Romans 3:18-25a. 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”. 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins). (ESV)
Whether by design or by default, The Forbes Book of Business Quotations lists no “human” entries under “Righteousness” save eight passages of Scripture (Pss. 15:1–2; 92:12–13; Prov. 16:8–9; 29:2; Isa. 3:10–11; Jer. 22:13; Hos. 10:12; 2 Tim. 4:7–8). The starkness of this category’s supporting materials is striking. While other Scripture verses are sprinkled throughout the volume under various topics, “Righteousness” is the only topic totally illustrated by Scripture verses. It is as if the editor agreed with the apostle Paul’s assessment of the human condition in Romans 3:11—“There is no one righteous, not even one.” And if there is no one righteous, how could anyone say anything worthwhile about “righteousness”? Men and women can comment intelligently, helpfully, and humorously about “Anger,” “Humility,” “Obligations,” “Purpose,” “Tolerance,” and “Work”—and a whole host of other interesting human topics. But “Righteousness”?
According to the apostle Paul, for a human being to speak authoritatively about righteousness would be like an irate person commenting on anger, a destitute person commenting on wealth, or an arrogant person commenting on humility. In those cases, one would simply find a calm person, a rich person, or a humble person to speak to those subjects. Unfortunately, one cannot find a righteous person to comment authoritatively on righteousness. The very condition of humankind—total, complete, pervasive, unrighteousness—disqualifies us at the outset.
What if one only had The Forbes Book of Business Quotations by which to live one’s life? The verses it quotes on righteousness do well in suggesting how to act righteous, which is good for our life on earth. But how does one attain a righteous standing before God, which is what we need to know for our life beyond this earth? For answers to that question, Romans 3:18–25 (and Paul’s ensuing illustrations and discussion) is our only source of hope. These verses are the core of the answer to the most important question any person could ever ask: “But how can a mortal be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2). Job asked, but could not answer, that question. The world’s wisest people, even in our modern day, cannot answer that question. The only person who can answer that question is God. Thankfully, he inspired the apostle Paul to record the fundamental truths about man’s movement from unrighteousness to righteousness here in Romans 3.
Humanity has expertise in many areas of life and business, but righteousness is not one of them. Righteousness is the business of God. F. F. Bruce cites the Roman poet Horace, who criticized writers of tragedies in his day for introducing a god into the plot to solve some knotty problem. Martin Luther, Bruce notes, “took up [Horace’s] words and applied them to the forgiveness of sins: here, [Luther] said, is a problem that needs God to solve it. True, for sinful humanity cannot solve it, though everyone desperately needs a solution to it” (Bruce, p. 96). It is God’s solution to a knotty theological and practical problem which Paul presents in Romans 3: How can God remain just while at the same time justifying the unjust? (Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, pp. 99–100). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
In Romans 3:18-25, we see that God reconciles people unto Himself through faith which shows three things: 1) The Need for Justification (Romans 3:18-20), 2) Justification apart from the Law (Romans 3:21-23), and finally 3) The Means of Justification (Romans 3:24-25a)
God reconciles people unto Himself through faith which shows:
1) The Need for Justification (Romans 3:18-20)
Romans 3:18-20. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”. 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (ESV)
The basic sinful condition of people and of their spiritual deadness is evidenced by the fact that, for the unsaved, there is no fear of God before their eyes. The full text of Psalm 36:1, from which Paul here quotes, reads: “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.” Because the ears of the unredeemed are attuned to the lies of sin rather than to the truth of righteousness, they have an inadequate concern about and no fear of God. Fearing God has both positive and negative elements. In a positive way, every true believer has reverential fear of God-an awesome awareness of His power, His holiness, and His glory. Proper worship always includes that kind of fear of the Lord. Reverential fear of God is the beginning of spiritual wisdom (Prov. 9:10). That kind of fear is a necessary element in one’s being led to salvation, as with Cornelius (Acts 10:2), and motivates new believers in their spiritual growth. The negative aspect of the fear of God has to do with dread and terror. Even believers should have a measure of that kind of fear, which acts as a protection from sinning. The writer of Proverbs observed, “By the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil” (Prov. 16:6). For the very reason they are God’s children, believers are subject to His chastisement (cf. Heb. 12:5–11). When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: sinful, weak, frail, and needy. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at his feet in humble respect. (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 69). Tyndale House Publishers)
Please turn to Acts 5
Sometimes God’s dealing with disobedient believers can be severe. One of the most serious things we do is in the remembrance of Christ’s death in communion. For not decerning the body and blood, some are sick and even die (1 Cor. 11:30). But another aspect of God’s judgement relates to stewardship. One of the most dangerous things you can do is play games with God over your offerings. I fear for people who withhold their offerings because there is something they don’t like. Such an action is of grave danger to themselves. Why should even believers have a fear of God? Consider the New Testament warning of Ananias and Sapphira in this area of financial offerings:
Acts 5:1-11. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (ESV)
• The church is God’s idea. Christ died for the church. He entrusts the church with the oracles of God, the ordinances, the mission and mandate of the Kingdom. When people play games with local church ministry, thinking they will make a statement, the real offense is unto God. His actions, even for those in the New Testament church, can be severe in order to protect the sanctity of His church. The fear of God, should not only draw someone into salvation, it should in reverence, inform how one conducts themselves before a holy God even now.
Now in Romans 3:19, Paul declares God’s verdict on fallen, unrepentant humanity. This is what we know. The know (Oida ) here refers to knowledge that is certain and complete. We know with absolute certainty, Paul was saying, that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped/closed, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. This declaration allows no exceptions. Every unredeemed human being, Jew or Gentile, is under the Law of God and accountable to God. As Paul has already declared, the Jew is under God’s written law, delivered through Moses, and the Gentile is under the equally God-given law written in their heart (Rom. 2:11–15). God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of the entire universe, and it is therefore impossible for anyone or anything to be outside His control or authority. The final verdict, then, is that unredeemed humanity has no defense whatever and is guilty of all charges. The defense must rest, as it were, before it has opportunity to say anything, because the omniscient and all-wise God has infallibly demonstrated the impossibility of any grounds for acquittal. Absolute silence is the only possible response, just as there will be utter silence in heaven when the Lord Jesus Christ will one day break the seventh seal and release the seven trumpet judgments upon the condemned earth (cf. Rev. 8:1–6). The law tells you of your unrighteousness; the gospel tells you of the righteousness of God (Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 88). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
In anticipation of the argument that perhaps a few exceptionally zealous people might live up to the perfect standard of God’s law, the apostle states in verse 20: by the works of the Law no human being/flesh will be justified in His sight. There is no salvation through the keeping of God’s law, because sinful humanity is utterly incapable of doing so. They have neither the ability nor the inclination within themselves to obey God perfectly. The heart of his contention in this section of Romans is that no one is capable of doing anything to gain acceptance with God; this is why for everyone faith in Christ is the only possible way to God (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 209–210). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Illustration: Some years ago Mario Puzo wrote a book called The Godfather, which later became a movie, and a sequel to the movie. The book was a study of the so-called Mafia, the powerful crime families who control much of the illegal gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, and other criminal activity in America and other parts of the world. This book and the films based on it showed the tremendous violence exerted by these crime families to achieve their goals. But what made the violence particularly shocking is that it seemed to exist alongside tender and otherwise noble feelings and actions of these figures. Mafia dons are often quite kindly family men. They love their wives and children. They are loyal to each other. They defend each other. In fact, they are ruthless in righting a wrong done to a member of their own crime family. Ah, but they are still crime-oriented, and the structure and ethical code of the family is created only to enhance their own well-being in violation of the law and at the expense of other people. That parallels our situation in respect to humanity’s universal rebellion against God. We may do good things (at least “good” as they appear to us), but our good is actually bad, because it is designed to maintain our rebellion against the only sovereign God and his laws (Boice, J. M. (1991–). Romans: Justification by Faith (Vol. 1, p. 331). Baker Book House.).
God reconciles people unto Himself through faith which represents:
2) Justification apart from the Law (Romans 3:21-23)
Romans 3:21-23. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (ESV)
In verse 21, But translates an adversative, indicating a contrast, in this instance a wonderful and marvelous contrast-between humanity’s total depravity and inability to please God and God’s own provision of a way to Himself. Except for the introduction (Rom. 1:1–18), the epistle has portrayed an utterly dark picture of human wickedness and hopelessness apart from God. In that introduction Paul gave a brief glimpse of light when he spoke “of the gospel, [which] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘the righteous shall live by faith’ ” (Rom. 1:16–17). Now, after backing all sinful humanity, Jew and Gentile alike, into the totally dark and seemingly inescapable corner of God’s wrath (Rom. 1:18–3:20), Paul begins to open the window of divine grace that lets in the glorious light of salvation through the righteousness that God Himself has provided. The essential points are packed into Rom. 3:21–26, a passage that Luther called “the chief point, and the very central place of the Epistle, and of the whole Bible (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 218). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
First of all, Paul says, the righteousness that God imparts to believers is apart from the Law.
Because of the capitalization of Law (Nomos ) in this passage, it is evident that Law here refers to God’s divine revelation, either in the narrower sense of the Mosaic law or the wider sense of the entire Old Testament. Specifically in this passage Paul primarily has in mind the sense of legalism, of the human attempt to become acceptable to God by means of their own human efforts. Paul is declaring that the righteousness God gives to believers is entirely apart from obedience to any law, even God’s own revealed law. God’s righteousness is in no way based on human achievement, on anything that people can do in their own power (cf. Phil 3:4-6).
Please turn to Ephesians 2
God holds people to the standard of His righteousness in order to demonstrate the impossibility of keeping it by human effort. Because of that inability, “the Law brings about wrath” (Rom. 4:15), Paul made it clear to the Galatians: “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; … Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’ ” (Gal. 3:10–11). Now in Ephesians 2, Paul reiterates the same truth:
Ephesians 2:1–10. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
• Countless other New Testament passages (see, e.g., Phil. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5) repeat the basic gospel truth that rightness with God can never be achieved by human effort. Regardless if we are considering the law of God in the Mosaic law of the Jews or the law written in the hearts and consciences of all everyone, including Gentiles (Rom. 2:11–15), obedience to it can never be perfect and therefore can never save. That is a devastating truth to everyone who seeks to please God on their own terms and in their own power-which is why the gospel is so offensive to the unredeemed.
Now, however, back in Romans 3:21, Paul declares that the righteousness of God, the divine and eternal righteousness by which people can be made right with God, has been manifested. As he will explain in the following verse, that righteousness has been manifested “in Jesus Christ for all those who believe” (v. 22). Before he presents the means for people to receive God’s manifested righteousness, however, Paul declares that it not only is apart from legalism but is also divinely revealed, because it has been manifested/witnessed apart from the Law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it. This truth was obviously directed primarily at Jews, whose whole religion centered in the Law and the Prophets, a phrase commonly used to encompass all of God’s written Word, what we now call the Old Testament. In other words, the apostle was not speaking about a new kind of righteousness but about the divine righteousness that is spoken of throughout the Jewish Scriptures. (cf. Jn. 5:39) Not only do the Law and Prophets proclaim God’s perfect righteousness but they affirm what Paul has just stated-that, without exception, people are unable to achieve that righteousness in their own way or power. Paul is telling the Gentile and Jewish believers in Rome (and us) that his gospel is the gospel that brings to fruition that righteousness from God first proved by the law, then revealed by the prophets—the righteousness that can only come by faith (Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 105). Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
To avoid any possible misunderstanding, in verse 22, Paul mentions again that he is speaking of the absolute and perfect righteousness of God, not the relative and imperfect righteousness of human achievement. His point here is that the perfect, saving righteousness of God not only is received apart from legalism and built on revelation. Since God is holy, He cannot just cast aside sin. Because God is merciful, He takes the action of redemption from the eternal penalty of sin. God, does this without sacrificing his righteousness or lifting the demands of his law (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Vols. 12–13, p. 126). Baker Book House.)
A person is saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from anything else. Scripture makes clear that saving faith is immeasurably more than simply making a verbal declaration of believing about Him. The saving faith in Jesus Christ that the New Testament teaches is much more than a simple affirmation of certain truths about Him. Even the demons acknowledged many facts about Him (cf. Mk. 5:7; Acts 16:17). Saving faith (Pistis) is a placing of oneself totally in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ, involving the intellect (Rom. 1017ff) emotions and the will (Rom. 6:17). The righteousness of God is only acquired only by faith. That has always been the only way of salvation as far as how people receive it. The very point of Hebrews 11 is to show that there has never been a means of salvation other than faith in the true God. (cf. Jn. 8:31; James 2:17). Therefore, inadequate faith is faith in good works, faith in ritual, faith in a religious experience or system, faith in one’s own goodness, or a speculative assumption or vague hope that is so common in our day. Justification has always been by faith, apart from the law. Furthermore, it is not the manner in which God’s righteousness is received that Paul is talking about here, but the manner in which it is manifested—the divine side of this “process” by which people are made right with God (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 222–223). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
The provision of salvation and the righteousness it brings is granted for all those who believe.. Anyone will be saved who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for there is no distinction. Jesus Himself said, “The one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ-whether a murderer, prostitute, thief, rapist, homosexual, religious hypocrite, false teacher, pagan, or anything else-will be saved. Just as no one is good enough to be saved by their own works, no one is so evil that they cannot be saved. (cf. Acts 13:39; Gal. 2:16). We know that this is true when we look ahead to the closing chapters of the redemption story and see people “from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9; see also 5:9; 14:6). The church of Jesus Christ should be the greatest force in the world for breaking down racial and ethnic barriers—and often it is (Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 106). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
There is no distinction among those who are saved, because, as verse 23 notes, there is no distinction among those who are lost, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Hustereo (fall short) has the basic meaning of being last or inferior. Every human being comes in last as far as the glory of God is concerned. The word glory (doxes), from which we derive the word doxology, refers to the wonderful and awe-inspiring but indescribable presence of God himself. We tend to think of glory in terms of brightness, but it is certainly more than that. It is utter wholeness, completeness. Sin keeps us from the presence of God. What ought to catch our attention is the fact that our common sinfulness keeps us from reaching the place that we were created to experience. And one of the anticipations of faith in Jesus Christ is that we will share fully in the glory of God (cf. Romans 8:18, 29–30; Philippians 3:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:14) (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 74). Tyndale House Publishers.)
Quote: Humorist Garrison Keillor is probably right when he summarizes the contemporary perspective on truth: “Sometimes you just have to look reality square in the face and deny it!” That may work for the weight you have gained, the grades you have made, or the lack of money you have saved—for a while. But the truth will always win out, because “all truth is God’s truth” (Frank Gaebelein and Arthur Holmes)…Faces around us may reflect our sin, but Helen Lemmel wrote of a face that we can look at and find a glory and grace in which our sin fades away—not because we deny it, but because we accept the reality of it, and the reality of the grace that forgives it: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace (Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 89). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Finally, we can see how God reconciles people unto Himself through faith which is:
3) The Means of Justification (Romans 3:24-25a)
Romans 3:24-25a. 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins). (ESV)
Being justified refers back to the “alls” of the previous two verses-all those who have believed, of whom all were sinful. Just as there is no distinction among those who need salvation, there is no distinction among those who receive it, because they all are justified by his grace as a gift. Dikaioo (justified) means to declare the rightness of something or someone. Justification is God’s declaration that all the demands of the law are fulfilled on behalf of the believing sinner through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justification is a wholly forensic, or legal, transaction. It changes the judicial standing of the sinner before God. Justification is a matter of imputation (reckoning, charging): the sinner’s guilt is imputed to Christ; Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the sinner (Gen. 15:6; Ps. 32:1, 2; Isa. 53:4–6; Jer. 23:6; Rom. 5:18, 19). (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Vols. 12–13, p. 130). Baker Book House.)
God justifies believers by his grace as a gift, not because of any good thing in the one who is justified. By definition, a gift is something given freely, unearned and unmerited by the recipient. God’s greatest of all gifts is that of salvation through His Son, given completely out of His divine grace. “If righteousness comes through the Law,” that is, through human fulfillment of God’s divine standard, Paul declares, “then Christ died needlessly” (Gal. 2:21). The law reveals God’s righteousness and exposes humanity’s unrighteousness. Grace, on the other hand, not only reveals God’s righteousness but actually gives His righteousness to those who trust in His Son. That gift of grace cost God the suffering and death of His own Son on the cross, so that, for the believer, there is nothing left to pay. God finds no reason, no basis, in the sinner for declaring them righteous. God must find the cause of justification in himself (Harrison, E. F. (1976). Romans. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 42). Zondervan Publishing House.)
This all happens through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Redemption (Apolutrosis: a strengthened form of lutros¯is), carries the idea of delivering, especially by means of paying a price. It was commonly used of paying a ransom to free a prisoner from his captors or paying the price to free a slave from his master. Because of humanity’s utter sinfulness and inability to bring themselves up to the standard of God’s righteousness, the redemption of a sinner could come only by Christ Jesus. Only the sinless Savior could pay the price to redeem the sinful. To redeem a slave from slavery, the next of kin could redeem him (buy his freedom). Christ purchased our freedom, and the price was his own life (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 75). Tyndale House Publishers.).
We now see in the beginning of our final verse, verse 25, because people cannot become righteous on their own, God graciously provided for redemption through the atoning sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ. That sacrifice was made openly on the hill of Calvary for all the world to see. God put forward/displayed His Son publicly as a propitiation by his blood. God himself took the initiative to satisfy and appease His own wrath (Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 191). Baker Books.)
Please turn to 1 Peter 1
Hilasterion (propitiation) carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction. In ancient pagan religions, as in many religions today, the idea of humanity appeasing a deity by various gifts or sacrifices was common. But in the New Testament propitiation always refers to the work of God, not humanity. People utterly incapable of satisfying God’s justice except by spending eternity in hell. The only satisfaction, or propitiation, that could be acceptable to God and that could reconcile people to Him had to be made by God. For that reason, God in human flesh, Jesus Christ, “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:6). He appeased the wrath of God. That ransoming propitiation made by Christ was paid in His own divine blood. To believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire, Peter wrote:
1 Peter 1:13–21. 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (ESV).
The final element of this all that we see in Romans 3:25, is that we appropriate this gift from God to be received by/through faith. Faith itself is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9) whereby we solely trust in Christ and submit to Him for eternal life at the moment of belief (cf. Col. 2:11-14). “By” indicates the means of our being linked to the righteousness of Christ. Faith is the instrument, not the ground or basis, of justification. The ground is Christ’s perfectly obedient life and propitiating death (Sproul, R. C., ed. (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 1984). Reformation Trust.).
When the apostle here in Romans 3 commends faith, what he’s wanting from us is a God-given ability to perceive what Christ has done on the cross, what God has done by placarding Jesus on the cross, reconciling us to God, setting aside his own just wrath, demonstrating his love, declaring us just even though we’re not, because the righteousness of Christ Jesus is now counted as ours and our sin is now counted as his. That’s a kind of Jesus you can trust. It’s a kind of God in whom you can place your faith. Let us pray (Carson, D. A. (2016). The God Who Is There—Part 11. In D. A. Carson Sermon Library (Ro 3:21–26). Faithlife.).
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (pp. 197–211). Chicago: Moody Press.)
