3rd Chapter of Romans

3^rd Chapter of Romans

Romans 3:1 (all verses are from the New International Version)

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?

GOD PROVEN RIGHTEOUS BY OUR UNFAITHFULNESS

Human argument #1: Does any human have a special advantage?

“What then is the overplus of the Jew?” What does the Jew have over and above the Gentile? It is a pertinent question after the stinging indictment of the unfaithful Jew in chapter 2. - RWP

Paul basically toys with the logical afterthought the Jewish Christians must have had after hearing that God values the inward transformation of a man, not the outward symbol. Jews were used to everything being done in an outward symbolic fashion, especially when it came to their faith! But Paul also wants them to know that he is not trying to discredit all God did with them.

Paul lists the only value there was in being Jewish, not that there is any value currently, since he wrote in the last chapters that being a true Jew is being one inwardly. In the same way, circumcision, the symbol of having a covenant with God, of being Abraham's seed; has value if and only if you have made that promise true in Jesus. As we know from the last chapter, circumcision by itself is worth nothing (Gal_5:2; Gal_5:6).

Romans 3:2

Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.

Paul does not add to his “First of all..." (To begin with - ESV). He singles out the most important privilege that Jews may still claim under the New Covenant. This privilege, though, all the more will convict the Jewish Christians of being obedient in Jesus.

Here is the real value in being Jewish by heritage: they are of the people who received the very words - "oracles-ESV" (logion: the words or utterances of God; the contents of the Mosaic law) of God. They received the special revelation of God concerning the salvation of mankind and God's plan of redemption.

1. They had the oracles of God committed unto them.

2. The entire Old Testament was given through the Jews.

3. They had the first, and only, written law up to this point.

4. The Gentiles had to live by oral teachings.

5. The Catholics did not give us the Bible as they claim.

6. The Apocryphal Books were never considered to be inspired by the Jews

7. The Jews received the law, but they did not keep it. Act_7:53 – Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

8. Think of what a greater advantage we have by having the entire Bible!

Romans 3:3

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?

Human argument #2: Does not my lack of faith and obedience force God to change His plans?

Paul uses the rhetorical question approach to instruct the Jewish Christians about true worth in Christ Jesus. He goes about in a debate format, trying to pre-empt the questions they may have in their minds. He is trying to relate to them perhaps, to let them know he has had these questions as well.

Of course, the faithlessness of humans does not tarnish the faithfulness of God. It just proves God is right, as the next verse says.

Even if the Jews did not believe in what was given to them or in the promise of a Messiah, God's plan would not fail because it would have been carried out by rocks if it had to (Mat_3:9)!

Whether or not people believe in God and what He is doing to try to save them will not thwart God's plan that He has set in motion. Look at the people in Noah's time! Only he, Noah, was faithful and only he, was saved with his family! If there is only one family to be saved at the end times, then let it be so!

Eph_3:10-11

(10) His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, (11) according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom_11:29

...for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable (beyond recall or repeal).

Romans 3:4

Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." {4 Psalm 51:4}

God is true and just no matter what people think about Him. Popular opinion does not change who God is or what He will do.

God is proven true all the time. There is no accusation that can be made against God, especially when it comes to His grace, love and faithfulness, or any plan He may want to execute!

Paul quotes from David, one of the most prominent Jews in all Jewish history, showing how God's judgement is always right and that we all fall under His judgement especially when we fail to do His will, no matter who we are; even if we are the chosen King of His Kingdom (as David was at that time)!

David's jurisprudence (the science and knowledge of laws) in Psa_51:4 pronounces the arraignment (answer to the accusation) of God in man's view:

1. He is proven right (justified-ESV) when He speaks

2. He is justified (blameless-ESV) when He judges

So even though God does not have to defend Himself or prove His case before a human court, He chooses to allow the jurisprudence process of humans to come to the conclusion that He is always right, no matter what. Any human accusation against God will be proven false. They are grounded in misconception, limited perspective and deception.

Job_13:15-16

15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!

Romans 3:5

But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)

Human argument #3: God is unfair in bringing His wrath upon us if our sin proves His righteousness

Paul introduces a human argument probably popular at the time, though still applicable today. People's disobedience and stubbornness testify to this reasoning within them although they may not verbalize it. They show it in their actions and unbelief.

Some verbalize it by calling God unfair in judging all people. Some have created their own idols because they cannot fathom a God that will condemn people to an eternity in Hell. They will say - "I cannot believe in a God that does those things!" or "I only believe in a loving God!" In effect what they are saying and doing is creating their own idol to fit their own limited belief and worldly faith, fitting to their disobedience. We know that God's wish is not for people to be condemned but to be saved (1Ti_2:3-4). God is working toward this very end as we speak (Act_17:26-31).

God's wrath is coming because of sin, and we all are the cause of it. His wrath will consume you unless you have been justified in Christ - there is no favoritism! That scares people because people are used to biased judgement in the world. People believe in entitlement. The Jewish people thought they were entitlement to the Kingdom of God simply because they were Jewish, no matter if they were disobedient or faithless. Our own system of governments has enabled our entitlement mentality, which is ungodly. The only true entitlement is found within the title of being a "son of God" in Christ Jesus (Gal_3:26-27). This entitlement is gained through obedient faith, as we have seen and will continue to see in Romans.

Our unrighteousness and sin collectively prove that God is true and righteous. There is no accusation that can be brought before Him. If God wanted to condemn all of us without showing grace and mercy He is justified in doing so! Do you believe that? If you can't come to accept that then you have been corrupted by your entitlement mentality. That will not get you the grace of God because you think you are special and deserve different treatment. Be careful! For such thinking is idolatry and the cause for God's wrath.

Romans 3:6

Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?

Man does not do God any favors in becoming involved in sin. God desires our obedience since it will result in the best for man:

1Sa_15:22-23

22 But Samuel replied:

"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

he has rejected you as king."

God would not be able to judge the world if He was unrighteous. It is man who is proven unrighteous in every way:

1- Entitlement through sacrifice or favors

2- Biased judgements and false assumptions and presuppositions

3- Mental defect and empty paradigms through idolatry

4- Disobedience, rejection and wanton evil

Romans 3:7

Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?"

Paul continues to try to to show how our reasoning may not lead us to the truth unless we accept God's words as true. Why is my sin worthy of punishment if it increases the righteousness of God?; would be another way of putting it.

When Paul says my falsehood (lie), he is referring to the Gospel he is being accused of disseminating by the Jewish Christians - the Gospel that does away with the Law of Moses, as he is charged with saying.

So Paul's argument is what is logically known as an ad hominem argument (an argument from what people do).

He is basically saying:

"You view me as a false teacher. False to the religion of my fathers. I am consequently condemned by you as a sinner. But in all this I am wronged, according to your own reasoning. For if the truthfulness of God has abounded all the more by my false teaching, why do you still condemn me as a sinner? If, according to your reasoning, you should not be punished, then neither should I." -- Moses E. Lard, Commentary on Romans

Some of the Jewish Christians viewed him as a sinner because of what he was teaching - it was contradictory to the religion they had come to know through their elders. So Paul argues that if the truth of God has abounded more through his lie, why was he being judged as a sinner by them? He proves their argument to be illogical. He is trying to help them see the error of their thinking by using their view of him.

Sin never makes God look good. God hates it!

Romans 3:8

Why not say-- as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say-- "Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved.

Human argument #4: Let's do evil that good may come since our sin makes God look good

Paul reduces their argument to an absurdity. He basically says: "If your method of judging is correct, then why not do evil so that good would come out of it?" -- Coffman

This notion is not only incorrect; it is utterly sinful and justly condemned by God.

Some people were slandering the church in the fist century by accusing them of practicing this sort of evil since they thought they were surely going to be saved anyway. They were claiming Christians were saying they were above the law and entitled to everything. Of course, these were just misrepresentations of the doctrine. They had a misconception of God's grace.

Those who advocate "faith only" salvation, and in particular those of the Calvinist persuasion who believe nothing can affect their salvation, tend to hold onto this slanderous charge as part of their doctrine. Their view of God's grace is based on a slanderous accusation! How preposterous that they hold onto something the Holy Spirit reveals is slander deserving of condemnation!

They may not exactly say those words Paul repeats here, but certainly they believe some twisted versions of it, like: "It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you love God", or, "God loves everyone and we all sin anyway, so we will be OK", or a favorite of the Calvinist: "we can neither save nor condemn ourselves, God already has chosen his people and nothing we do can make God unsave us".

Their twisted way of thinking will bring about their just condemnation. Yikes!

Romans 3:9

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? {9 Or <worse>} Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

WE ARE ALL ALIKE AND CONDEMNED UNDER SIN

No man-made system can save you

All humans fall under condemnation because all humans sin. Likewise, all peoples and their systems of logic, thinking and reasoning, even the Jew with his God-given system, show how utterly helpless man is apart from God in gaining justification. We all desperately need God's revelation to save us and actually make us righteous in His eyes, something that no man-made system can even come close to accomplishing.

"This is the first occurrence of the word sin out of nearly fifty places in Romans 1 - 8. The various New Testament words for sin are deeply significant. The most familiar and frequent of them means missing the mark; another means overstepping a boundary; another, falling instead of standing; another, being ignorant instead of knowing; another, diminishing what should be rendered in full; another, disobeying a voice; another, disregarding a command and another, willfully careless. These are but a few of the aspects of sinning suggested by the etymology of the terms used." -- Griffith Thomas, St Paul's Epistle to the Romans

Paul now delivers the fatal blow to all human presumption concerning their goodness or specialties or privileges: they are worth nothing because they are powerless in accomplishing anything of real worth before the Judge and Savior of mankind.

In the following verse the Spirit describes man's 7 Fatal Flaws.

Romans 3:10

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;

Fatal Flaw #1: No one is righteous

Paul now uses a series of verses to prove the un-redeeming qualities of mankind. These are passages that all Jews would be familiar with, and therefore, not able to excuse themselves in this argument:

Psa_14:1-3; Psa_53:1-3

1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Ecc_7:20

There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

No one is righteous (dikaios: equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): - just, meet, right (-eous).)

1. No one is innocent, faultless or guiltless.

2. No one is just!

3. We all are guilty as sinners!

4. We do not want to do what is right.

5. We are easily sold out to sin.

Romans 3:11

there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

Fatal Flaw #2: No one seeks God

No man can say he seeks God, for God is the one constantly seeking after us. We cannot say: "I found the Lord!", for it is God who works around us that we may try and reach out to Him:

2Ch_16:9

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Act_17:25-27

25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

We are not interested in God nor in pursuing a relationship with Him! Not even when we are made to suffer do we seek to solely depend in Him!

1. We don't care to know about God

2. We don't care to be truthful

3. We don't care to be moral

4. We don't care to be guided

5. We don't care to be knowledgeable

6. We clutter our life with useless traditions

7. We obscure truth with our opinions

8. We make our lives worthless by our idolatry

Luk_16:15

He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."

Joh_5:44

How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

Luk_11:52

"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

Romans 3:12

All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." {12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20}

Since we are not righteous and don't seek God, we are worthless (achreioo: to render useless, that is, spoil: - become unprofitable.)

The Jews who did not follow God turned to pagan myths and idol worship. Many of these continue to influence people to this day. When we don't follow God we become worthless.

Jer_13:10

These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless!

Mat_25:28-30

28 Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Psa_53:1

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

Romans 3:13

"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." {13 Psalm 5:9} "The poison of vipers is on their lips." {13 Psalm 140:3}

Fatal Flaw #3: We deceive with our speech

Psa_5:9

Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

Psa_140:3

They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips.

1. We cannot be trusted

2. Our heart is filled with destruction - Jer_17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

3. Our mouths are cesspools (open graves) - out of them come foul things!

4. We lie to people's faces

5. We hurt and destroy others with our tongues

6. We poison (ios: (to send); rust (as if emitted by metals); also venom (as emitted by serpents): - poison, rust.) with our tongues

Romans 3:14

"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." {14 Psalm 10:7}

Fatal Flaw #4: We curse and slander with our speech

Psa_10:7

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

Pro_15:28

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

1. We curse and do not bless

2. We complain

3. We tear each other down

4. We threaten each other - bitterness (pikria: acridity (especially poison), literally or figuratively: - bitterness.)

5. We forecast gloom and doom - nothing is ever satisfying or good

6. We spread gossip and slander - we don't spread goodness or protect people's reputation

The tongue is an important indicator of character.

Mat_12:34

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Romans 3:15

"Their feet are swift to shed blood;

Fatal Flaw #5: We are quick to injure others through our actions

Isa_59:7-8

7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways.

8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.

Pro_6:16-19

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

1. We rush only to please ourselves

2. When it is for the good of others we are slow

3. Whatever we can do for others is half-baked; half-hearted

4. What we do well is hurting others

5. What we do quickly is hurting others

6. We shed innocent blood: abortion

Romans 3:16

ruin and misery mark their ways,

Isa_59:7-9

7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways.

8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.

9 So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

1. Our ways are marked with ruin and destruction

2. We always make things worse

3. We stick our noses in other people's business to worsen their situation and ours

4. We cannot think good things about others nor ourselves

5. We want liberty but cause oppression

6. We want knowledge but cause darkness

7. We want justice but condemn ourselves

Romans 3:17

and the way of peace they do not know." {17 Isaiah 59:7,8}

Fatal Flaw #6: We are unfamiliar with true peace

Isa_59:7-8

7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways.

8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.

1. We don't know how to make peace

2. We don't know how to be objective

3. We don't know how to judge rightly

4. We are biased, prejudiced and presumptuous

Peace is a by-product of doing God's will. The ungodly cannot know peace. Sin destroys peace.

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Four characteristics of divine peace:

1- Divine peace comes only from God

2- Divine peace surpasses the mind

3- Divine peace guards the heart and the mind

4- Divine peace is only available in Christ

Romans 3:18

"There is no fear of God before their eyes." {18 Psalm 36:1}

Fatal Flaw #7: We do not fear God enough

Psa_36:1

An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.

1. Our faith is blinded by our pleasures

2. We trust our sight more than our faith

3. We don't believe God

4. We don't respect God

5. We don't revere God

6. We are stupid and foolish

7. We know nothing of LOVE

There are several restraints that can keep us from committing sin:

1. Fear of punishment from: parents, school officials, employers, legal system, government

2. Our conscience

3. Our peers approval

4. Our family relationships and approval

5. The fear of God

When you loose the fear of God none of the others matter any more.

Ecc_8:12-13

12 Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

Ecc_12:13-14

13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Pro_16:6

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

Did you notice the progression of the 7 Fatal Flaws of mankind?

1. Mind - Only God and you know what goes through your mind!

2. Speech - Important indicator of character

3. Action - Shows if a character is already corrupt

4. Attitude - Cemented by repeated use of speech and actions

Transgenerational Thinking

If we view these verses as parents who are to train our children against developing these fatal flaws, we need to understand that if we are not actively training our children and delegating that responsibility to the hands of daycare centers, public or private school, even the church to raise your child in Christ; then they run a very high risk of:

Turning away from God
Being spoiled or rotten
Being Liars
Being full of cursing and bitterness
Having feet that are swift to shed blood
Being ruined and miserable
Not having the peace of God in their lives
Not fearing God

Look at the majority of children today, especially in the inner cities. Many of you may ride the trains and the buses. Do you see these fatal flaws in the teenagers and young adults of today? Generally this is speaking about all mankind but young people of any society can give us a good idea where the society in general is headed. For us in America it can look bad, but remember what Christ said in Mat_5:13-16 :

Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Mat 5:15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

As a modern parent you may not think the way an ancient Jew thought about life and their children. Jews believed their children to be extensions of their very lives. That is why Abraham was very content knowing that God was pronouncing a blessing on his children, because blessing his children was just as good as blessing Abraham himself.

In the same way, when we read Mat_5:13-16, we need to begin to think outside the box and understand and know that when Jesus speaks of being salt and light He is talking to you directly about being salt and light. Now consider these verses in light of our children being extensions of our life and faith. Our children should also reflect our convictions and be our salt and light. In a world that is perishing all around us, we need to be intentionally raising our children in a way that strategically prepares them to be the most potent salt and the brightest light possible for all future generations. This way we ensure that God's promise will continue to be extended unto all future generations. This is the progressive vision Abraham had that resulted in justified faith. Abraham did not just think about himself, but about all those that would be affected by his decisions in the here and now. As parents, you don't want to the bowl hiding your child's light due to your lack of faith and lack of training them.

Romans 3:19

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

We are all under God's Law, whether by natural or special revelation

Paul specifically speaks to the Jews here, under the Law of Moses. However, we know from earlier passages that God judged the Gentiles according to the natural law revealed through their conscience. There is no excuse. Your conscience testifies against your guilt whether you are under special or natural revelation of the law.

The Jews boasted about their special relationship with God and described the Gentiles as people under God's judgement. The Holy Spirit points out here that the Jews were under the same judgement, yet more severe since they already ha God's special law and choose to ignore it!

We will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ and will be judged whether we believe in God's Law or not:

2Co_5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Heb_4:13

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Act_17:30-31

30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

Romans 3:20

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Law cannot justify human sin

God's Laws (natural law) judge without prejudice

God's Laws (higher law) cannot justify. They are truly blind. They are not partial to anyone.

God's system of Laws

1. Physical Law - What true science can discover (Natural Revelation)

2. Natural Law - What true jurisprudence (True Legal System) can discover (Natural & Special Revelation)

3. Spiritual Law - (Law of Faith) What true theology can come to know through God's Word (Special Revelation)

Through all these Laws come knowledge of sin (wrongdoing). Even if you follow these laws you cannot be justified by them, since you are a sinner (imperfect). You can only be judged by them. Man tries to make up his own system of laws to shrug off guilt and condemnation, even perhaps to try to rise above it somehow:

Man's System of Law

1. Scientism - Leads to half-baked theories and hypothesis

2. Political Law - Man-made law (Corrupted Legal System)

3. Humanism/Spiritualism - Leads to atheism and/or idolatry

Man's own system of fabricating laws has only made matters even worse. We do not have the ability to make up laws since we cannot even follow those God made! Our own system proves our condemnation and guilt for sure!

Through God's law we become aware of sin and our shortcomings before God.

This is why law cannot justify, it can only condemn us. How does it make you feel when the law reveals your sin?

1- Wretched & Miserable

2- Ashamed & Guilty

3- Anger towards God

4- Desire for Reconciliation

Out of all these emotions only number 4 will propel you towards godly sorrow. The other emotions, even though we may have them, don't necessarily mean they will produce what God intended the Law to produce. The guilt and shame that Adam & Eve felt was a sign of a broken relationship with God. A selfless desire to mend things with God is what will help us be reconciled. When we sin, our broken and contrite heart should reflect godly sorrow because we have disappointed our Heavenly Father, in the same way a child desires reconciliation when he has disappointed his parents. My sons always seek forgiveness and a renewed relationship with me when they know they have come short of my glory as a parent. This kind of sorrow leads to repentance and mercy (2Co_7:10-12).

Romans 3:21

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

RIGHTEOUSNESS (HIS AND OURS) THROUGH FAITH OF JESUS

Righteousness apart from (the) Law but prophesied through the Law

Paul now begins to explain the righteousness of God that is revealed in the Gospel (Rom_1:17): how God makes men right with Himself. This kind of righteousness was never known before nor could it have been imparted to anyone unless in special conditions, like prophets, some kings and other men and women we read about in the Word of God. Forgiveness of sins only had come through strict obedience of the law and through the sacrifice of animals for their blood.

The Holy Spirit explains that now, in this time, the righteousness that you can receive from God is apart from (the) Law, any law, even though it was prophesied through the Law (Torah). In other words, the very Law of God upheld and announced the coming of this righteousness through the Gospel of Jesus though:

Four Great Old Testament Witnesses to Jesus and the Church: (Coffman)

1. Verbal Prophecies: numbering some 333 foretelling the coming of Jesus (Messiah) in exquisite detail and clarity - time and exact place of birth, his tribe, betrayal by a friend, details of the crucifixion and burial, that he would not see corruption or his bones would be broken, that he would speak in parables and that he would be despised and rejected by men are amongst some of the details foretold.

2. Typical persons: in the history of Israel were presented to us to set forth the attitude, character and mission of Jesus. Amongst them: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Jonah, Aaron and even Melchizedek.

3. The Tabernacle & The Temple: patterned the ultimate plan of redemption by blood. The candlestick typified the Word of God, the table and shewbread the providence of God, the veil the flesh of Christ, the mercy seat God's mercy and forbearance, etc. Even the design and construction of the temple represented various aspects of the world, the church and Heaven.

4. Jewish Ceremonies: like the thank offering, the sin offering, the Passover, the Day of Atonement, etc, were all fulfilled in Christ: He is our true atonement, our Passover, having been slain at the very hour the paschal lambs were being slain.

All these four witnesses taken together provide the most overwhelming proof of the true identity and authenticity of Jesus. These are the very things that probably Paul and the other apostles, as well as all the early Christians before the New Testament was written, used to prove that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten of the Father.

Some excerpts of the verbal prophecies:

Deu_30:6

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Jer_31:31-33

31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.

33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Both of these speak of the imparted righteousness through Jesus Christ after His First Advent:

Act_17:30-31

Rom_10:4

Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Romans 3:22

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

This righteousness that is from God can be acquired through the faith (pistis: persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of truth, or the truthfulness of God), - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.) of Jesus Christ.

Let it be noted that most translations render this sentence as:

faith in Jesus Christ (objective genitive) as opposed to faith of Jesus Christ (subjective genitive)

The Greek phrase is: pisteos Iesou Christou, with no specification of "in" or "of".

Those who advocate salvation by faith only favor the former objective genitive rendition in spite of it only appearing in all latter English translations to the KJV. Tyndale's English translation, which was the first modern English translation from the Greek New Testament circa 1526, also renders this sentence in the subjective genitive form: faith of Jesus Christ.

What is the difference - and is it significance in our understanding of these verses and the role of our faith vs. Jesus' faith in our resulting righteousness? Note the following verses in the KJV. In the original Greek there is no "in" added, which would make it objective. The absence of this specification renders faith to lie in the subject, in this case being Jesus Christ, making it a subjective genitive expression:

Gal_3:22

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Eph_3:12

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Phi_3:9

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Gal_2:16

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Proof of this arbitrary change is seen in these other verses that were left in the subjective genitive form by most English translators who changed it to the objective genitive in the previous verses when referring to Jesus Christ:

Rom_4:16 (NIV)

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

2Ti_2:18 (NIV)

who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

Tit_1:1 (NIV)

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—

And this is the proof verse to which we must compare everything:

Gal_2:20 (KJV)

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (this of is actually specified in the Greek manuscript as an inflection) the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

In these two passages the "in" is actually specified in the Greek:

Col_2:5 (KJV)

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

1Ti_3:13 (KJV)

For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

This righteousness obtained by the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus is for all who believe (pisteuo: that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe, commit (to trust), put in trust with.).

Notice how the etymology of the belief (faith) [above] that can get us God's righteousness is different than the faith [top of the commentary for this verse] of Jesus by which that righteousness comes to us. Jesus is faithful and true witness (Rev_3:14; Rev_19:11); our belief simply piggy backs on His faithfulness and truthfulness. We entrust ourselves to Him. This, of course, is shown by works of faith (Jam_2:22). However, it is important to understand that our faith, even with works, without His faith, would accomplish nothing; for our belief without works is dead and our works of righteousness are but filthy rags (Isa_64:6). However, when we entrust ourselves to Him showing obedience (the works of Jam_2:14-26), we are imputed His righteousness in the same way Abraham was credited with that righteousness when he believed God and entrusted himself to Him. We will see this comparison with much greater clarity in the next chapter: Romans 4.

Suffice it to say that the faith only doctrine becomes a meritorious work that flies in the face of this truth. Claiming that works do not save, a correct assessment, they have made a meritorious work of their faith only conviction, claiming that is what saves them. Nothing is further from the truth since God's righteousness is acquired by the faith of Jesus Christ. We are entrusting ourselves to that faith by believing on Him with obedient (faithful) faith. True faith produces good work, true love forbears pain (labor) and true hope inspires endurance:

1Th_1:3

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co_13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

These are the three you need to claim God's righteousness by faith of Jesus. So God's righteousness comes to us through Jesus' faithfulness through these channels:

1. By believing/confessing (continues action): Rom_10:9-10

2. By developing faith (conviction) only on His words: Rom_10:17

3. Righteousness (Purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it is chiefly used, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with holy affections; in short, it is true religion.) is then acquired in Christ through obedience of the Gospel by joining Jesus at His death, burial and resurrection: Rom_6:3-4

4. Justification, or absolution (Remission of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ.), is acquired by the forgiveness of your sins through the blood of Christ when you are baptized: Rom_5:9 ; Gal_2:16 Justification comes through the redemption (The purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ.) that is in Christ Jesus (verse 24).

5. Sanctification, or holiness (The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God.), is the process present in the obedient believer powered by the Holy Spirit whom you receive in baptism: Rom_15:16; 1Co_6:11; 1Th_5:23

6. Glorification (Exaltation to honor and dignity; elevation to glory; as the glorification of Christ after his resurrection.) is how we are reflecting our conformation to Christ as we allow the Spirit to transform our heart and mind. The ultimate glorification is when we see Jesus face to face!: Joh_12:23-29; Joh_13:31-32; Joh_17:2-5; Rom_8:30

Belief --> Faith --> Righteousness --> Justification --> Sanctification --> Glorification

1. We come to believe in Jesus being the Son of God

2. By believing we develop faith - trusting in Him and giving ourselves over to Him

3. His righteousness envelopes us when we are joined to Him in baptism.

4. We are washed in the blood of Jesus which justifies us: makes us as if we've never sinned. Justification through Jesus' blood brings about our redemption.

5. We also receive the Holy Spirit when we are baptized, and He does the sanctifying work that prepares us for the new life ahead.

6. As we grow from faith to faith (Rom_1:17), from one measure of glory to another (2Co_3:18), we illustrate our conformation to Christ in how we think, speak, live and love.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We fall short of His Glory

All humans, Jews or Gentiles, fall short of God's glory. We are sinners!

1. We missed the mark

2. We won't share in the prize

3. We err

4. We make mistakes

5. We offend

6. We have faults

7. We sin

Ecc_7:20

There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

Rom_5:12

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned

His Glory (dignity; honor) should be our goal. Not:

1. Our glory

2. The glory of others

3. The glory of sin

4. The glory of riches

His glory is our measuring stick. It is a tall order only fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as we discussed in the previous verse! Remember Rom_2:7-10?

7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

His glory is the one we need to seek with a passion! By persistently doing good, not occasionally! We need to make sure that we are good from within and it will be shown without! That's what Paul was talking about towards the end of Chapter 2:

Rom_2:29

No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 3:24

and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Grace is the justifier, received by faith

There is redemption in Jesus. Only He is able to make us new. We are redeemed from the bondage of sin and from condemnation. Jesus' sufferings and death purchased our freedom, delivering us from the violation of God's Law. Only "in Him" do we have available this redemption that is through His blood (Eph_1:7; Heb_9:12). These "in Him", "in Whom" expression occur 169 times in all of Paul's letters. We can only get into Jesus and into the blood when we get into His death, burial and resurrection through baptism (Rom 6). When we get into the Gospel (i.e., by means of the one baptism) we get into His body, His church (1Co_12:13). To be in Christ is to have a spiritual relationship with Him; a relationship of intimate union and identification:

Redemption is not in faith, or baptism, or in anything else except being "in Christ." Right here is that device contrived by God himself by which a man might truly and legitimately be justified; and it might be looked upon as a divine corporation. -- Coffman

Divine Corporation is how God designated to give historical fulfillment to the "plan of the mystery." That organ is a community, the community of the "chosen in Christ," of "the destined in love." In the Epistle of the Ephesians, which is supremely interested in the corporate side of Christianity, "The People of God" occupy a central place. In the Old Testament they formed the "Commonwealth of Israel" in the New Testament the Christian Church, "the Body of Christ. -- John Mackay, former President of Princeton Theological Seminary

JESUS CHRIST, INCORPORATED

Inherent in the very fact of Christ's having a spiritual body is the concept of its being extra-literal. What kind of body is it? That it is a community of believers on earth is implicit in the fact that the Corinthians had "by one Spirit" all been baptized "into it" (1Co_12:13). That, in the last analysis, it includes more than the church is plainly set forth in Ephesians where "every family" in heaven and upon earth are a part of it. All the saved of all ages are in it, because only in Christ has salvation ever been possible for anyone. The wonder of this body is that it is truly spoken of as a person, like any other corporation, being, in fact, a fully legal person, hence the propriety of saying that one is "in Christ."

Christ's absolute righteousness cannot be separated from himself and conferred or imputed to others, true righteousness being non-transferable; but it is possible, thanks to the wise provision of God in forming the corporate "in Christ," for all who will to enter that body, becoming one with Christ, fully identifiable with him, and being in fact "in him." All such then share Christ's righteousness. It is truly theirs. This is what Paul means by "redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The shares of this corporation are the righteousness of Christ. In Christ is a bank of all the righteousness ever accredited to people. All spiritual blessings are categorically said to be in this corporation, "in Christ" (Eph_1:3). This means that there are no spiritual blessings anywhere except in Christ. --Coffman

This redemption is offered by God's grace (charis: acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace, joy liberality, pleasure, thanks. The free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him. The favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin.). It is a gift from God, extended to us because of His kindness because never in a million years of righteous living could we ever earn the smallest fraction of the righteousness that is in Jesus Christ! This justification by grace cannot come through acts of righteousness because the Law has condemned our righteousness. Justification only is possible by believing that God loves us enough to send His Son to die in our place (see vs. 28).

In that all have sinned, a fact Paul was at great labor to prove, there resides the absolute necessity for every man to die as the penalty of sin, that penalty to be understood not merely as mortal but as eternal death; and God's justice will require that every man ever born on earth pay it, unless exempted through being in Christ. Thus, in the final judgment, only those who are truly "in Christ," members of that entity called the spiritual body, or, as here, Jesus Christ, Incorporated, can truly be exempted, and that not upon the basis of their faith alone, but upon the basis that Christ actually died for them, and that they died "in the person of Christ." That is the thrust of Paul's thought that Christians have been "baptized into his death" (Rom_6:3).

Jesus Christ, Incorporated, is the corporation set up through purchase by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28), the device God had planned before all time, and the mystery hidden before times eternal, and now made "known through the church" (Eph_3:10), and called the "mystery of the gospel" (Eph_6:19).

Thus, only the righteous, the perfect, the truly faithful and obedient shall be saved; and there will be no basis for any man to boast of having anything such as that, because such is not in man; but it is in Christ, and those in Christ may through absolute identification with Christ truly say that they are perfect, etc. That is what Paul meant when he wrote: "That we may present every man perfect in Christ" (Col_1:28).

Thus, it will not be an imputed righteousness, procured by the sinner's faith, but a real, actual righteousness wrought by Christ, that can save such a one as sinful man, and then only if he will die to himself and become utterly one with Christ in Christ. As Paul said of himself:

Gal_2:20

It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me; and that life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Before leaving this verse, Rom 3:24, the seeming paradox of how God's grace is free and at the same time all people do not receive it, should be observed. Paul wrote Titus:

Tit_2:11-12

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world.

From this, it is plain that God's grace having appeared, and salvation having been brought to all people, refer to the availability of that grace and salvation, and not to their being unconditionally bestowed. From the farmer who reaps down his fields to the fishermen off the Grand Banks, all men receive God's gifts conditionally, and never unconditionally. Thus, it is no surprise that God's grace and salvation came "instructing men," with the necessary deduction that rejection of the instructions was automatically rejection of the grace and salvation. Failure to comply with divinely imposed conditions is forfeiture of all benefits conditionally given. --Coffman

We receive this gift, this grace, which justifies us through the redemption in Christ, by faith, as we will see in the next verse.

Glorious is the thought that justification in God's sight is now available to all people, not upon the basis of their success in keeping the commandments of any law, nor upon the basis of their having achieved any degree of moral perfection, or even excellence, and not upon the basis of their fulfilling any kind of law whatever, except that of meeting the terms upon which God provided it. True, those terms are called "a law of faith (Rom_3:27 ESV)," a "perfect law of liberty (Jam_1:25)," and a "royal law (Jam_2:8)"... --Coffman

Heb_8:12 (Jer_31:31-34)

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Romans 3:25

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, {25 or <as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin>} through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--

God's righteousness shown through Jesus' sacrifice of atonement (propitiation)

Sin can only be absolved through the shedding of blood:

Exo_30:10

Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD.

Heb_9:22

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Heb_9:7

But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Heb_13:11

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.

Only Jesus' blood is truly effective in cleansing sin:

Mat_26:28

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Eph_1:7

In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace...

Heb_10:19

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...

1Jo_1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

This is because God presented Christ as the Passover Lamb, the reality which cast the shadow of the Exodus Passover (Exo_12:1-13):

1. Blood was used from an unblemished lamb to protect the houses of the Israelites from the Destroyer

2. The wrath of God passed over the houses who were marked with blood

3. Those who were not protected by blood died (First Born)

In the same way the Lord will Passover on judgement Day. The first Passover was a kind of judgement day pronounced upon those who were not with the Lord. That was a shadow of the real judgement day coming:

2Pe_2:9

if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

1Co_5:7

Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Rom_2:5

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

1Jo_4:17

In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

To understand Jesus' role in the restoration of our relationship with God we need to understand:

1. Propitiation ESV, KJV (hilasterion: an expiatory (place or thing), that is, (concretely) an atoning victim, or (specifically) the lid of the Ark (in the Temple): - mercyseat, propitiation.) Used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated; hence the lid of expiation [Heb_9:5], the propitiatory.) In theology, the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage (appease) His wrath and render Him propitious (favorable, kind) to sinners. Christ is the propitiation for the sins of men. Rom 3; 1 John 2.

2. Atonement (NIV): Agreement; concord; reconciliation, after enmity or controversy. Expiation; satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which is received in satisfaction for an offense or injury. In New Testament theology, the expiation of sin made by the obedience and personal sufferings of Christ.

3. Appeasement: The act of appeasing; the state of being in peace.

1. Rom_3:25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished...

2. Heb_2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

3. Heb_9:5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover...

4. 1Jo_2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

5. 1Jo_4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Atonement (propitiation) is the only thing that turns away the wrath of God. It can turn away wrath because it takes away sins: It provides: absolution (According to human law; an acquittal or sentence of a judge declaring an accused person innocent. In the canon law; a remission of sins pronounced by a priest in favor of a penitent.), justification and redemption!

Rom_5:9

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Rev_1:6

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

In speaking of the mercy seat's peculiar position above the Ark of the Covenant, Coffman writes:

This is suggesting Gods' mercy as being enthroned even above God's law. There, in the placement of that mercy seat, was revealed the key fact of God's dealings with the race of man. There it was clear that, even under the Old Testament, mercy was higher than law. No more significant truth than this was ever revealed by the typical devices of the old covenant. Thus it is most appropriate that Jesus Christ our Lord, who is the agent and the grounds of that mercy, should be called (in this interpretation of the word) the base of the mercy seat and the covering of the law. --Coffman

God put forward (ESV) (presented (NIV), set forth (KJV)) His Son as this price to be payed for our sin. This not only shows the righteousness of God in His justice and non-partiality, but also His kindness and mercy in being the one who initiated and carried out the plan of redemption for mankind. Jesus took on our sins that we may take on His righteousness:

2Co_5:21

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

WHO CRUCIFIED JESUS?

1 - God the Father

When people ask the question: "Who crucified Jesus"?, it is plain to see that God was the one who provided His Son for this purpose (Joh_3:16). It was under God's direction and the Son's humble obedience that the whole scenario of Calvary took place on our behalf. It was not the Jews who provided this sin offering for all mankind, nor Pilate who was to blame; but in reality, all mankind -- since all mankind is in dire need of a Savior.

2 - God the Son

The Son Himself, in speaking of His fore coming death said:

Joh_10:17-18

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

…so we can see from this that Jesus allowed the provision to be made on behalf of the Father towards all mankind. Without this authority given from the Father Jesus would have been obliged to do this, but we can clearly see here that it is the Son's love for His Father and for mankind that drove Him to the cross on our behalf.

3 - Satan

Satan also had a role in desiring the death of God's Son. He was behind all the evil, lies, violence and opposition amongst the Jews, disciples and Romans during that whole event. He relished in seeing Jesus going through the most pain anyone can inflict on a human being without causing his death. Yes, it was Satan who desired to bruise Jesus' heel:

Gen_3:15

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

4 - The Jews

Starting with the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees in particular, then spreading throughout those who denied and refused to believe in the Scriptures - choosing instead the tradition of the elders; the Jews had the 4th place of responsibility in the crucifixion of Jesus. By their own words they took ownership:

Mat_27:25

All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

The planning of His violent death began amongst the leaders of the synagogues and was taken to the high priest, who used his political, social and religious powers to carry out a mob rule against Jesus

5 - Gentiles

Beginning with Pilate, the Roman government, which conspired with the Jewish religious leaders to crucify a man unjustly, without evidence, without a fair and proper trial, solely based on political and social pressure, was responsible for Jesus' crucifixion. If Pilate himself found no fault with him (Luk_23:4) that should have been enough to stop any motion to condemn Him.

6 - All Mankind

We all sinned. No one is free from guilt and therefore our sin called for innocence to be crucified on our behalf. This was one of the main motivators of God the Father and His Son Jesus.

This atonement offered on our behalf through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection can only be received by faith. It cannot be meritoriously obtained since we have fallen short of God's glory already. Nothing we do can get us atonement before God Almighty, which is why this peace offering is a sign of His grace and mercy shown towards us; only to be received by faith in His work through Jesus Christ. It is important to understand that the efficacy of the propitiation is by the blood of Jesus. We accept this efficacy by obedient faith. The NIV renders the sentence: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. The connection between the blood and the propitiation is not clear. The correct syntax should render the sentence as the ESV puts it: whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This shows the clear connection between Jesus' atonement by death on a cross, where His blood was shed. Hence the faith is not necessarily in His blood, but rather on the Savior Himself, who is the expiatory sacrifice.

This plan to redeem mankind unto Himself proves God's righteousness. Why? Because knowing what was coming ahead He overlooked (tolerated: held in forbearance: selfrestraint, that is, tolerance: - forbearance. The act of avoiding, shunning or omitting; either the cessation or intermission of an act commenced, or a withholding from beginning an act. Liberty is the power of doing or forbearing an action, according as the doing or forbearance has a preference in the mind. The forbearance of sin is followed with satisfaction of mind. For our own application: The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us; lenity; delay of resentment or punishment.) the sins from the past and graciously provided absolution through the redemption in Jesus Christ in this present age, as we will see in the next verse. So God did not forget about the sin or winked at it, as some suggest, but was patient knowing that a full payment for it would be made through Jesus. His righteousness shows the full justice carried out tempered with the mercy found in His Son and all who are incorporated in Him.

God could not let sin go as if a mere slip. God demanded the atonement and provided it. - Robertson

There is no thought in propitiation of placating a vengeful God, but of doing right by His holy law and so making it possible for Him righteously to show mercy. -

Scofield

God did not only demonstrate his clemency, but his justice; even that vindictive justice whose essential character and principal office is, to punish sin. –

Wesley

Romans 3:26

he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

God's righteousness proven by His grace and received by faith

Let's have a look at some verses proving this forbearance of God:

Act_17:26-31

26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

29 Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill.

30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

Let's see the past two verses in this chapter of Romans in a more dynamic equivalent translation. They provide us with a different view of the verse in Acts 17:

Rom_3:25-26 (GW emp mine) God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God's approval is given [by Christ's blood] through faith. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past. He waited so that he could display his approval at the present time. This shows that he is a God of justice, a God who approves of people whose belief is of Jesus.

Again we find a loose translation here from every major English translation. They all translate this last part of this verse as: ...faith in Jesus. However, an examination upon the Greek text indicates there is no "in" therefore rendering the correct translation as: ...justifying the one of belief of Jesus. (see my notes on verse 22)

So our faith brings justification, as we have seen before, by our obedience to and reliance on Jesus: as our Lord and Savior. Do not be mistaken and think that Paul is talking about belief alone. He is not. He already presented to us in the whole of chapter 2 how our God is not partial to anyone and will judge us by our works; by what we have done, not by our belief alone:

Gal_5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Jam_2:24

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

This is how God shows His justice and His kindness, being that He originated and deployed the way of propitiation and He is not partial to any man.

Only in Christ, incorporated in Him and having total identity with Him, are we to be able to bypass the judgment of the law and receive the mercy that is found in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:27

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.

Faith is the new measure of glory

Paul asks the question: What then, of our own glory (sense of pride or accomplishment)?

The Jews had always a sense of boasting in one way or another, since they always saw themselves as God's people. It was a boasting of self, not a boasting in God. So Paul answers:

There is nothing to be prideful about:

1. Not in any nationality

2. Not in any religion

3. Not in your social (economic) status

4. Not in your race

5. Not in any political conviction

6. Certainly not in your career status

Boasting is the tell-tale symptom of legalism and self-reliance, independent of Christ and God's laws. Those who are traditionalist (legalists) turn God's system of faith (law of faith) into rules that cannot save you. These cannot justify anyone in the sight of God nor can they atone for your sin. Men justify each other according to these boastful reasons but God is not partial to any man (Rom_2:11). The Jews wanted to know if there was anything they could be proud about. Before they prided in their national heritage, their religious heritage, their Jewish race: circumcision, Abraham's descendants. etc. Now what? Since Paul was talking so much about works and obedience, are we to pride ourselves in our sense of accomplishments to please God? Are we to pride ourselves in our obedience?

The answer the Holy Spirit gives us is: boasting is excluded.

Why is it excluded? Because there is a new law: the law of FAITH (ESV, KJV). Now remember, we are not talking about just believing here - we are talking about faith backed up by obedience (deeds). We are talking about the system of God's incorporation of all who believe in Jesus that their sins may not be counted against them. This is the system of faith now in effect. Since no one can pride themselves in anything they have done, not even in their belief, there is only One in whom we boast: Christ Jesus our Lord (1Co_1:31)!

Romans 3:28

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

THE NEW SYSTEM OF LAW: FAITH (ESV, KJV)

1. Our justification comes by faith

2. Works of law (observing the law) cannot justify you

3. Works of obedience done in faith will justify you

4. It is a relational law - based on our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our depositories of faith

5. We uphold the law because of faith (because we are saved), not in spite of it or to gain it.

Eph_2:8-10

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith*—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Heb_10:1

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

The Undoing of Sola Fide (Faith Only)

This is the verse used by the faith only camp to support their heresy. Martin Luther added the word only, to this verse in his German translation, which is not in the Greek, to read: ...one is justified by faith only...

This doctrine ignores the following:

1. Both at the beginning (Rom_1:5) and at the end of Romans (Rom_16:26) Paul makes it clear that having faith means having obedient faith, not just believing only - faith only. When Paul talks about faith he means obedient faith always.

2. Justification by faith is not from the sinner's point of view but from the faith of Jesus. Any attempt to make man's faith a basis of justification ends up being a meritorious attempt at justification, which reduces the faith to a work; akin to being justified by works of law.

3. Justification by faith* means the sinner has entered a state of justification. This and other phrases throughout the New Testament such as saved by faith or, saved through faith, are used as a synecdoche (A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).) to mean a part of the whole vehicle of the law of faith through which we can be incorporated into Christ. Not even Jesus' faith alone saves since it has to be obeyed by the sinner to make it effective for himself.

4. Never will you see by direct command, inference or example where someone is saved by faith alone in the New Testament. As a matter of fact, the only time that phrase is used is in Jam_2:24 where it affirms that faith alone cannot justify! A direct contradiction to the sola fide supporters!

5. Paul does not contrast faith and obedient faith in these verse but justification by works of law and justification by faith. Works of law is not equivalent to obedient faith.

Gal_2:16 (KJV)

Romans 3:29

Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

God does not just have a relationship with one group of people, but with all, which is why all will be judged on the basis of their faith and works, on whether they have tried to justify themselves or have obtained justification by being incorporated into Jesus Christ.

The Jews were very proud of their nationality which by default meant a privileged relationship with Jehovah God. Being that God is one though, means He is the God of all, and not of he Jews only.

God is not just a national or tribal God, but the God of all people, whether they worship Him truly or falsely or not at all.

Romans 3:30

since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

Both Jews and Christians, the only two recognized religious beliefs by God, can only be justified by faith. Remember, faith and works go together (Jam_2:14-26)!

If any one else wants to be justified in the sight of God, now there is only one group to belong to: those who are justified by obedient faith incorporated into Christ Jesus.

Eph_4:3-6

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Romans 3:31

Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Because of faith we uphold the law

1. We stand up for (uphold, establish, support) the law

2. We uphold obedience to God and authority (Rom_13:1-2)

3. We prove God's righteousness through the law

4. We receive encouragement and hope

5. We acknowledge the Law (of Moses) as God given and pointing us to Christ

Rom_15:4

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Gal_3:24

So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

1Pe_1:10-12

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Gal_5:6 (KJV)

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Faith cannot void any law:

1. Not the Law of Moses (Torah): The righteousness of God in Christ, which is the only true ground of justification, is precisely the righteousness of Christ in fulfilling every iota of that law. That law was not voided by faith, but established by the "faith of the Son of God." -- Coffman

2. Not physical law: Some physical laws were suspended for the purpose of confirming the word of Jesus (i.e., Jesus walking on water). But obedient faith does not presuppose suspension of God's established physical laws: faithful Christians will die, be subjected to gravity (Act_20:9), etc.

3. Not God's moral law: If anything, the faithful are elevated to an even higher moral standard than the rest (Mat_5:21-22).

4. Not political law: Because of faith we uphold established authority (Rom_13:1-7; 1Pe_2:13-17).

5. Not the law of faith: Faith cannot void the system of faith itself by which God incorporates the believer. To do so would be to blaspheme the Holy Spirit (Luk_12:10)!

We uphold the Law because we have been justified, not to be justified. The disciple upholds the law in its right use because it holds him accountable before God and men. He honors the law by confessing his guilt and just condemnation apart from Christ. Jesus, on our behalf, upheld the law by obediently keeping its precepts (Mat_5:17-18; Gal_4:4-5), and by enduring its penalty, death.