The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 3:21-31)‏‏‏‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”

The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 3:21-31)

 
This week we will begin reading chapter 3 verses 1-20 which is actually the “official” opening to the wonderful section on the salvation of the soul in Jesus Christ – finally!

It is a fact that salvation is an issue all the way through chapter 3, chapter 4 and chapter 5. It’s even an issue in chapters 6, 7 and 8. So, it’s a very important part of the heart of this Roman epistle. It’s essential that we understand it. And I think as we flow through it in the months to come, we’ll get a much better grasp of all of the great things that the Apostle Paul is saying!

 

Up to this point, we’ve come to the clear understanding that we cannot be saved by keeping the law. The Gentile cannot become saved by a fleshly effort to maintain the law of his conscience. The Jew cannot save himself by a fleshly effort to live up to the written law given to him through the Old Testament. The law has the effect of showing us our sin, but we cannot keep it to the satisfaction of God and thus be granted salvation!

 

Salvation/justification and righteousness/sanctification are apart from the law. They are given to the Christian as a free gift through grace granted in Jesus Christ alone. In other words, salvation occurs apart from any human effort to live up to His divine standard. You can’t do it. I can’t do it. All “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” We’re all left incapable of reaching the standard and salvation therefore must come through grace alone in Jesus Christ alone.

 

In our text today, we find the true meaning of the death of Jesus Christ. He died as a satisfaction and we by faith in Him and the work He did on the Cross receive the grace and mercy and forgiveness of God. 

 

First of all, we'll see that in verse 21, it's apart from the “law”:

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets – Romans 3:21

NOTE: May I give you a little word of warning as you study the Apostle Paul? Whenever you see the Greek word nomos or law you will want to be very careful how you interpret it because Paul uses it a lot of different ways. Sometimes it refers to legalism. Sometimes it refers to the ceremonial Law of God. Sometimes it refers to the Moral Law of God. Sometimes it refers to the Old Testament Scripture. Sometimes it refers to a principle such as a general law. As you can see, he'll use it in many different ways. In fact, he uses it in two ways in this one verse. *The proper way to interpret the meaning in the original koine Greek language is by the context of the passage in question. 

 

Here Paul says, the “righteousness of God apart from the law," and then in the same verse he says "being witnessed by the Law…" As we see, he uses law here in two different ways. In the first “law” Paul uses the word there in the sense of legalism. It is apart from any man-made human effort. The “law” of God only works His wrath and gives God the right to condemn all people. That's all it does. 

 

The second “Law” is a euphemism for the Old Testament – the “Law” and the “Prophets.” This was a Jewish phrase to describe the Old Testament itself. Paul is basically saying – “Look, this is that which was witnessed to in the Old Testament, this isn't anything revolutionary or brand new.” Even in the Old Testament, the law didn't make people righteous, it showed them just how sinful they were and it threw them on the mercy of God. The whole point for a Jew was to look at the law of God, realize he couldn't keep it and cry out for mercy and grace – and believe that God would provide it to them. 

 

Saints in the Old Testament were redeemed the same way as saints in the New Testament – as well as the Christian today. They believed God. They knew they were sinful and in need of a Savior and they went to God to be their Savior. Though they may not have fully understood Jesus Christ because He hadn't yet come, they knew they needed a Savior and they knew the sacrifices depicted that Savoir who had to die for them.

 

These “Laws” are built on the Old Testament. There are at least three hundred and thirty prophecies in the Old Testament pertaining to Jesus Christ! His coming has the embodiment of the righteousness of God as the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

 

Now we see the “righteousness of God” is acquired by “faith”:

even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference – Romans 3:22

The provision is made for anyone who believes. In other words, it doesn't come by works, it comes by “faith.” And those two are very distinct. Works is an effort that you embark on. Faith is something God does – a gift – and you believe it, you accept it, you trust in it. It is done by Him and you accept that He did it and you don't have to add anything to it. For example, on the cross Jesus said it is “finished!” He had accomplished the work of salvation – it was done! He died on the cross and arose from the dead – that's all that's necessary. He did it all, we need only believe it. It is acquired by “faith!”

 

And just in case we missed it in the previous 2 ½ chapters, Paul again notes that “all” human beings on the face of the earth “fall short”:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

Evil is evil and “all” are infinitely separated from Holy God. Salvation is provided for believers because they are “all” in the same category. Not only do “all” need it – God is able to save “all” who believe. A Tremendous truth!

Verse 24 then says:

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus – Romans 3:24

It seems to connect back with verse 22 – that the “righteousness of God” is by “faith in Jesus Christ” unto “all” and upon “all” them that “believe” – “being justified freely by His grace.” And the intervening is a parenthesis to describe how it is that everybody can be saved because they're all the same. Then back to the main point in verse 24, that those who believe are made right with God freely “by His grace”. To justify doesn't mean to declare your righteous – it means to make you righteous. Paul's usage was drawn from the Old Testament Hebrew concept – the equivalent in the Hebrew is tsawdak' which means "to cause someone to be righteous." God makes us righteous. It is the opposite of condemnation. This is an important distinction!

 

Then verse 25 explains the required sacrifice for our sin:

whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed – Romans 3:25

God required death – a sacrifice. Jesus became that sacrifice. God could not just forgive you and me and not deal with justice. Love could forgive but justice had to be met – it required a penalty which had to be paid. Literally, Jesus becomes the covering. He becomes the satisfaction, the word hilasterion – the propitiation. It means "a place where sins are blotted out." It was used to refer to the Mercy Seat when the priest went in the Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur – and sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat, the place where sins were blotted out. Jesus Christ became the place where sins are blotted out. He became the kapporeth – the Mercy Seat. He, by His blood, provided complete satisfaction. And so we are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ – the Lamb without spot and without blemish.

 

The Cross is everything! Jesus died in our place. This exchange of our unrighteousness for His righteousness is marvelously summed up elsewhere by the Apostle Paul in one of the greatest verses in the New Testament:

For He hath made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us that we might be made right with God through Him – 2 Corinthians 5:21

This is the Gospel in one concise verse! God's righteousness couldn't come to us apart from the Cross. That’s God’s plan - a supernatural, divine miracle! We don't have any virtue to hang on to but He does. How can an infinitely, absolutely Holy God get to sinful men without violating something of His holy perfection? Paul continues:

to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus – Romans 3:26

God set forth Jesus Christ on the Cross to be a satisfaction – for God. Isn't that profound? The Cross frees God from any thought of injustice.

 

Boasting Excluded! Then Paul says:

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith – Romans 3:27

Where is boasting? It is “excluded” by the principle of works. Because if we were saved by our works – we would boast. We are saved by the “law of faith.”

You can't earn your way to Heaven! It is by the doctrine of “faith” alone:

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law – Romans 3:28

Now, Just in case you missed it…

• We're saved by ”faith” in verse 28
• We're saved by ”faith” in verse 26.
  
• We're saved by ”faith” in verse 25.
• We're saved by ”faith” in verse 22.

Get the picture? Paul tells us over and over and over again... We are saved by “faith” – alone!

God is consistent! He's everybody's God:

Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith – Romans 3:29-30

Paul says to the Jew, "He the God of the Jews only?" And they have to say no! Because there's only one God and He is the only God and they know it from the articles of their Jewish faith. He is the God of all. “Is He not the God of the Gentiles?” And Paul answers as if he were answering for the Jews: "Yes, of the Gentiles also” – There are no other gods and that was basic to the Jews understanding.

 

The law is established! One might say, "Well, if you're not saved by works and you're not saved by keeping the law, doesn't this mean that the law is useless?" That's the last argument Paul deals with in chapter 3:

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law – Romans 3:31

The “law” was never given to save us. It was given to show us that we needed to be saved. So, the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross doesn't make void the “law” – it “establishes the law.” The “law” only had one purpose – to bring us to Jesus Christ. Justification by faith does not “make void the law” – it makes the keeping of the “law” a possibility. The “law” is there now to be fulfilled in the energy and power of the blessed Holy Spirit. The “law” is confirmed. When we look to the Cross we see Jesus Christ. God’s righteous wrath is coming down on Jesus Christ because His “law” demands it. The penalty for sin will drive us to see our sinfulness. In the sufficiency of Jesus Christ is the granting of His Holy Spirit!

 

In closing:

 

When a person becomes redeemed, there is never a separation between grace and law. That is a major fallacy in the thinking of many Christians today. They want to so purify grace that they make salvation all of grace and no responsibility or obligation to obedience. This is an effort to maintain what some have chosen to call “super-grace.” But grace and gracious salvation never makes null and void the law. Rather, it establishes the law. Becoming a Christian by grace does not remove from us the obligation to obey God. The Apostle Paul is saying we cannot save ourselves by our good works. He is not saying therefore give up and never bother with them. He is simply saying – when we come to Jesus Christ and are justified and implanted with the Holy Spirit. He then can produce in us those good works worthy of repentance. Yes, He will produce in us those good works and we will even establish the law – fulfill it. Awesome!

 

Often Christians want to separate the Savior-hood of Jesus Christ from His Lordship in their lives. They will affirm that Jesus Christ is Savior and receive Him only as Savior and hopefully at a later time, they’ll acknowledge Him as Lord and address the issue of obedience. That is not germane to salvation, it is an artificial dichotomy. This view is not biblical! It is an effort to maintain pure grace without obedience to God’s Word. And so we have people today who claim that all you have to do is “receive” Jesus Christ as Savior… and that’s it…

It goes something like this: 

 

The man lives an overtly sinful and compromising lifestyle but brazenly says “there was a time in my life when I asked Jesus Christ into my life.” You know what that means? It doesn’t mean anything! But you see, that is just one of many common false theological perceptions of salvation. All one has to do is ask Jesus to “come into their heart” – no commitment, no change of life, no nothing – but you’re still “saved.” In other words, one can be saved and have absolutely no manifestation of God’s grace in their personal life. Is that true? No! Because if salvation means the life of Jesus Christ is planted in the soul of the new man, there’s got to be some evidence of that new life – just as there was of the life of evil that was there before true salvation took place. 

 

And so, there is no reason to dichotomize the saving work of Jesus Christ from His Lordship. In doing so, we do disservice to His person and we miss the message of true eternal salvation. The Bible never separates true faith from obedience to His Word! Again, to do so is nothing less than cheap grace… 

Please begin by reading verses 21-31 of the third chapter of Romans.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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