Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Romans

April 30, 2006 #24 in series

GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH

Romans 3:21-26

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” NKJV

Paul switches to another chain of thought, “but now.” He tells us that there is a righteousness available to mankind that is completely apart from the law. The Law and the Prophets gave testimony to this righteousness. This righteousness is from God and it comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This “apart from the law righteousness” is available to any and to all but it applies only to those who believe. Faith is that which appropriates this righteousness. This includes both Jew and Gentile, as there is no difference in God’s sight. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God, which is the absolute perfection of Jesus Christ.

How does one then come into this righteousness? Being justified FREELY by His grace. A word concerning Justification by faith is in order at this point. The word “justification” means “to declare righteous” that is not to make righteous but to declare righteous.

In Romans chapter four we shall learn that both Abraham and David were declared righteous by faith (4:1-3; 4:6-8). The beautiful thing is that the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ is placed to our account when we believe that what He accomplished on the cross was for us. In I Corinthians 1:30 we read “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” While it is true that God’s mercy moved Him to provide salvation for lost men, it is not His mercy but His justice which justifies a believing sinner for whom Christ died. Beloved, as believers we stand completely accepted before God in Jesus Christ.

I like what Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, “Believers have as much right in heaven as Jesus Christ or we have no right at all. How could this possibly be? Because we are there in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!” Furthermore Paul writes that we are justified freely by His grace. In John 15:25 Jesus said that the Jews hated Him without a cause. The term “without a cause” is the same Greek word that translates “freely” in Romans 3:24. There was no cause in Jesus Christ as to why men should hate Him. THE CAUSE WAS IN US…OUR SIN AND REBELLION. Likewise there was no cause in man as to why God should justify us. THE CAUSE WAS SOLELY IN HIM…HIS LOVE AND MERCY! This justification was through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

The word redemption is a word meaning “to purchase out of the slave market and to set free.” Jesus came into the slave market of humanity that was under the bondage of sin. He laid down His life as a redemption price to pay for our loosing and releasing. The sins committed by the Old Testament saints were passed over – in other words their sins were only covered by animal blood, which was only a type of the blood of Jesus. When Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the types, God’s righteousness, which seemed to have been compromised, was demonstrated in that He gathered up all of the sins of the past and laid them on Christ when He died. So no sin has gone unpunished. In other words the Old Testament saints were saved on credit.

I like to think that those who believed before Christ’ death, burial and resurrection were saved on Master card. They sinned and the MASTER picked up the tab on the cross. When He died on the cross God reached back into the Old Testament and gathered all of the sins of Old Testament saints, which were covered by the blood of animals, and laid them on Christ. This explains the statement, “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness.” Thus His righteousness was demonstrated at what was then the present time.

You will remember that Jesus said to His disciples that in providing justification through redemption He also set forth Jesus as a PROPITIATION. The word “propitiation” occurs in the English Bible only threes times - Romans 3:25, I John 2:2 and 4:10. The word means Mercy Seat. The concept comes out of the tabernacle. The Mercy Seat was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. On the Day of Atonement the high priest sprinkled the Mercy Seat with the blood of a sacrificial victim. By this means the sins of the high priest and of the people were atoned for or covered. What the Mercy Seat of the Tabernacle was, typically, to the Israelite, Christ is, actually, to the believer and to God. When Christ made propitiation for our sins, He went much further. He not only covered them but did away with them completely. Propitiation is that Godward aspect of Christ’s death, which satisfies the whole demand of the law upon the sinner. It opens the way for God to meet in Christ, who is God’s Mercy Seat, every sinner who believes. “Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad.” This all happened to show that God was just and the justifier of all those who believe.

Friends, in Christ you have been declared righteous before God, redeemed out of the slave market of sin. All that Christ has accomplished for you and me was a divine satisfaction in God’s sight. He has made us acceptable. So enjoy your salvation this week.

Until next time, God bless!