Romans 3:21-31: The Revelation of God’s Righteousness

The book of Romans Theme: The righteousness of God revealed and applied to sinners

Hymn: My hope is in the Lord Who gave Himself for me and paid the price of all my sin at Calvary. No merit of my own, His anger to suppress. My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness. And now, for me, He stands before the Father’s throne. He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

Romans 1: Introduction to the letter and to the gospel of grace for unrighteous sinners; The sinfulness of the Gentiles (The powerful gospel, justification by faith, all Gentiles are sinners)                    Romans 2: Principles of God’s judgment of the Jews and the sinfulness of the Jews (God’s judgment is just and righteous, all Jews are sinners and many are guilty of hypocrisy)                                        Romans 3: Jewish objections to Paul’s rebuke of their hypocrisy and the revelation of God’s righteousness (All humans are sinners and pervasively depraved [Eph 2:1-5]). So, from Chapter 1b to 3a the sinfulness of human beings is described, Chapter 3b the righteousness of God is described. What a contrast there is between the wickedness of the pagans, the hypocritical secret sins of the Jews and the perfect righteousness of God!

I.                  The righteousness of God is displayed for and applied to human beings vs. 21-26

A.     The righteousness that God provides for people is not connected to the Law vs. 21

(It is inserted in the court transcript, and our criminal record is changed by the work of a clerk, not by us practicing rituals or rule keeping)

B.     The righteousness that God provides has been made known to humans vs. 21

C.     The righteousness that God provides was attested by the Hebrew Bible vs. 21

(It remains a witness to God’s righteousness)

D.     The righteousness that God provides comes through faith in Yeshu’a the Messiah       vs. 22

1. Who He is: the God-Man, the eternal Son of God (coeternal)

2. What He did: lived a perfect life and died on a cross in our place

E.      The righteousness that God provides comes to everyone believing vs. 22

1. It comes to Jews and Gentiles without distinction

2. It requires deep trust in the gospel of grace

3. Its focus is on the inner core of both men and women, not the skin

F.      The righteousness that God provides is only for sinners who do not reflect the required glory of God (thus they cannot earn or deserve it on their own [Psa 51:5]) vs. 23

G.     The righteousness that God provides is freely given by the grace of God vs. 24

1. It is a gift that is given to the unworthy and undeserving

2. The act of redeeming us from our enslavement to sin that was accomplished by the Messiah Yeshu’a

H.     The righteousness that God provides comes by the ransom provided and purchased by the death of Jesus the Messiah (redemption [Heb 9:11-15]) vs. 24

I.       The righteousness that God provides required the wrath-bearing sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah by the shedding of His blood (His death) vs. 25

1. The propitiation satisfied the Father’s demands of justice. All sin must be paid for by a person enduring the pains of Hell (by proxy or in person)

2. The benefit of the atonement comes only to those who trust in the death of Jesus alone for deliverance from sin’s punishment

J.       The righteousness that God provides for people displays God’s holy justice in His plan of salvation of sinners vs. 25c-26

1. In this plan of salvation, both the past and present reveal God’s holiness

2. In this plan of salvation, the sacrificial system ransomed only those who 

   looked in faith to the Messiah, who would make a final payment for their sin

3. In this plan of salvation, God is the one who declares sinners righteous

4. In this plan of salvation, God justifies only those who trust in Yeshu’a without considering fulfilled rituals 

II.                The righteousness of God is further explained by Paul’s penetrating questions vs. 27-31

A.     Where is the basis for human boasting? vs. 27-28

1. If salvation were by human legalistic observance of rules or by any kind of law keeping, then the successful law keeper could boast before God

2. But there is no basis for human boasting in self-righteousness

3. Since salvation is by faith in the work of Jesus and by a transferred alien and outside righteousness, human boasting has no basis

4. If boasting is only justified by the principle of faith, humans can only rightly boast in the object of faith (Jesus) since righteousness is a gift from God

5. The principle is to trust in the crucified Messiah [2 Thes 3:2]

6. People are declared righteous by God based on their trusting in the person and work of the perfectly righteous God-Man Yeshu’a

B.     Is God the God of the Jews only? Is not God the God of the Gentiles also? vs. 29-30

1. God created every person, not just the Jews; thus, He is the God of all human beings regardless of race or ritual

2. God is also the God of the Gentiles, of all races, whether or not we like it

3. God declares both the circumcised and uncircumcised as righteous by faith alone

4. God is one, and the Godhead is unified, all three persons together

C.     Is Paul doing away with God’s moral law by preaching salvation by faith? vs. 31

1. No, Paul is lawfully using the moral law; don’t even think or say that he is abolishing the law of God, God forbid! No way!

2. No, Paul rather is establishing the moral law by his teaching on God’s righteousness that is reflected in the moral law

3. No, Paul is restoring the moral law to its place of dominance over the temporary and time-bound ceremonial law that the Messiah fulfilled 

Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord. (1 Cor 1:26-31 HCSB)

Yahweh proclaims: the educated should not boast of their knowledge, nor warriors boast of their might, nor the rich boast of their wealth. No, those who boast should boast in this: that they understand and know Me. I am Yahweh who acts with kindness, justice, and righteousness in the world, and I delight in these things, declares Yahweh. (Jer 9:23-24)