Romans 3:21-26

FAITH alone pleases God! His grace through faith in Jesus the Christ is His gift to mankind that no man can boast in his own goodness but can rejoice in the mercy and goodness of the triune God.

In this context the righteousness of God is not an attribute of God, but an act of God whereby He declares a sinner righteous. This is righteousness from God. No one can live up to what God created us to be; we all fall short of His glory. We cannot save ourselves because as sinners we can never meet God’s requirements. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ.

Those who believe are justified, that is, “declared righteous,” freely, without cost, by God’s grace, or “favor.” Christ Jesus died to provide redemption, which means He died to pay the price required to ransom sinners. By paying the penalty of their sin through His death, Jesus can free people from their sin and transfer His righteousness to those who believe in Him.

By His death, Christ satisfied the justice of God. He paid the penalty of sin in full. Paul cites two reasons why the righteousness of God comes through Christ’s death. The first is to demonstrate that God Himself is righteous, and did not judge the sins committed prior to the Cross. The second reason for the Cross is that God wanted to show that He is both righteous and at the same time the One who can declare sinners righteous. Because of Christ’s death, God does not compromise His holiness when He forgives a sinner.

Romans 3:21-26

²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

¹¹ But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus ²Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” 

Acts 15:11

⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 

John 5:46

¹⁰ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 

1 Peter 1:10

^28 lThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Galatians 3:28

²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 

Galatians 3:22

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be ⁴sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 

Romans 4:16