Romans 3:21-26
Righteousness does not exist in the context of obedience, it is experienced when we believe our God – Aaron Budgen
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 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, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 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.
To this point we have been convinced that everyone without regard to religious background or lack thereof is irreparably lost in sin. Neither natural nor Devine law provide any help beyond pointing out our lostness. The law is like waves that highlight the peril of a drowning man.
Our passage begins with a turn toward hope, “But now”. Everything was hopeless but something has changed. We were relegated to working hard on our own righteousness, which is no righteousness at all, but now, “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law.” A new hope appears that doesn’t depend on my ability but on the efficacy of Christ, which is perfect.
Righteousness is rectitude, justice, moral virtue, and prosperity. It requires comparison to an objective standard, like the law of Moses. God’s standard is perfection. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Real righteousness is a gift received through the agency called faith. The Old Testament speaks about this as in the account of Abraham in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
Sin can be perceived as a debt that cannot be paid with the result that everyone is held in the bondage of slavery to sin. We are redeemed, debt paid in full, by Christ Jesus who paid for the sin of the whole world by dying a death we could not die and resurrecting to a life we could not, on our own, attain.
When Christ died on the cross his blood became the fulfilled, perfect propitiation/ expiation/ covering/ conciliation that all the animal sacrifices that came before presaged but could not effect as Christ’s blood does. We believe that he has resolved the matter of our sin thus fulfilling his words in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”
All of this comes to us through God’s grace. The words that are translated grace from Hebrew and Greek are;
חֵן chên khane; from H2603; graciousness, i.e. subjective (kindness, favor) or objective (beauty):—favour, grace(-ious), pleasant, precious, (well-) favoured.
χάρις cháris, khar’-ece; from G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy). God’s view towards us is favorable. Jesus loves us, but he also likes us. It is sometimes a surprising thought to think, “God likes me.” But it’s true.
brotherpayne 