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)

Romans 3:1-20: Jewish Objections to Paul’s Exposure of their Hypocrisy and Secret Sin

 

Paul Anticipates How a Pharisee Would Question Chapters 1-2

What does a person need to be right with God? Only one thing is acceptable, and that is God’s righteousness. Our self-righteousness is as medical waste surgical rags. Paul has shown in Chapter 1 that the pagan person’s open immorality, idolatry, materialism, hedonism, and sinful attitudes against God in their family line and their suppression of their consciences resulted in His wrath coming in three stages. 1) He removed the barriers and allowed them to sink lower into immorality and denial of the truth 2) He removed the barriers and allowed them to go into sexual perversion 3) He removed the barriers and allowed them to develop a depraved and defective mind, sold out to naturalism and open wickedness. Meanwhile, the religious man, illustrated by a Jewish Pharisee, did not participate in this outward defiance of God’s character, rule, and commands. The religious man was given to the hypocrisy of practicing these sins in private less frequently. So, with greater truth and warning from God, the Jewish person added hypocrisy to immorality, idolatry, love of possessions and theft. Having God’s truth worked to increase the punishment on those who refused to live by faith and walk in loyal obedience to Yahweh. They had wrongly exalted the ceremonial law and oral tradition over the moral law. So, now that Paul has declared all Gentiles are sinners and all Jews are sinners, he anticipates an argument from the Jews, which further reveals their hypocrisy. The Gentiles admitted they were violating their consciences and living wickedly. Thus, Paul asks the questions a Jewish Pharisee (legalist) would ask and then answers them.

I.                  Anticipated question # 1 found in vs. 1-2

A.    {Q} Paul, if a person is not a real Jew by circumcision or by birth, then what advantage is there in being Jewish and practicing Judaism?

B.    {A} There is much advantage in being born Jewish and following the law because the Jews were entrusted with Special Revelation (Hebrew Bible) and they had authoritative directives of what God likes and dislikes and His nature. The Jews had the very words of God written down and read to them weekly

II.               Anticipated question # 2 found in vs. 3-4

A.    {Q} Does the unbelief of a group of Jews reverse all of God’s promises and make Him unfaithful to all those covenant promises?

B.    {A} Do not say or even think this! This is blasphemy. God Forbid! No way! This question attacks the character of God, His sovereignty, His unchangeableness, His faithfulness, and His holiness, which includes keeping His word. No, the Old Testament teaches God cannot lie, but all men are liars (Num 23:19; Deut 32:4; 1 Sam 15:29; Psa 116:11, 51:4, 100:5). Men are deceivers and liars, but God is always true to His Word. God’s holy faithfulness and His divine purposes cannot be overturned by the unfaithfulness of man. When David’s sins were revealed, God remained holy and faithful when His servant was not. The Messiah still came through David’s genealogy.

III.             Anticipated question # 3 found in vs. 5-6

A.    {Q} If our unrighteousness, by contrast, clearly displays God’s righteousness, is not God unjust for punishing us in His wrath for contributing to His glory? (Paul’s Disclaimer: This is the natural man talking; I would never say this.)

B.    {A} Do not say or even think this! This is blasphemy. God Forbid! No way! You so-called Jewish man, wake up. You just created a god who would be incapable of judging even the most wicked human or angel. That is not the God of the Bible, who will judge all sin and sinners (Gen 18:25).

IV.            Anticipated question # 4 found in vs. 7-8

A.    {Q} Why am I being judged as a sinner if through my hypocritical life and mouth God’s truth is amplified to His glory? We are only being deceptive and doing evil simply so God’s glory can be enhanced and increased when people view the difference between us and God, like Paul teaches.

B.    {A} I know some are falsely accusing us of teaching this blasphemous and evil error, but anyone who thinks and talks like this will receive his/her just condemnation from God. This type of reasoning will result in severe punishment.

V.               Anticipated question # 5 found in vs. 9-18

A.    {Q} Are we not as Jews less guilty of sin than the Gentiles?

B.    {A} Not in any way. You are guiltier because you had more sources of truth.

1.      We have already stated the charge: both Jews and Greeks are all under the power of sin. (A review of chapters 1 & 2)

2.      Your Hebrew Scriptures reveal the depravity of both the Jewish and Gentile person’s heart. Job 14:4, 15:14, 40:4; Psa 5:9, 10:7, 14:1-3, 36:1,3, 53:1-3, 130:3, 140:3, 143:2; Prov 1:16, 6:18, 20:9; Eccl 7:20; 2 Chr 6:36; Isa 31:1, 59:7-8 (also see Matt 12:34)

C.    What is the spiritual condition of every human since the rebellion and fall into sin?

1. There is not one righteous person on the earth, NONE (vs. 10-12)

2. There is no one who understands his unrighteous condition unaided

3. No human on their own seeks for God, NONE (Eph 4:18-19)

4. All have turned away from God—the source of life and truth

5. Man has joined others in sin to be utterly corrupt, rotten to the core

6. There is not one human who does good on their own according to God’s   

 righteous standard, not even one out of billions of humans. For a good  

 work to be acceptable to God, it must be done by one in a covenant

 relationship with Him, done in faith and love to the glory of God.

D.    What is Paul’s evidence of human radical, pervasive, and total depravity? vs. 13-18

1.The words humans speak vs. 13-14

2.The actions humans do (man’s history of bloodshed) vs. 15-17

3.The worship humans offer (a lack of love, loyalty, and worship of the true creator God) vs. 18

VI.            Can sinful humans undo their sin record by starting to keep God’s law? No! vs. 19-20

A.    The law shows people they are accountable, without excuse and guilty before God

B.    The law reveals to us that many more things than we thought are sinful and wrong

C.    No human can be declared righteous before God simply by starting to follow the law’s instructions. The law cannot save now and never could. It reveals, not delivers

D.    Roman’s theme: The righteousness of God revealed and applied to sinners

Romans 2:1-29: The Hypocrisy and Sinfulness of the Jews

General Principles of God’s Judgment that specifically apply to Jewish sinners (Rom 2:1-16)

I.                  The judgment of people by God is according to the real truth vs. 1-3

a.      Human judgment is biased, inconsistent, and often hypocritical (Matt 7:1-5)

b.     Humans are often blind to their own sin, except in others

c.      Humans will not escape God’s accurate judgment

II.                The timing of the judgment of people by God reveals He is long-suffering and has gracious forbearance vs. 4-5

a.      God’s forbearance is granted to people (He has not judged me yet; I must be excused)

b.     God’s long-suffering kindness is abused by people who refuse to truly repent (They are stockpiling more wrath for the future by their rebellious self-rule. Judgment is in degrees. See Luke 12:45-48; 2 Cor 5:10; 11:15; Matt 16:27; Rom 2:6, 16; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10-12; Deut 28:20; Psa 28:4; Luke 23:41; John 5:29; Gal 5:21; 1 Tim 5:24-25; 2 Tim 4:14)

c.      God’s forbearance and delay of His full wrath is weakness (He must be reluctant to give me my just due; maybe I will get away with it after all)

III.              The final judgment of people by God is individual vs. 6 (each person, not a group)

IV.              The judgment of people by God is according to works vs. 7-8 (This is not salvation by works, but judgment by works. See Psa 62:12; Prov 24:12; Eccl 11:9, 12:14; Isa 59:18; Jer 17:9-10, 21:14, 25:14, 32:19, 50:15; Ezek 24:14, 36:19; Hos 12:2; Matt 16:27, 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 3:12-15, 4:5, 6:9-11; 2 Cor 5:10, 11:15; Gal 6:7-9; Eph 6:8; 2 Tim 4:14; 2 Thes 1:4-7; 1 Pet 1:17; 1 John 3:7-10; Jude 14-15; Rev 2:23, 11:18, 18:6, 20:12-13, 22:12)

V.                The judgment of people by God is impartial concerning race, family and status vs. 9-11

a.      Judgment for sin will come to everyone who does wrong things (words, thoughts, communications, deeds/actions)

b.     The blessings of God come on everyone who does good (words, thoughts, communications, deeds/actions)

c.      The judgment of God does not have several standards (You do not get a free pass because of who you are, who you know, race, reputation, social status, financial status, age, or any external conditions. It is based on the violations done and with justice and appropriateness. See Deut 1:17, 10:17, 16:19, 32:4; 2Chr 9:17, Acts 10:34; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; Jam 2:9; 1 Pet 1:17)

VI.              The judgment of people by God will come to both those who have been exposed to the written law of God (Jews) and those who have never heard of God’s law (Gentiles)

a.      Those who sin against their conscience and general revelation are still without excuse and will languish under wrath forever even though they never heard God’s instruction in the Bible

b.      Those who have the Hebrew Bible will be judged by their perfect adherence to all that is written in the Scriptures (listening to the Old Testament without loyally obeying it perfectly only increases one’s punishment) Jam 1:23-25. This is also true for make-believers in the church. They have more truth, and thus greater responsibility and greater judgment

c.      Justification, to be declared righteous in God’s courtroom, requires perfect conformity to the Law (moral, civil, and ceremonial). The Jewish remnant realized they could not do this, so they relied on God by faith and received justification based on the perfect obedience and death of God’s Messiah, Yeshu’a

d.     Even the pagans have some of the moral law, especially commands 5-9 written in their hearts and instructing their consciences. A regenerate believer has all the moral laws, including the Ten Commandments, engraved “on” their hearts, Jer 31:33. This law in the heart leaves the pagans even more without excuse along with general revelation and conscience

VII.            The judgment of people by God will include their secret sins and the Messiah Jesus will be their judge vs. 16 (Eccl 12:14; Matt 10:26, 12:37; Mar 4:22; Luke 8:17; 1 Cor 4:5; Acts 17:31, 24:25; 2 Cor 5:10)

Further evidence of the sinfulness of the Jews (Rom 2:17-29)

I.                  The people claiming to be Jews have God’s special revelation revealed in the Hebrew Bible vs. 17-20

II.                The people claiming to be Jews are questioned and challenged vs.21-23

III.              The people claiming to be Jews are rebuked and instructed vs. 24-29

a.      The name of God is severely dishonored because of the hypocrisy of His people

b.     How are we violating the law of God? We are circumcised! Unless you keep the law perfectly, your circumcision is worthless and is undone as a sign of a covenant relationship

c.      We are the only ones in God’s family, as is shown by the ceremonial law. How can we be excluded? The most important thing is the righteousness of God, not rituals

d.     If the righteous uncircumcised will judge the unrighteous circumcised, then what does it mean to be Jewish? (The English term Jew is from the Hebrew term Yudah = Praise) A true Jew is one who has a circumcised heart. Regeneration followed by conversion from selfishness and sin makes one a son or daughter of God and a worshiper of God. (Deut 10:16, 30:6; Jer 4:4, 9:25-26; Rom 3:30, 4:9-11; 1 Cor 7:18; Gal 2:3, 5:1-13; Eph 2:11, 13-22; Phil 3:2-3; Col 2:11, 3:11; Titus 1:10-11) 

Romans 1:18-32 The Sinfulness of the Gentiles

Why humans cannot be saved by works

 

I.                 Four unveilings, revelations, or exposures are mentioned in Chapter 1

A.     The revelation of God’s nature to man vs. 20

B.     The revelation of each human’s sinful heart to the entire world vs. 22

C.     The revelation of God’s wrath against sin and sinners vs. 18

D.     The revelation of the righteousness of God in the Gospel vs. 17

E.      The linchpin verse of the chapter is vs. 17

1.      Introduction to the letter and to the gospel of grace vs. 1-17

2.      The evidence for the sinfulness of the Gentiles vs. 18-32

II.               The Gentiles are sinful and without personal righteousness vs. 18-32

A.     Why God’s wrath, His holy indignation & judgment is continually being revealed

1.      Man, historically rejected God through two sets of genealogies, Adam and Noah and his three sons and their wives vs. 20

2.      Every person alive today had an ancestor who knew the God of the Bible who was followed by a child who was not taught the truth or who deliberately rejected God and the message of his parents vs. 20

3.      Every person alive today has a personal and internal knowledge of God that they nurture or suppress with evolution, relativism, belief in a chance universe, luck, fate, pagan philosophy, or immorality vs. 19

B.     The God of the Bible is revealed through natural, general revelation vs. 20

1.      His general attributes and designs are displayed in the created universe

2.      Therefore, every human is responsible, accountable, and without excuse for his/her rejection of God and His moral law

3.      People intentionally suppress this knowledge; they choose atheism or agnosticism for very practical reasons: their lifestyle

4.      God’s creative supernatural power, design, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and holiness are seen in the created order

C.     General and personal revelation are both clear. However, humans are blind and spiritually dead, so they are defective receptors of the truth. But because of the clarity of the revelation, they are responsible, accountable, and without excuse

D.     We all had an ancestor who personally knew the Creator God of the Bible

1.      People used to know God: Adam, Eve, Shem, Ham, Japheth vs. 21

2.      The knowledge of God was rejected and held down

3.      This resulted in a loss of the wisdom of God’s revelation vs. 21b-22

4.      The knowledge of God was substituted for idols and false religion vs. 23

E.      Suppression, rejection, and substitution of the truth brought on God’s wrath

1.      God gave them over to sin’s rule in their life vs. 24, 26, 28

2.      The judgment is God removing the restraints and allowing them to follow their desires, loves, and hearts into the worst kind of bondage

3.      These people know they are wrong in what they choose to believe and do, but they willingly go deeper into sin to their own destruction vs. 21

F.      The pagans follow a pattern that is a downward spiral of depravity and degradation that follows three stages vs. 24

1.       Sexual immorality – lusts – ferocious appetites – desires out of control

2.      Sexual abnormality – the principle of diminishing returns vs. 26-27 passions out of control like a raging forest fire (see Gen 19:4-9; Lev 18:22, 20:13; Deut 23:17-18; Judg 19:22-24; 1 Kgs 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kgs 23:7; Isa 3:9; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 4:19; 1 Tim 1:10; Heb 13:4; 2 Peter 2:6; and Jude 7; Rev 21:8, 27, 22:15)

3.      Sinful reprobate mind – free moral agency is damaged by constant surrender to the bondage of sin and Satan vs. 28-32

G.     What you worship reveals your moral framework vs. 25

1.      Sinful humans cannot diminish God’s glory

2.      Men’s character reflects what they truly worship

H.     Sample sins of pagans

1.      General heart motivations and specific desires vs. 29 (unrighteousness, evil, greed, wickedness—full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, malice)

2.      Daily conduct of Gentile sinners gossips to unmerciful vs. 29e-30 (gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, inhumane, unforgiving, unmerciful)

I.       The stages of sin and the lists are sins worthy of capital punishment

J.       Man’s inhumanity to man is proof of the doctrine of total depravity

III.            The evidence is clear that humans without special revelation and regeneration will live purposeless, cruel, and wicked lives

A.     The Gentiles do not possess personal righteousness

B.     The Gentiles cannot be delivered from judgment by works

C.     The Gentiles need to get righteousness from somewhere else so they can escape the wrath of the Holy God of the Bible

D.     Jesus is the only way of salvation, deliverance from wrath for pagan Gentile sinners