Righteous Through Faith Romans 3:21-26
We say each week how God tells mankind his plan in the Old Testament. How through the historical events, God gives us his plan for sin, and the mechanism for our redemption.
The past few weeks we have examined some of the Old Testament scripture to explore this. And last week we saw through David and Mephibosheth, how God will extend mercy and grace to each person no matter where they live, no matter the condition of their life.
As the New Testament opens, we have the four gospels. The disciples accounts of the life of Jesus. Through the gospels we see how Jesus fulfilled every prophesy written about him. And as we study the gospels, we can see how those underlying meanings in the Old Testament stories are brought into focus by the actions of Jesus. As I studied more, I came to realize those Old Testament accounts were like living parables, hidden meanings under stories, hidden meanings for people to think on, to pray on, to discover.
So, we have God telling us what he is going to do. We have God fulfilling the plan he told us about in and through Jesus. But he doesn’t stop there. Through the writings of Paul and others, God explains for us everything he did, why he did it, and what it means for each of us.
I love Romans. I usually tell people who are new to Biblical study to start there because Romans is like the Readers Digest condensed version of the whole Bible. I admit Romans chapters 1 and 2, and the first part of chapter 3, can be uncomfortable. They explain how mankind is lost, how we go against God and are judged for it. Romans 3 verses 10-12, “No one is righteous, no not one, no one understands, no one seeks God. All have turned aside…”
Romans also makes the point that in this, being Jewish or Gentile holds no distinction. God gave the law through Moses, but that does not give the Jewish people an advantage; Romans 3:20, “For by works of the Law, no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” It is written this way by Paul and the Holy Spirit so no one can read scripture and claim God doesn’t mean me, God doesn’t mean my group, my church, my religion.
And now that everybody knows they are in the same situation with God, Romans turns a corner, and we are introduced to the glory of God. Verse 21, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law.”
Biblically, righteousness is defined as acting in accord with divine or moral law, free from guilt or sin. God gave us the law, but it cannot make us righteous in our hearts, so God gives us this righteousness through a source other than the Law. Verse 21, “…the Law and the prophets bear witness to it.”
Paul is a Pharisee, he understands the Torah, and he’s telling his audience that he didn’t just make all this up. Paul is the first to tell us what we know today, salvation through faith is not his idea, it’s not something new; Old Testament scripture has been telling us this for thousands of years before Jesus was even born. And in the next verse, Paul writes it out in plain and simple language; verse 22, “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” We gain God’s righteousness by believing in Jesus.
Now this needs a little explanation. This righteousness is not given to those who say, “Oh, I believe Jesus was a real person.” Not even those who say, “Oh, I believe Jesus was God’s son.” Scripture tells us the demons know who Jesus is, but they are not saved. This verse means we are not saved just by believing on Jesus, we must believe in Jesus; believe and have faith that his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection affects our life, both here, and in heaven. We must believe that Jesus died in our place, for our sin, and his raising from the dead opens heaven’s gate for our eternal life in the presence of God.
I like Paul’s style here because after each new point, he goes back over a previous one. In verse 20 he wrote that no one is godly. Here, after he makes the point of righteousness by faith, he explains who God thinks this applies to; Verses 22 and 23; “…for all who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned.” No one can gain righteousness on his own, and no one is exempt from righteousness if they have faith in Jesus Christ.
Earlier in his letter, Paul tells how the Jewish Christians thought they had a leg up because of Abraham, and how the Gentile Christians thought they did because they came to Christ without the burden of some 500 laws. Here Paul again refers to previous points and how neither Jew nor Gentile has one up over the other; Verse 24” …justified by his grace as a gift.” Jewish or Gentile, man or woman, Muslim or Hindu, gay or straight; believe and have faith in Jesus, and God gives you the gift of salvation “…through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:24)
The beginning of Romans tells us the faults of mankind, flaws that must be punished. This part of Romans tells us God will redeem those who have faith in Jesus. And now Paul tells us exactly how this can happen; verse 25, “(Christ Jesus) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”
Propitiation is the gaining or regaining of the favor or goodwill of God. What it means is God sent Jesus to regain God’s favor for mankind by the shedding of his blood. And this favor is received by us by our faith in this blood.
We now know what God did, how God did it, but what about why God did it? God doesn’t need us, we can do nothing to improve or increase God, So why? Verse 25, “This was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
I sin, God knew I would sin. God could easily punish me for my transgression here and now. God doesn’t. He passed over my former sins, withholding his punishment, allowing us every opportunity to come to faith. He does this because he is righteous. Because in his glory God wants to justify us; verse 26, “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
We can see the entire Bible is for our benefit, to aid in our understanding of God and his ways. In the Old Testament, through its accounts of history, God tells us what he will do for us and about sin. The gospels give us the accounts of Jesus and how he fulfills the plan of God. And Paul, through his writings, gives us hope and understanding. And he encourages us to come to faith in Christ by explaining why God did what he did.
May God’s words fill your hearts, minds, and souls.
Amen.