The Gospel in Romans, part 8

This is the long anticipated study on the rest of the third chapter of Romans. Enjoy the Good News!

Romans 3:19-31

Text
Romans 3:19-31 ESV:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart form 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.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart form works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one - who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Study Notes:

Verses 19-20
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since thorugh the law comes knowledge of sin.
These verses conclude everything that has been said from Romans 1:18-3:18. Which is that since the law proves everyone to be under sin, the law can never, ever, make anyone righteous or good before God. It says, "For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in [God's] sight." Do you remember what it means to be justified? From verses 19-20, what did we learn about the purpose of the law?
In those two verses, Paul effectively set aside the law as our hope for righteousness and shows us in the next verses where true salvation, justification and righteousness really can be found for guilty sinners. Hebrews 10:9 says that the law must be done away with in order to establish the second (or new covenant). That is what is going on here. The law cannot save anyone, therefore the new covenant is the only way to be justified before God (Hebrews 9:13-15; 2 Corinthians 3:4-11).

Verses 21-22
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:...
What does it mean when we say something has been manifested? In verse 20, what has been manifested? What does it mean to bear witness to something? Who bears witness? What has the righteousness of God been manifested through, and for whom is it manifested? Why?
Well, the verses tell us that God's righteousness has been manifested apart from the law. It is the Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets) that bear witness to it. God's righteousness does not come through the law, by works or by doing good. (But the law points to it and talks about it). Rather, God's righteousness is through faith in Jesus Christ, and it is for all who believe, because their is no distinction [no difference, everyone is the same in this regard]. So nobody can be saved by the law, or by being a good person (because there is none good - Rom. 3:12), but there is another way. That way is by the righteousness of God apart from works through faith in Jesus. It is the only way (John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.").


Verse 23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,...
Here is the proof that nobody stands right with God by the law, since all have sinned and do not glorify God. How do we fall short of the glory of God? Do you remember what Romans 1:18-32 was teaching us about that? Let's look at Romans 1:21-25 again:

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in thier thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God [YHWH - I AM] for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts ot impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen."

From those verses, what did we learn about how people fall short of the glory of God? How did they sin?

Verse 24
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,...
Who are justified by God's grace as a gift? Verse 23 said "all have sinned," so those who are justified are sinners, but that's not all, they are also believers (v22). How are they justified? It says, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." What does the word redemption mean? Those who are justified by God's grace as a gift, are justified by the salvation and deliverance that is in Christ Jesus. They have been bought back, recovered and freed from their previous condition.

Verses 25-26
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.
Here's how the redemption in Christ was provided. God put forward the Lord Jesus as a propitiation by his blood. Do you remember what the word propitiation means? Propitiation comes from the idea of the Mercy Seat in the Old Testament. The blood was to be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat where God would meet with the Priest when he made atonement for the sins of the people. Propitiation is a wrath appeasing sacrifice. It is a sacrifice that satisfies God's righteous wrath and also pleases Him on behalf of those for whom the sacrifice is made. It pleases God. How is this sacrifice to be received? It is not received by works, or by praying certain types of prayers, or by participating in certain ceremonies (like baptism or the mass). It is not received by all the religious inventions of man. How then is it received? The answer is, "by faith." By simple, childlike trust in God, that Jesus is the propitiation for my sins. Jesus is my Lamb, that makes atonement for my wicked, evil, vile, rebellious and hateful sinfuness. Jesus satisfied the wrath of God for me by taking it upon Himself. Believing, trusting, being satisfied with Jesus as your redeemer, is how it is received.
What does this show about God? It shows God's righteousness. Why does God's righteousness have to be shown? Because He passed over former sins and did not punish them justly. How can God be just and also justify someone who is trusting in Jesus? The only way for God to be just and also the justifier of the one who is trusting in Jesus, is by putting Jesus forward as a propitiation by his blood (so that God's justice is satisfied by the bloodshed and death of Jesus).

Verses 27-31
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one - who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Here Paul does the question and answer thing again. What are the questions? What are the answers? 1. What of boasting? Ans: Excluded. 2. By what law? Works? Ans: Not by works, but by faith. 3. Is God the Jew's God only? Is He also God of Gentiles? Ans: He is God of both Jews and Gentiles. Yes, even Gentiles! God is one and He justifies Jews and Gentiles one way only - through faith. 3. Do we get rid of the law then by this faith? Ans: No way! Rather, we uphold (establish, set up) the law (put the law in its rightful place. Not as something that justifies, but as something that locks us under the condemnation of sin, so that we may be justified by faith in Jesus Christ instead of by law - Gal. 3:21-26). This is not a license to keep living a sinful lifestyle, but freedom from both the curse of the law and bondage to sin, so that we may live to please God.

Conclusion:
Romans chapter three contains such a powerful and clear message on the good news of the gospel. It really is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." (Rom. 1:16). What about justification by faith have you had a hard time grasping? Does the word propitiation have an especially dear and precious ring to you now when you hear it? If not, check your heart to see if you understand how far you have gone away from God into sin, and then look more closely on what Jesus did to save you by His death if you are resting in Him as your righteousness from God. What does it mean to have faith in the blood of Jesus? Do the words resting, trusting, relying, being satisfied with, treasuring, looking to Jesus help you define what it means to believe in Christ as your propitiation?