Sunday School Notes - Romans 3:21-31

“Justification by Faith”

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Romans 3:21-31

As bad as the “bad news” has been in the previous section (1:18-3:20), we now move to the “good news”. We have seen that all of us, whether Jew or Gentile, are under the condemnation of God and rightly so. There are no escapees from this rightful judgment. But just as quickly as we have seen the court recorder accurately capture the guilt of us all, now we will see the Judge rise from His bench and do something that is as wonderful as it is unbelievable. This passage begins the next section of the book of Romans. (3:21-5:21) With the very first word in this passage, we move to what one commentator has called the “most important paragraph ever written”.  With the words of Leon Morris in our ears, let’s consider the passage before us and its ramifications not only on the book of Romans but on the entire message of Christianity.

I.                   The Righteousness of God declared in the Old Testament    Romans 3:21

a.       Romans 3:20 told us that there will be no one that will be justified by the works of the Law. In other words, there will be no one that will be declared righteous by their own efforts. The Law would only serve as a means of letting man know that he was in need of a Savior.

b.      As this section opens, we continue the thoughts of verse 20 by seeing that there is “good news” to all of the “bad news” that convicted each of us rightly and completely. A contrast is being presented here that while gaining right standing before God is impossible by the observance of the Law, there is a right standing that can be experienced apart from this Law that condemns and judges.

c.       This right standing before God apart from the Law was in fact the testimony of the “Law and the Prophets”, a reference to the Old Testament. Remember Romans 1:2? When Paul shared in Vs. 1 that he was “set apart for the gospel of God”, he shared “What Gospel?” in the next verse with a statement that is helpful here. Paul said in Vs. 2, “which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures”. The news of a coming Savior, who would die for the sins of man, was being shared by the Old Testament scriptures and the Old Testament prophets.

d.      The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Calvary’s Cross would be the avenue by which man might realize a right standing before God. That is what has been manifested, or made known to man through both the Old Testament scriptures and the testimony of faithful men.

II.                How is this righteousness before God realized? By faith!!    Romans 3:22-24

a.       In Vs. 22, we see the answer to “how” in this search for right standing before God. The answer is: Faith in Jesus Christ.

b.      Who is eligible for this gift? Again, Vs. 22 offers the answer. It is: All who believe.

c.       To whom is this possible? Everyone, because there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Both of these groups are on the same footing when it comes to “need” for salvation. We are all equal in 3 ways: our equality in need, our equality in what we receive, and our equality in how we receive it.

d.      Verse 23 reminds us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. This “glory” is what God intended man to be before the Fall. In Christ, we will be returned to that right standing that existed between God and man before the Fall. Our position as sinners and unsaved is one of always chasing after the glory of God, but we keep losing and falling further behind.

e.       So how much does it cost us? Verse 24 tells us that this justification is FREE! It does not come our way because we are so wonderful. It is by GRACE. If mercy is not getting what I do deserve, than grace is getting what I truly do not deserve. This idea of redemption comes from the ancient slave market. The idea is that “release” is obtained by payment of some ransom. Paul uses the word to refer to the release from guilt and judgment and the deliverance from slavery to sin because Christ paid the ransom for us.

f.       Before buttoning up this section of the passage, let’s get some definitions squared away.

                                                              i.      Justification means to “declare or pronounce righteous”. It does not mean to make righteous. It should be obvious that all justified believers have not been completely morally transformed. Moral transformation is part of the work that we refer to as “sanctification” and it will be discussed further as we proceed in Romans.

                                                            ii.      Justification does not mean forgiveness. Forgiveness is akin to pardon, which is merely the taking away of a debt or penalty. Justification is a positive action that credits someone with a new status. Marcus Loane says forgiveness says, “you may go, you have been let off the penalty that your sin deserves”. He continues by saying that justification says, “you may come, you are welcome to all of my love and my presence”.

                                                          iii.      Justification does not find its ground in man, but in God. It is clear from 1:18 – 3:20 that the unrighteousness of man could never allow anyone to be declared righteous on the basis of their own merit. It is the merit of Christ that becomes the ground for anyone’s justification.

g.      Does this transaction that was made on your behalf prompt a sense of gratitude in you? It should!!

III.             Christ as our sacrifice and propitiation    Romans 3:25-26

a.       Another question must be considered as we move forward. That question is, “How can God Himself be called righteous, or just, if He simply declares the wicked to be righteous?” The same God who holds everyone else accountable seems to not be doing the same towards Himself. Paul’s purpose in this portion of the passage is to demonstrate that God is indeed the One who justifies and He is just in doing so.

b.      The Greek word hilasterion is used in the New Testament only here and in Hebrews 9:5. In that verse, it is in reference to the Mercy Seat that covered over the Ark of the Covenant. Whether the usage here says in effect that Christ is the “mercy seat”, or atoning cover for our sin OR he could be simply using the term to represent the atoning sacrifice (propitiation) for our sins since in the Tabernacle the sprinkling of sacrificial blood “turned away” (propitiated) the wrath of God. Either way, it is clear that Christ became the sinless sacrifice prefigured in the Old Testament sacrifices.

c.       And what was the effect of this on God’s standards of righteousness? His standards were totally satisfied, allowing Him to free those (redeem) who were slaves of sin. So Vs. 25 continues with the thought, “this was to demonstrate His righteousness”. The Old Testament sacrifices allowed God to demonstrate His patience (forbearance) for sin committed during the past year.

d.      But now God is proven to be both the Just and the Justifier of that person who by faith believes on the atoning work of Christ at the Cross.

                                                              i.      Faith is simply saying “Yes” to God’s gift of redemption and justification through Christ.

                                                            ii.      Faith is agreeing with God that His plan of salvation is the one that saves.

e.       Have you been saved? What are you banking your eternity on? The merits of your own efforts or the atoning work of Christ on the Cross? Your answer to this question is a matter of “life and death”!

IV.             A final word for this section    Romans 3:27-31

a.       If all of the information above is correct, than Vs. 27 is the obvious follow-up question for one that is struggling with the fact that justification is “God work” and that we can offer nothing to our own salvation. There is absolutely no room to boast when someone gives you a gift.

b.      It does not make a bit of sense for someone to say that they have faith, and then in the same breath boast that obedience or observation of the law was the instrument of their salvation. If there any boasting to be done, it should be by the one who gave the gift, huh?

c.       Martin Luther gave his opponents in the church further cause to persecute him when he translated verse 28 with the word “alone”, which is not in the Greek text but surely does not violate what Paul had in mind here. “Sola Fide”, or Faith Alone, became one of the 3 rallying cries of the Reformation along with Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) and Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone).

d.      Boasting is not going to be present in the person who truly understands Vs. 29-30. The same faith that is the instrument for justification in the Jew is the faith that is the instrument for justification of the Gentile. How inappropriate to boast of something that is given as a gift to the entire human race.

e.       When considering Vs. 31, you come in contact with the truth that this justification by faith does not nullify the Law. The law serves the gospel by removing all boasting about how one might be saved. How does it do it? By demonstrating that no one can justify themselves before God by obeying the Law, so this gift of God is the only way of attaining salvation and right standing before God.

V.                An application for all of us

a.       Justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the answer to the dilemma of “How do I obtain right standing before God if obedience to the Law won’t work?”

b.      Because all people obtain an unrighteous standing before God in the same way, they must obtain a right standing before God in the same way: through faith in Christ.

c.       Right standing before God is obtained freely by God’s grace nor not at all.

d.      Without the shed blood of Christ, there is no atonement for sin.

e.       Because we receive, rather than achieve, right standing before God, boasting is excluded from the life of a believer.

f.       The Law is a servant to the gospel by pointing out the human inability to achieve right standing before God by one’s self.