Romans 3:19-31

God’s righteousness through Faith

3:21

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

This is highly important— The OT saints were declared righteous because the OT sacrifices pointed to the Messiah.

Their faith wasn’t based on the sacrifice itself. They understood that the blood of animals could not save them. They understood this because if the blood of one animal could save then why the constant slaughter of other animals year after year.

Hebrews9:11-15

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 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. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Notice the phrase “ from dead works” All work done outside of Christ is DEAD. It has no value to get you into heaven. Only His work is sufficient.

Romans 3:22-23

the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Notice where this Righteousness comes from… From Christ Jesus apart from Him there is no salvation. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 14:6.

Through me.. Jesus said in John 10:7 “So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” There aren’t many doors or many ways. There is one way and one door. Before judgment fell on Noah, he was instructed to build one door on the Ark. This was a picture of Christ.

In 3:22, It says for all who believe. Jesus didnt show up just for the Jews. He showed up for the Gentiles also. Notice this phrase, “all who believe” Paul uses it over and over. This ties back into John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This salvation is not just for the Jews. It is for all nationalities. John 3:16 is not about ever one getting a fair shot.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned. The means the Jews and gentiles. The whole world is guilty before God. THe Jews thought they were privileged and they were in some ways. But not this way. They were just as guilty of sin as the gentiles.

Notice in verse 24 it says His grace as a gift. THe NKJV says freely. This grace is powerful. This grace releases a sinner form the shackles of sin and death. This grace raises an individual to eternal life. Most of all.... this grace is free. The greatest gift to ever have been given.

Romans 3:25 “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.”

3:25 whom God put forward as a propitiation. Christ died as a propitiatory sacrifice that satisfies the divine judgment against sinners and assuages the Father’s wrath against them, bringing about forgiveness and justification. Martin Luther recognized that the Gk. word here translated as “propitiation” (hilastērion) is also used in the Septuagint in Ex. 25:22, where it is translated into English as “the mercy seat.” In speaking to His people, God said of the mercy seat, “There I will meet with you.” Rom. 3:25 showed Luther that Christ is our mercy seat. God meets us at the cross. by faith. The emphasis of v. 22 is repeated and thereby underscored. “By” indicates the means of our being linked to the righteousness of Christ. Faith is the instrument, not the ground or basis, of justification. The ground is Christ’s perfectly obedient life and propitiating death

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1984.

That note was from one of my favorite Presbyterian Pastors Dr. RC Sproul. A brilliant man of God.

Romans 3:26 (ESV)

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.

The phrase upholds the character of God. God is just.

God is just. God is just because there is no sin that will not be accounted for. A sinner who does not repent will be held accountable for every sin he ever committed. That is God being just.

God is also the justifier. God justifies the elect by the blood of His son. A believer has ever single sin past, present, and future wiped cleanly away. How? Because Christ was the perfect sacrfice. He was fully God and fully man. Chrsit is the only one who has the ability to do so.

Revelation 5:1–5 (ESV)

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Christ is the only one worthy. Notice the phrase under the earth. There are things down there. There is satan and demons and they are not sovereign. God is. They did not have the ability to open it. Jesus did because He is the great I am.

Romans 3:28–30 ESV

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.

The Jews constanlty claimed that Yahweh was their God exclusively. Their logic was very wrong. Abraham existed before Israel existed as a nation. God appeared to Abraham and set him apart for belief and service. So Abraham was a believer who didn’t come through the nation of Israel. Those who believe in God and His’ Messiah are the people of God.

Romans3:31 “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

As Christians, we are to go about obeying God’s law. We have been given the Holy Spirit who empowers us to obedience. Tell the joke about the meme with diplomatic immunity...

Antinomianism literally means “anti-lawism.” It denies or downplays the significance of God’s law in the life of the believer. It is the opposite of its twin heresy, legalism.

Some believe that they no longer are obligated to keep the moral law of God because Jesus has freed them from it. They insist that grace not only frees us from the curse of God’s law but delivers us from any obligation to obey God’s law. Grace then becomes a license for disobedience.

Nevertheless, he was most explicit in his condemnation of antinomianism. In Romans 3:31 he writes, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”

Antinomianism’s primary error is confusing justification with sanctification. We are justified by faith alone, apart from works. However, all believers grow in faith by keeping God’s holy commands—not to gain God’s favor, but out of loving gratitude for the grace already bestowed on them through the work of Christ.

If you love Me,” Jesus said, “keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Christianity never gives anyone the “right” to do what is wrong.

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2272.

John Owen, “ True faith can no more be without holiness, than true fire without heat.