The Letter to the Romans Chapter 3:21-26
Righteousness apart from the law
Introduction
Rom 3:21 & 22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
There is a righteousness that exist outside of obeying the Law. Faith is not good works; going to church, giving your tithes; making sacrifices.
Rom 3:23 - 26 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Our right standing with God comes only by a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Rom 3:27 & 28 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
There is inside of man a drive for fulfillment that can come through various doorways, but not all doorways are good for a man. There are, what I would call, illegitimate doorways or avenues to fulfillment. One of the most gratifying is the doorway of self achievement. It is one of those doorways that has sent many a man to hell. That doorway can lead us away from the doorway of God very fast and virtually fulfilled in our self achievement.
Rom 3:29 - 31 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Please notice that the fulfillment of the law is not equal with the fulfillment by man’s self achievement, but by the justification of Faith.
Closing
