Romans 3:25-31: "Justified by Faith"

In the last section, Paul had explained to us the only way to receive righteousness: through Christ. He explained that we cannot attain holiness in the Law, but rather, outside the Law in the person of Jesus Christ who God poured out His wrath on the cross publicly "as a propitiation". At the end of verse 35, we see that God had done this to "demonstrate His righteousness". MacArthur explains, "the Holy Spirit led Paul to declare that, through the cross, God not only allowed but planned before the foundation of the world what would be the most unjust act that men could commit - the putting to death of His own sinless Son. But through that heinous act on men's part, God not only manifested His divine righteousness by offering His own Son but also used that act of divine grace to demonstrate His divine righteousness." This demonstration allowed His wrath for sin to be justified, and through faith, man to receive His righteousness. Even more amazing is that God did all of this to inferior humans who only hated Him. God, who had given man instructions on how to live through His Word, the Prophets, creation, and men's conscience, had watched throughout history as man ignored God and disrespected His Word. This clearly shows the "forbearance of God [as He] passed over the sins previously committed". By passing over, God did not excuse or condone the sins of the past, but rather, temporarily withheld it in order to give man the chance to reconcile. It would be completely just that the second we sin we would be destroyed in judgment by God. However, He has graciously forbeared our sins, in order to allow us time to reconcile with Him. II Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance". We can see that through the "incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ, God gave mankind the ultimate revelation of Himself - the ultimate demonstration . . . of His righteousness at the present time", commentates MacArthur. Paul also goes on to explain that God was "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." What we must understand is that only God could forgive us. Like David recognizes in Psalms 51:4, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." And because our sins are against God, only He could forgive us of our transgressions. This is why Paul states that God is the "justifier", for only He has the power to do so. MacArthur says, "The real 'problem' as it were, with salvation was not the matter of getting sinful men to a holy God but of getting a holy God to accept sinful men without violating His justice. It was only through the cross that God could provide a just redemption for sinful men."

So not only did the cross show God's righteousness, but it also shows His grace. Grace can be defined as unmerited favor, or an undeserved gift. Every look at the word shows that it is not something you can earn. Paul, in order to humble the proud Jews who felt they were saved by their own self-righteousness, asks, "Where then is boasting?" He quickly answers his own question, "It is excluded". Paul is saying to the Jews, so what does man have to be proud of when he becomes saved? Nothing, absolutely nothing. It is only when man understands that he cannot in anyway earn his salvation, that he can truly receive God's grace. And because it was God who provided the way to know Him, and it was Him who drew our hearts, we have nothing but to be grateful for the grace He has provided us. Paul again reiterates the idea of law, to get the Jews to understand that nothing in salvation is about the law. "By what kind of law? Of works?" Paul is asking his readers to think back about all he has said and figure out which law or what works have saved Christians? Paul again answers his question by saying, "No, but by a law of faith". Once again Paul tells us it is by grace and grace alone that we are saved, by faith in Jesus. No law, no works, no self righteousness, only Christ. To sum it all up Paul says, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law."

Paul now explains that grace shows no partiality. It has been evident throughout all of Romans that one of Paul's greatest desires was for the Jewish people to understand that they were not the only people that can receive salvation. All throughout the book Paul has been making his case that it is not your race or heritage or works that saves you, but your faith in Christ. He continually wrote of inward motives over outward appearances. He does this once again in v. 29-30 as he writes, "Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one." MacArthur helps us understand, "Probably having had such prejudice and hatred himself before his conversion, Paul anticipated the question many Jews would ask in regard to justification by faith. He therefore asked rhetorically, Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? The obvious answer, even for a prejudiced Jew, would have to be, Yes, of Gentiles also. If there is only one God, then He had to be the God of Gentiles as well as of Jews. If there is only one God, He has to be the God of everyone." This is a very interesting point. Paul was trying to get the Jews to understand and believe that all man has fallen short and sinned. Therefore, if all men have sinned and fallen short, and there is only one God, then there must be only one way to Him for ALL men.

The last part of this section is an answer to the rebuke he anticipated from the Jews. He asks, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith?" Basically, Paul is saying that since man is only justified in Christ and it is completely apart from the Law, then isn't the Law useless? Again, Paul responds in his emphatic way with, "May it never be!" Of course not! He says, "On the contrary, we establish the Law." MacArthur says better than I can, "As far as salvation is concerned, the gospel does not replace the law, because the law was never a means of salvation. The law was given to show men the perfect standards of God's righteousness and to show that those standards are impossible to meet in man's own power. The purpose of the law was to drive men to faith in God." What we must understand then is this, that the Word of God has been given to us from the beginning of it's existence to point us to and show us Christ. It is the goal of God's Word, to bring man to his knees as he understands his depravity and hopelessness apart from Christ. May we continually be reminded of these truths when we open God's Word.