Lesson 9 – Romans Chapter 3:22-31
We’ve seen so far in chapter 3 that there is indeed value in being a Jew, God chose them for so many things. But being a Jew didn’t make them above everyone else, because God has no partiality when it comes to saving people. Chapter 3 also teaches us that the Law was delivered to the Jews, and also, that “the entire world is guilty before God.”
Knowing that we are all “guilty” before God, He does have a plan and purpose for the world.
Rom. 3:22
“But it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction,”
We learned in verse 21 that the righteousness spoken of here refers to an act of God, where He declares sinners as righteous, for all those who place their faith in Jesus.
“Faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe”
We could turn this around and it would sound just as sweet, “all those who believe have faith in Jesus Christ.
• To you personally, what does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?
When we place our faith in Jesus, we believe in Him, and thus, God grants His righteousness to us.
To have faith in Jesus means that we put our full trust in Him. To use a poker term; “We’re all in,” we have no reservations whatsoever. By doing this, it takes all the pressure off of us, knowing that this comes from God and that He has done all the work… all the heavy lifting (quite literally, Jesus carried He own cross).
By putting our faith in Jesus, we’re trusting in the power and goodness of our Lord. Without faith in Jesus, we remain in our sin and cannot be accepted into God’s presence.
There is a difference between knowing who Jesus is, and placing your faith in Jesus.
James 2:19
“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” (NLT)
To have faith in Jesus, means that you believe in your heart of hearts, that Jesus, the Son of God, suffered and died for your sins, and that on the third day, God raised Him from the dead… giving Jesus victory over death, sin, and satan.
Rom. 10:9-10
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”
When hearing and reading this scripture, if this brings a peace to you… then you know that you’re saved!
“For there is no distinction,”
Paul is reaffirming to us that there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile… again, that we’re all on a level playing field when it comes to being saved.
We also see this in verse 23;
Rom. 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
All means All, every one of us have sinned, and as we saw in verse 12, “THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME CORRUPT; THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” Not even one, everyone is guilty in God’s eye’s.
I John 1:8-10
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
This is why everyone needs to confess their sins before God and ask for His forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus.
Without God’s forgiveness, we are left to our own sins. With this being true, how can a person get rid of their sin?
From Jewish Answers.org, here is what a Jewish Rabbi had to say about getting rid of sin; His reference was from Deuteronomy 30:1-15;
“In short, a person must stop doing the sin, regret having done it, verbally confess, and make a commitment to refrain from that sin in the future. The degree of forgiveness is commensurate with the degree of heartfelt repentance. The death of another person certainly does not serve to erase our sins and grant us salvation. Nor does any mere declaration provide us with reward. The difference between Judaism and Christianity in their approach to repentance is an extension of their other major difference. Judaism is focused on our obligations in this world. The Torah talks about perfecting ourselves in this world and the rewards we will receive here. If a person is good, she will receive reward in the world to come as well. If not, she will undergo a purification process after death. Again, these points are fleshed out by the Talmud and commentaries.”
From a Catholic point of view;
Receiving forgiveness for a mortal sin involves going to confession, naming the sin, giving details about the context of the sin, who was involved, the number and type of occurrences, and any other factors that may exacerbate or lessen culpability. A Catholic is to go to confession, repent of their sin and ask for forgiveness. They will need to do some acts of penance in order to have the ability to freely attend mass once again. Then, according to Roman Catholic teachings they will once again attain a state of grace.
For the Hindu;
The idea of sin forms the basis of Hindu ethics and morality. Its purpose is to facilitate the order and regularity of the world, enforcement of Dharma and the evolution of beings through a corrective and punitive process. Sin may arise from both intentional and unintentional actions and through negligence and ignorance. There is no concept of original sin in Hinduism. It is an aspect of a duality, its opposite being virtue or dharma. Their mistakes can be forgiven if they uphold Dharma as a service to God. Further, the sins which they accumulate during their lives upon earth can be removed, neutralized or cleansed through austere self-effort and devotion to God. God is all pervading. He pervades his creation also, which is inseparable from him. Hence, it is also divine and pure, although temporarily it may be clouded by impurities, just as the sun is temporarily obstructed by the clouds.
Sin is one such impurity, which arises as an effect or consequence from one’s evil actions, and which can be neutralized through various Yogas and transformative practices on the path of liberation (Moksha).
In Islam;
In the case of one who has committed major sins, if he meets Allah, may He be exalted, having repented sincerely from it, Allah will not punish him for it or take him to task for it, because the one who repents from sin is like one who did not commit sin. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
We could go on and on about how the world takes away sin, much of which is “good works,” but according to the Bible, only God can take away our sin (The God of the Bible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
Eph. 1:7
“In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Rom. 3:24
“Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,”
Being justified… (di-kai-oō) Greek meaning, to render righteous or such he ought to be.
Theologian, Leon Morris:
“Justification is a legal term with a meaning like “acquittal”; in religion it points to the process where by a person is declared to be right before God. That person should be an upright and good person, but justification does not point to qualities like these. That is rather the content of sanctification. Justification points to the acquittal of one who is tried before God.”
Remember… all have sinned, all are guilty… we find ourselves in need of an acquittal. Who can help us? Who will be our advocate?
I John 2:1
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”
Advocates offer support, strength, and counsel and intercede for us.
Heb. 7:25
“Therefore, he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
Rom. 8:33-34
“Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
This is all good news for the believer! Is this a case of, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true,” in the words of Paul, “May it never be!”
Then, how can this be? It is a gift from God! The NKJV says it’s given “freely.”
From Jon Courson;
In John 15:25, the Greek word here translated “freely” is translated “without cause.” That’s how it should have been here as well: “being justified without a cause.”
Eph. 2:8
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”
Rom. 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 4:10
“Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” (NLT)
So, the Good News that seems too good to be true, is a gift from God!
“Through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,”
Redemption… liberation procured by the payment of a ransom.
Back when I was a kid, grocery stores had this thing going, every time my mother bought something she would get S&H stamps. We would stick the stamps in a book, and when the book or books were full, we could redeem them for cool stuff.
Back in Paul’s day, in the center of every Greek city was the “agora,” a place where goods and services were bought and sold, this could also include slaves as well. This was the act of redemption, which was the word agorazo.
Redemption, in our verse is the word Apolutrosis which is different, this speaks of a man going into the agora to purchase a slave for the express purpose of setting him free totally and completely… never to be a slave again.
Jesus is speaking about this redemption in John 15, where He says, a person will lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13-15
“Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
Our redemption which is in Christ Jesus…
Jesus purchased us with His blood; instead of Jesus receiving S&H stamps for His purchase, Jesus received every believer who makes Him Lord of their life.
Rom. 3:25
“Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished;
I love this word “propitiation.”
Heb. 2:17
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
I John 2:2
“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
I John 4:10
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Propitiation… means: relating to an appeasing or expiating (atoning), having atoned or atoning force, expiate; a means of appeasing or expiating (make amends or reparation).
The Greek word for propitiation is, Hilastērion which means “to appease the wrath of.”
John MacArthur; “In ancient pagan religions, as in many religions today, the idea of man’s appeasing a deity by various gifts or sacrifices was common. But in the New Testament propitiation always refers to the work of God, not of man. Man is utterly incapable of satisfying God’s justice except by spending eternity in hell.”
I Tim. 2:6
“Who gave Himself (Jesus) as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”
Jesus appeased the wrath of God, by shedding His own blood.
I Peter 1:18-19
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
“Through faith”
Those who are redeemed, justified, and sanctified by the shed blood of Jesus, are those who receive all this through faith.
“This was to demonstrate His righteousness,”
Try to contemplate God’s righteousness… if you can.
Isa. 45:5, 21-23
“I am the LORD, and there is no one else; there is no God except Me. I will arm you, though you have not known Me,”
“Declare and present your case; indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”
Righteousness in the Bible is spoken of at least 295 times. The word righteousness comes from a root word that means “straightness.”
God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness. So, our righteousness is defined in terms of God’s righteousness.
In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham is speaking to the Lord…
Gen. 18:25
“Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
It’s amazing to see the boldness of Abraham questioning whether God is going to do the right thing or not. God’s judgment is always true.
Rev. 19:1
“After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just.”
The Ten Commandments and other related laws, defined Israel’s relationship with God.
To obey those laws was to act righteously, because such obedience continued the covenant relationship between God and His people. In the same way, believers should act righteously.
Let’s always remember, that the cross of Jesus is a public demonstration of God’s righteousness.
Phil. 3:9
“I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”
II Cor. 5:21
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
(25) Because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished;
Restraint, forbearance, or held back (anochē) meaning, self-restraint, i.e. tolerance.
Restraint is not a sign of injustice as some might try to say, but this is perhaps one the greatest declarations of God’s amazing grace and patience.
Psalm 78:38-39 (Speaking of the Israelites in the wilderness)
“Yet He was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times He held back His anger and did not unleash His fury! For He remembered that they were merely mortal, gone like a breath of wind that never returns.”
Look at it this way, because of God’s justice, no sin will ever go unpunished, and because of God’s grace, there is no sin He can’t forgive.
Oh, except for the grace of God go I…
Because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, God will not compromise His holiness when He forgives our sins.
Rom. 3:26
“For the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
From vs. 25 when God, “held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past”… (NLT)
“He was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.” (NLT)
Again, I believe Paul is continuing here to declare the “grace of God.”
Because God is both just and fair, there must come a judgment for sin. In looking ahead, God made a provision for man, a plan to restore a right relationship with Himself. This came through the incarnation (Jesus becoming a man) and sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God.
And as we talked about in verse 25, Jesus is our propitiation to our sin problem, through His sacrifice the Father’s wrath against sin was appeased. This holds true for all that have placed their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Rom. 3:27
“Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”
“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.” (NLT)
Paul is playing a little word game here, “by what kind of law” and “by a law of faith.” It’s almost like he’s saying, “Oaky, you like to use the word “law,” I’ll give you a law, the “law of faith.”
There is no “boasting” when it comes to being saved!
Eph. 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
We didn’t work for our salvation, God did, He did all the work and then offers us salvation as a gift. At this point you might say, “all we have to do is apply the “law of faith.”
Rom. 3:28
“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
Rom. 5:1
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Gal. 2:16
“Nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Gal. 3:24
“Therefore, the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
The believer is justified and “declared righteous” apart from what the law requires.
• What is it that the Law requires from a person? Absolute obedience.
Let us remember, remember, remember, that salvation comes only through faith alone, there is no other way.
Rom. 4:22-25
“And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.”
Rom. 3:29-30
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”
Paul has already made this point, which means he really wants us to understand that God is a respecter of “no person,” that we are all on a level playing field, God has to be the God of everyone. God will justify the circumcised by faith, this means that God’s offer of salvation is extended to the Jews. There is one God, one faith, and one salvation, anyone who puts their faith in the finished work of Jesus will be saved, this includes the Jews.
Just as not all Gentiles will come to Christ, not all Jews will either.
Rom. 9:27
“And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, “Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.”
Just as all people groups are equally condemned by God for their sins, they are equally offered God’s gracious gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Rom. 3:31
“Do we then nullify the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”
“Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.” (NLT)
Gal. 3:23-24
“Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.” (NLT)
Matt. 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (NIV)
We see through the Law, that it’s impossible to keep, especially when Jesus pointed out in the Sermon on the Mount, that it wasn’t just through the external that we sinned, but it was also our thoughts that got us in trouble as well.
Seeing our depravity… “For all have sinned”
By the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves at the foot of the cross, asking for sins to be forgiven.
The message from God is; Jesus is the only solution to our sin problem. In this way, I believe Jesus has fulfilled the law.