21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that faith, is one.
31 Do we then abolish the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Romans 3: 21-31 LSB
Romans 3: 21-31
Now, as we approach this, a little bit of an introduction. Job, that very early book, no doubt describing a man who lived in the patriarchal period, the period of the Pentateuch. Job, that righteous man, that man who was commended by God for his faith, asked the most important question that any person can ever ask. It is posed in chapter 9 of Job and verse 2. And this is the question that Job asked, “How can a man be right with God?” That is the most compelling question. How can a man be right or be in the right before God?
And then he goes on to show why this is such a dilemma. Verse 3, “If one wished to dispute with Him, he could not answer Him once in a thousand times. Wise in heart and mighty in strength, who has defied Him without harm? It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, when He overturns them in His anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun not to shine, and sets a seal on the stars; who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea; who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number.
“Where He to pass by me, I wouldn’t see Him; were He to move past me, I wouldn’t perceive Him. Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could system to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
“God will not turn back His anger; beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. How then can I answer Him, and choose my words before Him? For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He bruises me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to get my breath, but saturates me with bitterness. If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him? Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.”
This is like Paul saying, “Even when I know nothing against myself, herein am I not justified. I can’t bring my case before God.”
Here is a man – namely Job – with a sense of his lostness; with a sense of his smallness; with a sense of his guilt, his emptiness, his meaninglessness; fearing death, dreading punishment at the hands of a holy God who cannot successfully make his case even when he says, “I’ve searched out my life, and I can’t see anything of continuing sin. I know that I am not, by my own perception, thereby justified because my own perception is so limited.
How should a man be in the right with God? How do you become right with God? God is holy, and God is a judge, and God punishes sinners, and God punishes the guilty who are sinners. How can that change? How can a man be right with God and particularly a God like this, a God who is so vastly beyond me?
And, of course, as you heard, Job goes through the litany of all the things that are true about the massiveness of God. How can I, this frail, weak, unimportant individual, establish righteousness before such a great and glorious and holy God? How can I, therefore, escape His judgment?
That, by the way, is the basic question that every religion tries to answer. That is the basic question that every religion tries to answer. Every religion is trying to answer the question, “How do I escape the judgment of God and get into the place of favor from God” – whatever god is the god of that religion – “and end up in the right place when I die?” That is the universal question which religion universally attempts to answer.
And so many suggestions are made. But all religions, of all types and all kinds basically give the same answer. You achieve that rightness. You get it by your attention to being a good person and performing the necessary religious rituals, and rights, and practices, and ceremonies.
In every case, you get in the right with God by something you do. Now, they will all admit that God is kind, to some degree. At least he will allow you the opportunity to try to do that. And in varying religions, the kindness of God is more or less a large part of our efforts. But in the end, all human religions come up with the same thing: you work your way in.
But the Bible clearly demonstrates and confirms that nobody will ever be made right with God like that. No one. No one is going to escape judgment and enter into blessing. No one is going to go from being under the disfavor of God into the favor of God by their own efforts, by his own effort or her own effort.
So, if we are to find a way to be right with God, it isn’t going to be found in us. It isn’t going to be found in the religions that we invent. If there is a way to be right with God, then God’s going to have to determine that way, because He’s the one that’s been offended. And therein lies the dilemma which all religion attempts to answer. Paul has clearly shown, starting in chapter 1 all the way through chapter 3, verse 20, where we ended last time, that no one can be right with God on the basis of human effort. That’s how verse 20 ends that whole section, by saying, “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” Nobody will be right with God by means of the deeds of the flesh. That is keeping of God’s moral law or any kind of ceremonies. In fact, all the human race falls short. They are all under sin. Chapter 3, verse 9, “Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” And Romans 1:18, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness.” So, all are unrighteous, all are under sin, and therefore all are under judgment, and no one has the capacity in himself to change that situation no matter how moral he may attempt to be or how religious. That’s the condemnation of the opening chapters. - J Mac
V. 21 But now apart from the law - This is a transition from where we previously left off, where Paul told us that, "by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin." The law was not given to man as a means to be justified, that is an impossibility for fallen man, remember, dead in trespasses and sins, at enmity with God, needs to be brought to life, born again. I remember cutting tile for our house a long time ago, and so I took a measurement, cut a tile, and dry tested it to make sure it fit. Not being much of a craftsmen, carpenter or handy man, but always loving efficiency (short cuts), I went ahead and cut the whole run for that wall, only to find that each tile moved further from the wall. I checked the tiles and they all measured the same, and looking at the wall it seemed straight to my eye, but there was almost two inches difference from one end of the wall to the other. My eyes weren't the best judge, and when I pulled out a straight edge and an angle, I found that there wasn't an actual 90 on any corner of the house. The law was a straight edge, it showed men that they are crooked, but it was powerless to correct this. It was the measure.
John MacArthur - Because they capitalize Law in this passage, it is evident that the translators of the New American Standard Bible understood nomos to refer to God’s divine revelation, either in the narrower sense of the Mosaic law or the wider sense of the entire Old Testament. But I believe that in this passage Paul primarily has in mind the sense of legalism, of men’s attempt to become acceptable to God by means of their own human efforts." (Ed note: Greek does not have the definite article modifying "law" and it would tend to support Dr. MacArthur's interpretation) (See Romans Commentary)
As discussed below, even apart from the law, the Pentateuch clearly taught that righteousness has always been credited, reckoned or imputed by personal faith. The prototypical example of course is Abraham's justification by faith (Ge 15:6), which was apart from the law for the Law wasn't even given until 400 years later. - PA
Vs. 22-23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - We all share the same parents and we all share the same curse, so we all need Someone to pay the debt of sin in our place, to live a life that is pleasing to God, and to sanctify us in repentance. There is no distinction here, no one who needs less because their sins weren't a big enough deal. This is a universal declaration.
V. 24 Being justified as a gift by His grace - God gifted us with Jesus in order to gift us to Jesus. It was free to us, but not free in the sense that it cost God greatly. Jesus took on human nature, was born as a man, lived a life that was pleasing to God, among a people that were abhorrent, namely us, and then died in our place so that the elect (those who would believe) could be reborn and reconciled to God. Remember, God is Holy, so He doesn't just wave off sin like it didn't happen, no, if He is going to redeem then He pays the redemption price.
…9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.… 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11
Vs. 25-26 For in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed - The ability of our forefathers to continue on, to breathe in the air of this world was based upon the promise of Christ coming to pay for the sins committed. It didn't end in the garden solely because of the God's redemptive plan that He made with His Son and the Holy Spirit from eternity.
…18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, 19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.… 1 Peter 1: 18-20
Vs. 27-30 Justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that faith - Abraham was called before the law, but it was his faith not circumcision that made him a friend of God. Moses gave Israel the law, but as we saw that was only the measuring stick, for no one was found righteous according to God's law. Of those who are saved, both Jews and Gentiles, it is by grace (unmerited favor) alone, through faith (a gift enabling us to believe) alone, in Christ alone, understood by the Scriptures alone.
V. 31 On the contrary, we establish the law - Because the law was just it required Someone Who could keep it to pay for those who didn't. It is good so it begs for justice. It was like the tablets that Moses was carrying down from the mountain. He through them down and broke them, because the law had been broken yet again, even after the people had promised to keep it, to do what was in the law so they could live. The broken stone tablets did not remove the law, did not remove the righteous requirements of God, and so the law of the eternal God still stands. Death is proof of God's Holiness and His intentions towards sin. His punishment of those who carried His oracles, His punishment of His own servant, Moses, not letting him into the promised land, is a testimony to God's righteousness and the goodness of His law. Let those who twist Scripture, who take the literal and remove it's simple and clear meaning, leading men astray, let them be silenced and let the measuring stick be preached once again. It is the first part of the gospel, that which shows us the condemnation that we are under, let us see it and be moved by the Holy Spirit to repentance.