What role does faith play in understanding God's righteousness in Romans 3:21? The Setting: Humanity’s Universal Need • Romans 3:9-20 paints every person—Jew and Gentile—as under sin’s power. • The Law diagnoses the problem but cannot supply righteousness. • Verse 21 bursts in as God’s remedy: “But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.” (Romans 3:21) God’s Righteousness Revealed • “Righteousness of God” refers to His perfect moral integrity and the right standing He supplies to people. • It is “apart from the Law,” meaning it is not earned by human obedience. • Yet the Law and Prophets have always pointed toward this gracious provision (Isaiah 53; Jeremiah 31:31-34). Faith: The Appointed Instrument • Verse 22 continues, “And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” • Faith does not add to God’s righteousness; it receives it. • Faith rests on what God has revealed, taking Him at His word. What Faith Does in Romans 3:21 • Opens the heart to accept God’s unveiled righteousness. • Transfers trust from self-effort to Christ’s finished work. • Confirms that Scripture is true, since both Law and Prophets predicted this gift. • Unites the believer with Christ, so His righteousness is counted as ours. Echoes in the Rest of Scripture • Romans 1:17: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” • Galatians 2:16: “A man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ…” • Ephesians 2:8-9: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast.” • Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” Practical Takeaways • God’s righteousness is a gift, not a goal to achieve. • Faith is the hand that receives—never the merit that earns. • Confidence in Scripture grows when seeing its unified testimony about faith and righteousness. • Daily life is shaped by the same principle: living in dependence on the Lord rather than self-reliance. |
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