Romans 3.22-The Righteousness of God Can Be Received By Anyone Through Faith in Jesus Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday November 14, 2007
Romans: Romans 3:22-The Righteousness of God Can Be Received By Anyone Through Faith in Jesus Christ
Lesson # 97
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:19.
We are currently engaged in a study of the third major section in the book of Romans, which appears in Romans 3:21-5:21.
This section is divided into four parts: (1) Divine righteousness is imputed through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-26). (2) Divine righteousness is available to both Jew and Gentile (Romans 3:27-31). (3) Justification by Faith: The Example of Abraham (Romans 4:1-23). (4) The Results of Faith (Romans 5:1-21).
Sunday morning we began a study of the first part by noting Romans 3:21a, in which Paul teaches that the righteousness of God as revealed by the Person and Work of Jesus Christ during His First Advent is manifested through the communication of the gospel of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.
The righteousness of God in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ is manifested by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the gospel, which centers upon the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.
Through the gospel, the Holy Spirit offers the unbeliever the gift of God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Last evening we noted Romans 3:21b in which Paul states that this offer of divine righteousness through the communication of the gospel is attested to simultaneously by the Old Testament Scriptures.
This evening we will study Romans 3:22, in which Paul teaches that the righteousness of God can be received by anyone whether Jew or Gentile, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:19, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God.”
Romans 3:20, “Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:21, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
Corrected translation of Romans 3:19-21:
Romans 3:19, “Now, we know for certain that whatever the Law says, it speaks for the benefit of those under the jurisdiction of the Law in order that each and every mouth may be silenced and in addition all the unsaved inhabitants of the cosmic system may be demonstrated as guilty in the judgment of God.”
Romans 3:20, “Because each and every member of sinful humanity will never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin nature.”
Romans 3:21, “But now, independently of seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law, the righteousness originating from God is being manifested at the present time while simultaneously being attested to by the Law and the Prophets.”
Romans 3:22, “Namely, the righteousness originating from God through faith in Jesus who is the Christ for the benefit of each and every person who believes for there is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely no distinction (between Jew and Gentile).”
Let’s look at Romans 3:22 in detail.
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
“Even” is the “explanatory” or “epexegetical” use of the conjunction de (dev) (deh), which means that the word introduces a clause that “explains how” a person can be justified independently of seeking to be justified by his own merits or obedience to the Law.
The conjunction de introduces a statement that “explains” that justification is through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Righteousness” is the noun dikaiosune (dikaiosuvnh), which is an attribute of God referring to His perfect integrity and virtue.
God is perfect “integrity” in the sense that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to His own perfect standards and what He promises to men.
It also indicates that God’s character is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition.
God is perfect “virtue” in the sense that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and His conduct is conformed perfectly to His own perfect standards and what He has promised to men.
The Lord Jesus Christ manifested the righteousness of God by living a sinless life. He also manifested it through His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross.
This death manifested the righteousness of God in that it redeemed mankind out of the slave market of sin, reconciled sinful humanity to a holy God, propitiated God’s holiness, which demanded that human sin be judged, destroyed the works of the devil and fulfilled perfectly the requirements of the Law.
Further indicating that the righteousness of God in Romans 3:21 and 22 refers to the righteousness of Jesus Christ is that the gospel centers upon His unique Person according to Romans 1:3-4.
Also, indicating that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is in view is that the gospel message reveals the righteousness of God according to Romans 1:17 and which righteousness was manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
“Of God” is the noun theos (qeov$), which is a genitive of source indicating that the righteousness referred to in Romans 3:22 “originates” from God and was “not” of human origin.
The righteousness that originates from God is in fact the second member of the Trinity, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ who is the object of faith.
“Through” is the preposition dia (diaV) (dee-ah), which is employed with the genitive form of the noun pistis, “faith” indicating that the non-meritorious system of perception, called faith is the “instrument” or “means” by which a person can acquire the righteousness of God needed in order to be declared justified by God.
“Faith” is the genitive feminine singular form of the noun pistis (pivsti$) (pis-tis), which refers to the non-meritorious system of perception of placing one’s “trust” or “confidence in” Jesus Christ as one’s Savior.
There are three forms of perception: (1) Empiricism: Trusting in one’s experiences in life to make decisions. (2) Rationalism: Trusting in one’s intellect to make decisions in life. (3) Faith: Trusting in the authority of another to make decisions in life.
Faith is the only system of perception that God will accept because it is compatible with His grace policy.
Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
The believer is saved and receives the forgiveness of his sins-past, present and future based upon the merits of Christ and His death on the Cross.
1 John 2:12, “I am providing information in writing at this particular time for the benefit of all of you, little children in view of the fact that for the benefit of all of you, your sins have been forgiven-past, present and future on the basis of His merit.”
Therefore, the noun pistis “faith” refers to making the non-meritorious decision to trust or place one’s complete confidence in the Person of Jesus Christ for salvation.
The object of the Christian’s faith at the moment of salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of his faith after salvation is the written Word of God.
In Romans 3:22, the noun pistis functions as a “genitive of means,” indicating that faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which the righteousness of God is being manifested.
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
“Jesus” is the genitive masculine singular form of the proper name Iesous ( )Ihsou$), which refers to the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Christ” is the proper name Christos (xristov$), which is a technical word designating the humanity of our Lord as the promised Savior for all mankind who is unique as the incarnate Son of God and totally and completely guided and empowered by the Spirit as the Servant of the Father.
The proper name Iesous, “Jesus” functions as an “objective genitive” meaning that Jesus of Nazareth is the object of faith through whom a person receives the righteousness of God as a gift and is declared justified by God.
The object of faith must be the Lord Jesus Christ in order for a person to get saved and be justified before God since it is by His merits as an impeccable Person and the merits of His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross, which provides mankind with salvation.
It is not enough to say that you believe in God since even the demons believe in the existence of God.
James 2:19, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”
God the Father has decreed that the object of faith for salvation and justification is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught that He is the only way to the Father.
John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
The apostle Peter informed the leaders of Israel of this fact.
Acts 4:5-12, “On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’”
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
“For” is the preposition eis (ei)$) (ice), which is a marker of persons benefited by an event, thus indicating that the righteousness of God that is received through faith in Jesus Christ is “for the benefit of” all those who believe in Him whether Jew or Gentile.
“All” is the adjective pas (pa$), which is used in a distributive sense referring to “each and every” member of the human race without exception, both Jew and Gentile.
This word is a reminder to Paul’s Jewish audience that salvation and the righteousness of God are available to the Gentile and not just the Jews.
In Romans 3:9, Paul declares that both Jew and Gentile are under the power of the old sin nature and thus in need of salvation.
Romans 3:9, “What shall we conclude then? Are we (Christians) as an eternal spiritual truth, superior? By all means, absolutely not! Since, we have already previously indicted both Jew and Greek, with the result that each and every one is under the power of the sin nature.”
“Those who believe” emphasizes the spiritual truth or axiom that anyone whether Jew or Gentile who exercises faith in Jesus Christ will receive the gift of divine righteousness and be declared justified by God.
“For there is no distinction” indicates that the reason why anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, can receive the righteousness of God and experience justification from God through faith in Jesus Christ is that both Jew and Gentile are condemned as guilty before God.
“No” is the objective negative adverb ouk (ou)x), which emphatically negates the statement that there are racial distinctions related to justification before God.
“Distinction” is the noun diastole (diastolhv) (dee-ah-stol-ay), which is used of God’s viewpoint or opinion of the entire human race in that He makes no “distinction” between the Jew and the Gentile since He has declared all men unrighteous, both Jew and Gentile.