had favor with God simply because they had the Law, but Paul is explaining that the Righteousness of God is revealed apart from the Law.
Witnessed
Witnessed
to be testified v. — to be solemnly asserted by firsthand authentication; often concerning grave or important matters.
Tanakh ⇔ law n. — the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures (before the writings of the New Testament were added).
Bible Project Picture
The OT Scriptures testify that righteousness of God was apart from the Law.
The righteousness of God available through Christ (vs. 22-26)
The righteousness of God available through Christ (vs. 22-26)
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
The righteousness of God that is apart from Law is recieved through Faith in Jesus Christ
Faith/Believe - to trust in Jesus/Gospel v. — to trust in Jesus as contained in the content of the Gospel.
Sinners
Sinners
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
to sin v. — to violate a divine law.
to miss out v. — to fail to reach, attain, or experience for oneself.
glory (state) n. — a state of high honor.
Then Paul introduces several important terms:
Justification
Justification
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
to be justified v. — to be or become judicially vindicated as having complied with the requirements of the law (of God).
Justified—declared righteous in God’s sight through the merits of Christ, secure in our position in Christ before the throne of God. Justification is God’s righteousness imputed, put to our account.
Grace—Undeserved acceptance and love received from another, especially the characteristic attitude of God in providing salvation for sinners who do and can do nothing to earn it.
Gift - for free adv. — without payment, free of charge; gratis.
Holman New Testament Commentary: Romans B. Righteousness: Comes through Faith (3:22–24)
Charles Swindoll explains it this way: after a day of dirty yard work, a hot shower and a bar of soap renders one clean. It is tempting to say, “ ‘Ah, it’s just as if I’d never been dirty.’ But that would not have adequately conveyed the power and the value of the water and soap. Better to look in the mirror and say, ‘I was filthy and now I’m clean’ ” (Swindoll, p. 327). All one need do is look back in the first two chapters of Romans to realize exactly how much sin was cancelled and how much grace is required to declare sinners righteous. John Newton had it right in “Amazing Grace,” when he marveled at the grace that “saved a wretch like me.”
Redemption
Redemption
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Redemption—the act of releasing a captive by the payment of a price. Jesus’ death provided our redemption from sin’s power and penalty (Heb. 9:12).
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Redemption—deliverance from sin and its penalties, by the payment of a price. This price was Christ’s blood on the cross.
God in His grace freely justifies us through the payment of Jesus Christ.
Propitiation
Propitiation
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.
Propitiation—Christ’s sacrifice satisfied God’s holy law, thus making it possible for God to forgive sinners and remain just Himself. God’s justice has been satisfied; He may now look with kindness and grace upon a lost world.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary Propitiation
PROPITIATION—that by which God is rendered propitious, i.e., by which it becomes consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the sinner. The propitiation does not procure his love or make him loving; it only renders it consistent for him to exercise his love towards sinners.
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.
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. 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.
Divine Forbearance
God’s Righteousness - justice (quality) n. — the quality of being free from favoritism, self-interest, bias, or deception; especially conforming to established standards or rules.
forbearance n. — a good-natured tolerance that delays enforcing rights or claims or privileges.
Pass over - exception n. — a deliberate act of leaving out or passing over something.
Just and Justifier
just adj. — being legally or ethically right, proper, or fitting; especially as free from favoritism, self-interest, bias, or deception.
to justify v. — to pronounce a verdict that someone is in full accordance with the requirements of the law (of God).
Those who put their faith in Christ
Faith - trust (faith) n. — strong confidence in, and reliance upon, someone or something; often with the object of trust understood.
The righteousness of God accepted by Faith (vs. 27-31)
The righteousness of God accepted by Faith (vs. 27-31)
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. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Justified by faith (vs. 28)
Justified by faith (vs. 28)
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. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
All (Both Jews and Gentiles) Justified by Faith (vs. 30)
All (Both Jews and Gentiles) Justified by Faith (vs. 30)
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Takeaways
Takeaways
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
