For 3 chapters Paul has engaged in a difficult and somewhat
heavy task. He has shown the entire
world to be inexcusable before the Creator.
In a courtroom setting he has presented and proven the case: there is no
one righteous, no not one! That is bad news. However, at the beginning of the letter we
were told that the subject was good news
(1:1-6), and that the good news would
reveal God’s righteousness so that God’s power for salvation might be unleashed
for believers (1:16-17).
Friend, prepare yourself!
The paragraph you just read presents one of the most magnificent turning points in all of Scripture. In this passage is revealed the provision of
a loving God for His rebellious creation, whereby unrighteous man might have a
right standing before Him, all the while maintaining His own integrity as a
holy Judge.
The way God accomplishes this is called justification. Justification
is a legal term as seen both in its etymology and in the context in which Paul
uses it. It means to declare righteous. It is
as if a judge in a courtroom were to announce to the convicted criminal that he
is pardoned and will not serve his sentence.
One wonders how there could be justice and righteousness in a society
where corrupt or weak judged release crooks.
But the paragraph will show us how God has done this while retaining His
own integrity. Of this righteousness we
learn …
1. The
righteousness is of God. It is not self-righteousness. It is of
God both in the sense that it is righteousness God has as an attribute as well
as righteousness that He makes available to mankind. The conclusion of this passage is that God is
both just (in His character) and the justifier of those who believe. The solution for unrighteous man must come
from the Judge, the Creator.
2. The
righteousness is apart from the Law. For God to be righteousness He must satisfy
the righteous demands of His law. But we
have already seen that if He deals with mankind according to that Law there is only
one verdict: guilty! So His
righteousness is satisfied in another way, without or apart from the Law.
3. The
righteousness is witnessed by the Law and
the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets refer to the Old
Testament. The way He provides righteousness
is pictured and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. The entire sacrificial system, for example,
testifies to god’s plan. So do numerous
passages from the books of wisdom (e.g. Psalm 22) and the Prophets (e.g. Isaiah
53).
4. The
righteousness is manifested. The Greek grammar is helpful here. The term is not in the present tense but in
the perfect tense. Thus it refers to something done in the past
with effects in the present. The central
event in god’s righteousness is the cross of Jesus Christ, a past event with
present effects. Further, it was done openly (i.e. manifested) on a hillside
outside Jerusalem.
5. The
righteousness is bay the faith of Jesus
Christ. The language used here is the
same as Gal. 2:20 and Heb. 12:1-2. The
Creator’s righteousness rests upon the faithfulness of His obedient Son, Jesus
Christ. Since Christ humbled Himself, leaving
the glory of Heaven for the cross, God’s righteousness is made available.
6. This
righteousness is for believers. It is not to the deserving or to those who
earn it. God’s righteousness is extended
to those who receive it by faith.
Let us give thanks that God’s righteousness has been
manifested for sinners.
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