Righteousness Revealed
Romans 3:20 ESV
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
1st Righteousness Revealed
Romans 3:21 ESV
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
Romans 3:21 ESV
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law…
But
Conjunction:
1. Used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been said
2. Used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated
2nd Righteousness Received
How do you receive it?
Romans 3:22 ESV
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…
Who can receive it?
Romans 3:22-23 ESV
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
What do you receive?
John 3:16 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
1st We receive the benefit of justification
Romans 3:23-24a ESV
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift…
“To condemn is not merely to punish, but to declare the accused guilty or worthy of punishment; and justification is not merely to remit that punishment, but to declare that punishment cannot be justly inflicted… Pardon and Justification therefore are essentially distinct. The one is the remission of punishment, the other is a declaration that no ground for the infliction of punishment exists.”
- C.H. Hodge
2nd We receive the benefit of Redemption
Romans 3:24 ESV
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…
3rd We receive the benefit of Propitiation
Romans 3:25a ESV
whom (Jesus) God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Atonement: referencing the day of atonement when once a year the high priest would offer a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people
Expiation: meaning to wipe clean, to get rid of sin, to cancel
Propitiation: to appease, to placate, to avert wrath
Why did God do this?
Romans 3:25b ESV
This was to show God's righteousness…
Romans 3:25b-26 ESV
This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 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.
Hebrews 10:4 ESV
it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Romans 3:25-26 ESV
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. 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.
3rd Righteousness Result
1. Boasting is excluded
Romans 3:27-28 ESV
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
“We must not boast of our faith. If your view is one that makes you boast about it, it is wrong. Boasting is excluded in every shape and form. If in any way you are proud of the fact that you believe, then you do not believe; you are in the position of the religious man the Apostle is denouncing.”
-Martin Lloyd-Jones, Romans Commentary
2. There are no distinctions
Romans 3:29-30 ESV
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.
3. This is part of God’s plan through history
Romans 3:31 ESV
Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Romans 3:21 ESV
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law…
Romans 3:21 ESV
… although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
