20260916 Romans 3.21-30 Wednesday Bible Study Tim Dickmann

So we're going to look at Romans again this evening.

Is that too loud? No? Okay. Just seems loud to

me then. So we're going to look at I think primarily

chapter 3 here but I want to just give opportunity

If there are any questions from last week, feel

free to ask those. Okay, well, so chapter 1,

chapter 2, and then the first part of chapter

3. What did we talk about? What did we say was

the theme? Of those chapters, or maybe we talked

about a couple things, what were they? All men

are guilty before God. Okay, that was one thing

that we talked about. All men were guilty before

God. We used one word to describe that multiple

times. What was that other word? Impartial. That

is true. We did talk about that. Condemnation.

We said that multiple times. All men are condemned.

And yes, impartial in the sense that all men,

right? Jews and Gentiles, because Paul deals

with both of them. And so all men are under the

condemnation of God. What was the very first

thing that we mentioned? Before we talk about

that, what does Paul say? The gospel. Okay, the

gospel, right? Paul, we talked about just kind

of an introduction there in the first 15 verses,

and then we get to verse 16. Paul says, For I

am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power

of God unto 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

man shall live by faith. So Paul begins there

with that, and we talked about that. Why is that

significant to what he then goes on to say? How

does that relate to this theme of condemnation

in these next passages? It shows the need, right?

It shows why men need this gospel. Paul's point

here is that there is a way to be right with

God. That's what he says here. He talks about

the righteousness of God is revealed. A righteousness

of God has been revealed. And all men need that

because all men are condemned before God. All

men stand before God condemned. He goes on. He

makes that really clear and abundant to us in

the middle of chapter 3 here where he talks about

in verse 10 and following there are none righteous,

not one, none who understands, there's none who

seeks after God and so on. So all of these verses

here we didn't We didn't talk about it last week,

really, but all of these are quotes. So beginning

here in verse 10 through verse 18, these are

all Old Testament passages that Paul is quoting.

So from the Psalms and from Isaiah is where they

all come from. And so Paul is saying here, this

has been the case. And he goes on in 19, he says,

now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks

to those who are under the law so that every

mouth may be closed and all the world may become

accountable to God. So again, the idea there,

Paul is stressing here, this condemnation before

God. All men stand condemned before God. And

that is the glory of the gospel is there is a

way. To no longer be condemned. There is a way

to be made right. In the sight of God. Okay.

That's the theme then. That we pick up here.

In the middle of chapter 3. Paul says. Verse

21. But now. Apart from the law. A righteousness

of God has been manifested. Being witnessed by

the law and the prophets. even a righteousness

of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all

those who believe, for there is no distinction,

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory

of God, being justified as a gift by His grace

through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,

whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation

in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate

His righteousness, because in the forbearance

of God He passed over the sins previously committed.

for the demonstration, I say, of his righteousness

at the present time, so that he would be just

and the justifier of the one who has faith in

Jesus. That's the gospel. That's what Paul is

talking about there. This is the good news. This

is the good news that he's not ashamed of in

chapter 1, verses 16 and 17. He lays it out for

us right here in verse 21 and following. This

is the good news of the gospel. What is the good

news? How does Paul phrase it? What is the good

news? If we don't say gospel, what does he say

that is good? What is the word that he uses?

In verse 21 is the first mention. There is a

righteousness. Revealed. Apart from the law,

a righteousness of God has been manifested. What

is that righteousness? What's Paul talking about

there? What's this righteousness that he's mentioning

here? What is this? And how does that relate

to us? Okay. We receive his righteousness through

faith. Okay. What else could we say? What does

this mean? In particular, what does it mean for

us? What good is it to us? We can be saved, but

we can be what? Clothed in the righteousness

of Christ. That's the righteousness that he's

talking about here. He's talking about a righteousness

that is ours in Christ Jesus. He's talking about

another word that we could use, that he goes

on to use later. What is another word that we

could? We could use that Paul uses later on.

OK, justification. All right. That's what he's

speaking of there. This righteousness that is

ours through Christ is justification. We are

justified. In Christ, because of Christ, through

faith. OK, so I want to point that out. That's

what he's talking about here. And he says, what

is different here? He says, or maybe not different,

but what's his emphasis there? He says it's apart

from the law, right? So apart from the law, a

righteousness of God has been revealed or manifested.

What does that mean that it's apart from the

law? That it cannot be attained through the law?

Okay, it cannot be attained through the law.

Okay. Another way we can say that is what he

just said before. No flesh shall be justified

in his sight through the works of the law, right?

He says that. I can't remember if he said that

before or if he says that later. But he makes

that clear to us. So it's apart from the law.

It's not keeping the law. It's not working. It's

not doing certain things. And then he says it's

been revealed. What does that mean? Manifested,

made known. It's become clear, right? When something

becomes manifest to us or something is revealed,

Paul often uses the word mystery, right? Have

you ever heard Paul talk about the mystery of

the gospel? This mystery that has been revealed.

It's something that was hidden. Something that

wasn't real clear. And he says it is now. This

mystery has been revealed. It's been made known.

That's what Paul is saying here. This is made

clear to us. Now where does he say it came from?

Manifested where? How? Is it something new? It's

been made known where? in the law and the prophets.

So this isn't something new. We talked about

that last week, and I want to emphasize that

again. This, what Paul is saying, is nothing

new in the sense of some new way of salvation.

Okay? This is the same salvation that has always

been. And he says it was in the law and the prophets.

It was revealed back there. It was witnessed

to by the law and the prophets. So if we think

about that, so the law and the prophets, if we

just say the Old Testament scriptures made known

this righteousness that was going to justify

us. Where does the Old Testament speak of that?

Where is this righteousness revealed in the Old

Testament? Does anybody know? Can anybody think

of anything? Isaiah? Okay, Isaiah what? Isaiah

53. Speaks of what? The Messiah, right? The Messiah's

death? The Lamb? The sacrifice? Okay, that's

one. What else does the Old Testament speak of

this righteousness? Okay. I don't have that one

written down. I didn't write down all of them.

There's a lot. I wrote down a few. Does anybody

think of anything else where it talks about this

idea of righteousness being ours? Okay, Jeremiah

what? Well, I have one. I have one in Jeremiah

30s. There's a couple in Jeremiah. So Jeremiah

33 is one. I'll just read it to you. So Jeremiah

33, 14 and 15 says, Behold, days are coming,

declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the good

news which I have spoken concerning the house

of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days

and at that time, I will cause a righteous branch

of David to spring forth. Now, who is that? Who

is this righteous branch of David? Jesus, right?

Jesus is referred to as the branch. And that

righteous branch from David. Okay, so there we

have this righteous branch of David is going

to spring forth and he shall execute justice

and righteousness on earth. In those days, Judah

will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety.

And this is the name by which he shall be called.

The Lord is our righteousness. All right. So

there's a pretty clear definition there of who

Jesus is going to be. He is going to be our righteousness.

Again, that righteousness was revealed. It's

the same in Jeremiah 23, 5 and 6. It's a very

similar passage where it talks about the branch

and the Lord our righteousness. Some other ones.

Psalm 32. Psalm 32 speaks of it. I'll read that

one. Psalm 32, 1 and 2. How blessed is he whose

transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does

not impute iniquity and whose spirit there is

no deceit. All right. Same idea there. Zechariah

3, 3 through 5 is another one. The story there

of the vision of Joshua and being clothed, taking

his filthy garments off and being clothed in

clean white garments. Same idea. These are just

a few passages in the Old Testament where Jesus

is witnessed. Right? Of this righteousness that

is to come. The righteousness that will come

to us through faith in Christ. Alright? So, that's

what Paul is talking about. That's what Paul

is emphasizing here. This righteousness of God.

Being manifest and witnessed by the law and the

prophets. And then he goes on. Even the righteousness

of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all

those who believe. So this righteousness only

comes to us by what? Through faith in Jesus Christ.

That's the only way that we are ever going to

receive this righteousness and be made right.

In God's eyes. That's the key. This is it. This

is the only way. This is the only method. That

has been prescribed by God. For us to be made

righteous. Any questions? Any questions or comments

there? Okay, I want to skip down here then. Paul

talks about another righteousness. What righteousness

is this that he talks about? God's righteousness.

Okay, God's righteousness. In verse 25, at the

end, it says, this was to demonstrate. This,

the propitiation of Christ, his sacrifice, his

death, and so on, this was to demonstrate his

righteousness, God's righteousness, because in

the forbearance of God he passed over the sins

previously committed. For the demonstration,

I say, of his righteousness at the present time,

so that he would be just and the justifier of

the one who has faith in Jesus. So Brian said

that speaking of God's righteousness, why does

Paul bring that up? What's Paul's point there?

Why does he bring up God's righteousness in relation

to Christ's death? That's not where I'm going.

That's it right there. God is just. God is holy.

If you think of God as the judge. Can the judge.

How do I say this? Can a judge. Say to a man.

Go your way. So let's just say a murderer. Is

standing in the court. And the judge says. not

guilty, even though he did commit the murder,

and send him on his way. Is that a just judge?

What happened there? Or maybe he says, you're

guilty, but we're going to set you free. What

is that called? What do we call that? Do we call

that justice? What do we call that? A pardon.

That's the word I'm looking for. He is pardoned.

He's not innocent. And he hasn't paid for his

sin. Okay? But he's let free. Is that what God

did for us? Did God pardon us? No. Because if

he just pardoned us, would he be righteous? Would

he be just in what he did? No. And so that's

Paul's point here. He's saying, God's righteousness

is revealed. God's righteousness is shown. God

shows himself to be righteous because he dealt

with the sin issue. There was payment made for

the sin. For all of those who were condemned,

something occurred. When they placed their faith

in Jesus Christ, what happened? How is God just

if he says you're clothed in righteousness now

and you're justified? What happened? The penalty

was paid, right? Jesus bore the penalty. And

so he bore what the law required. The law required

a payment. The law required justice. And in order

for God to be just. Someone had to pay the price.

And that's what Paul is saying. Jesus Christ

paid the price. Jesus Christ. Fulfilled the requirement

of the law. The requirement of God. For the sins

of those who put their faith in him. And so because

of Jesus Christ. God's righteousness is revealed

there in the punishment of Christ and the forgiveness

of our sin. Do you see how that relates? Do you

see how that works out? That's what Paul's talking

about here. Does that make sense? Does everybody

see that that's what Paul's talking about? God's

righteousness is demonstrated. Through the punishment

of Christ upon the cross. Through Christ bearing

our sin. Bearing the wrath of God. That word

propitiation. What is that? What does that mean?

Taking away the wrath. A wrath bearer. Taking

away the wrath. Jesus Christ is our propitiation.

He bore the wrath of God. Because of all that

occurred there upon the cross. God can now justify

the sinner. God is able to forgive. Those who

have faith in the work of Christ. Because it

would not be just. God would not be just if he

just pardoned us. God would not be just if he

just said. If he winked at sin. Or if he swept

it under the rug. That's an unjust God. And so

that's what Paul is emphasizing here. The righteousness

of God. So there's two righteousnesses here that

are being talked about. So I just want us to

understand both of those righteousnesses. It's

that righteousness of Jesus Christ that justifies

us. And the righteousness of God, the justice

of God, the rightness of God. And it is all demonstrated

here. In the cross. In the work of Jesus Christ.

It does. So again, I'm no Greek scholar. So Lloyd

-Jones, Moo, Hendrickson, they all translate.

If you read Lloyd -Jones, he says a better way

to translate this is apart from the law, a righteousness

of God is revealed. It's not the righteousness

of God. In mine, the the is italicized. Is yours

italicized where it says the? Okay. So it's not

the. So again, according to Lloyd -Jones and

these other guys, a better way to translate it

is, apart from the law, a righteousness of God.

So it's not the righteousness of God that is

being revealed. It's a righteousness. And the

same there in verse 22. Even the righteousness

of God would be better a righteousness of God

through faith in Jesus Christ. Yes. You have

of. Any other questions? Let's just define a

couple things here too. As we go through here.

Because I wrote these down. I just want to make

sure that everybody. So we talked about propitiation.

What that is. Bearing the wrath of God. In verse

24. He says being justified as a gift. By his

grace. Through the redemption which is in Christ

Jesus. This word redemption. Again, what does

that mean? What does this word redemption mean?

Redeem. Going to redeem something. The redemption.

What is that? Right? So redemption would be deliverance

by means of the payment of a ransom. Okay, so

something being paid there. I think this was

Hendrickson that said this. Deliverance by means

of the payment of a ransom from the guilt, punishment,

and power of sin. So that's what has been accomplished

by Christ when he redeemed us. He paid that price

to free us from the guilt, power, punishment

of sin. So, our redemption in Christ. Alright.

We already, I think, again, let me just emphasize

this. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'll just wait.

Don't want to get into all my notes for Sunday.

Alright, so are we good there? No more questions.

Alright, so going on then, I just want to point

out a few things here. Paul says all of this,

right? He says, This is how we are justified.

This is how we are made right with God. He says

in verse 28, this is where he says, For we maintain

that a man is justified by faith apart from the

works of the law. And then in verse 31 he says,

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May

it never be. On the contrary, we establish the

law. So again, Paul is making these statements

about the laws, as we pointed out last week,

that would have been very controversial to the

Jews. So why does Paul ask this question? Remember

what we said last week? When Paul asks a question,

he asks that question generally because of what

he's said before. What he said before is going

to bring this question to people's minds. So

here he's talking about justification by faith.

Being made right with God by faith and not by

the works of the law. And then he says, do we

then nullify the law through faith? And he answers

that. He says, may it never be. So, clearly not.

But why does he ask that question? How would...

nullify the law? What were they thinking that

it would nullify the law? And then he goes on,

he says, on the contrary, we established the

law. So everything that Paul's been saying, he

says, what I've been saying doesn't nullify the

law, it establishes the law. It makes the law,

shows the law did what it was supposed to do.

How does all that relate? Have you thought about

that? Why would they think that faith nullifies

the law? If you're justified freely in verse

24, perhaps that could make you think that, you

know, what's the point of the law? I don't need

that anymore. You're not boasting because it's

a free gift. So, again, I think the law is worthless.

There's nothing to boast of. Why would I do any

work? Does that make sense to everybody, what

Jake said there? Does that make sense? Does that

seem reasonable? I think that's probably what's

going on here. I think that's probably why Paul

is saying this, for those very reasons. Why,

you know, if we're justified by faith, it's not

some work. Then we don't even need the law, right?

We'll just discard the law completely and we'll

just live by faith. And Paul says, no, we're

not nullifying the law here by faith. We established

the law. How does it establish the law? Well,

he talks about faith in chapter 4. What was the

purpose of the law? Okay. For through the law

comes the knowledge of sin. Verse 20 of chapter

3. Through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

And what comes with the knowledge of sin? The

need for a Savior. You've been condemned, right?

That's Paul's whole point there in the beginning.

You're condemned. You have a need. The law establishes

exactly what Paul is trying to emphasize. You

are condemned under the law. Your sin is being

revealed by the law. You need faith. You need

justification. You need this righteousness. And

that only comes through faith. It doesn't come

through the law. So, contrary to what they're

saying, that this is nullifying the law, Paul

is saying we establish it here. It's doing exactly

what it's supposed to do. It's showing you your

sin, your condemnation, and your need for everything

he just got done saying. Alright? We're going

to leave it at that, unless you've got some more

questions. correlate. I remember when we went

through the Old Testament with the covenants

and establishing also strengthening. It kind

of builds up the law in a way because Christ

did all the things that he was supposed to do.

It doesn't make the law more glorious, but he

did the thing. There's a list of rules. I have

a list of possible rules to follow at work. I

do them all. Of course, it makes me look good,

sure, but also it... It shows that the law, like,

it was fulfilled, it was done. It maybe brings

a little bit of glory to it, I guess. I don't

know. What you said there in the beginning I

think is good. The fact that Christ fulfilled

all of these things. He accomplished everything

that was required by the law, including his death.

So yeah, I think you can think of it in that

way. Can't you also say that this is the standard?

This is what God's going to be, it's not ever

going to change. This is the judgment that men

are under is this condemnation of the law. And

the only reason that all men aren't condemned

is because Christ kept the law for those who

believe in him. So the law is established as

a means of judgment. Yeah. Okay. Anything else?

So... That's about all I have for tonight. I

did want to, again, just bring up the fact of

chapter 4, where Paul gives us the clear teaching

there of Abraham's being justified by faith.

Remember, we ran through that last week. How

and when was Abraham Justified. Okay. Believing

the promises. What is believing? Faith. Prior

to circumcision. Not law. Right? Before the law.

Again. Paul there. Who's dealing with circumcision.

The law came later with Moses. But his point

there is. This circumcision. This being. This

outward thing. Is not what saved Abraham. It

was all faith. Alright. So he's establishing.

Everything that he just got done saying here.

Regarding faith. Our justification by faith.

Being the same. Back in the day of Abraham. As

it is today. In Paul's day. And as it is in our

day, 2 ,000 years later, it's the same. So justification

by faith is not a new teaching that Paul came

up with. Now we're believing because Paul said

it. It goes way back. Way back. And he demonstrates

that through Abraham. That Abraham believed and

it was counted to him as righteousness. He was

justified because he believed in the promises

of God. Abraham, Jesus says, rejoiced to see

my day. So he knew about Jesus. He was looking

forward to him. Believing the promises of God.

Believing what God had said. And he was justified.

And so. That's chapter 4. Obviously there's a

lot more in chapter 4. Paul deals with a lot.

But that's the thrust. That's the main point.

That he's trying to get across there. Is that

this justification by faith. Is nothing new.

It's the same then. It's the same today in our

day. Any questions? So Sunday, we're going to

start chapter 5. And we're going to look at justification

again. Hopefully we'll define it a little bit

more and have some other examples of it, what

it is, what it is not. In our day, Men are quote

-unquote saved by all sorts of things, all right?

But they're not truly saved. They're not truly

justified because that's not how men are saved.

So we'll talk about some of those things and

what it really means to be justified. So what

does it mean that we're clothed in the righteousness

of Christ? And so on. So read ahead. If you have

other questions about what we've talked about,

we can answer those also. So feel free. All right,

that's it.