Romans 3:22-31

Romans 3:22-31
Rom 3:22 (KJV)
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

The only righteousness which is of God is not based upon any attempted keeping of the law rather it is a faith based righteousness. Now many may say that it is our faith in Christ that imputes God’s righteousness to us, however, as we have pointed out man is dead in sins and can no way conjure up faith. The dead are capable of nothing, which means they are incapable of having any faith within them. Faith is a gift from God and is given only to the Elect of God. (1 Cor 12:9 KJV) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; Here we see that in the provisional gifts of 1 Corinthians 12, we see the special gift of faith being doled to a few but later the gift of faith was dissolved. Faith was one of the gifts which was given to all believers in the body of Christ and was not given to only a certain few. In Galatians 5:22, we see that faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22 KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, When we look at faith, we also see that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb 12:2 KJV) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Faith does not begin in the unsaved person. Faith is given to each believer as Jesus is the author and not the salvation recipient. Once we become saved, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us and we are then to live by Faith. (Rom 1:17 (KJV) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. The Just, which are the believers, are to live by faith. Now in the Romans verse it points not to the faith of the believer but it points to the faith of Christ. The word “faith” is in the genitive case which means possessive. The faith that we definitely live by is the faith of Christ and that faith is imputed to each believer. We also read in our verse that there is no difference. It does not matter who the believer is, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, adult or child, the fact is that the faith of Christ is imputed to the true believer which gives them the ability to have faith in God as Romans 1:17 states, that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, not work to work.
Rom 3:23 (KJV)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

This verse teaches the very plain truth about every human being and that is that everyone has sinned without exception. The word “come short” carries with it the meaning of “inferior or failure.” Man’s sin has caused them to fail in grasping the glory of God, even though man in his pride likes to think that his track record of works bring glory to God. (1 Ki 8:46 KJV) If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; Even in the Old Testament the fact was made clear that there is not one person on Earth who has not sinned.
Rom 3:24 (KJV)
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Here is the essence of what free grace does for the true believer. We are never justified by works because our works are all tainted by sins. The only way a person can ever become justified, that is, declared not guilty before God, is by the free grace of Christ through which we are redeemed. This is why a true Christian can never lose their salvation. It has been divinely sealed by the free grace of Christ. Since He was the one who redeemed us, He has stated that He will never lose any of us. (John 6:37 KJV) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Those who swallow and follow the free will heresy have no concept of the free grace of Christ in redeeming His children. They, in essence, declare themselves justified based upon their actions and not on the action of Christ. This is why many who believe they are saved are not because a spiritually dead person cannot enact their own salvation by their own volition. It is simply not taught in Scripture but is forced upon certain Scriptures so man can retain his pride, even in salvation. Justification not only declares us not guilty of all our sins but places the believer in a position of righteousness.
Rom 3:25 (KJV)
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Propitiation - The Lord Jesus Christ was the propitiation through which the requirements of God’s Holy Law was met. The word “propitiation” is the Greek word which means “mercy seat.” In fact, in Hebrews 9:5 it is translated just that. In the tabernacle, the mercy seat sat on top of the Ark of the Covenant. On the great Day of Atonement, the High Priest was to sprinkle the blood offering made for the people before the mercy seat and on top of it. (Lev 16:14-15 KJV) And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. {15} Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: The mercy seat in the tabernacle was a foreshadow of the Lord Jesus Christ who would expiate the sins of His Elect. The mercy seat was the place of propitiation. The word “propitiation” actually means to “appease or conciliate.” The mercy seat in the tabernacle and temple had assuaged the anger of God toward the sins of the people. This was also a foreshadow that the anger of God toward sin and sinners is assuaged by the sacrifice of Christ. Now many people believe that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. This is a very erroneous statement. (Psa 5:5 KJV) The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. In Psalm 5:5, we plainly read that God hates the sin and the sinner. In fact, until the Elect become saved, we are at war with God because we are still walking as sinners. Once we become saved, the war is over and now that hatred that God had for us as sinners, is now translated into love for us because of the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ. (Rom 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: In Romans 5:1, since we are justified, we have peace with God which means the war between us and God is over eternally. We are no longer at enmity with God instead we have become His children and being elevated to Princes and Princesses.

Faith in his Blood - It is only through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are the Elect justified. (Heb 9:22 KJV) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. In the ceremonial laws, it was required that an animal without blemish be killed for a sin offering. Christ was the Mercy Seat who shed his own blood for the Elect of God. (Heb 9:12 KJV) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. The animal sacrifices were only an atonement but the sacrifice of Christ removed the sins of His people instead of covering them.

(Psa 103:12 KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

(Col 2:13-14 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Declare his Righteousness - In the tabernacle and temple, the atonement which was made, was made only for the nation of Israel. The atonement was only seen by God and the High Priest but here God is saying that He is declaring the righteousness which was authored by the Lord Jesus Christ because of His sacrifice on Calvary to the entire world. (1 John 2:2 KJV) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Now this does not mean that Christ paid the penalty for the sins of every person in the whole world, if He did, then everyone would be saved. 1 John 2:2 speaks of the fact that Christ’s propitiation for our sins will be as effective for His Elect who are in the uttermost parts of the Earth. Christ’s sacrifice will have the same effect on His Elect two thousand years in the future as it did for the Apostles in Jerusalem. This translates into the effectual calling of the believer which completely invalidates the idea of free will. The worldwide declaration of the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ is the worldwide declaration of the Gospel.

Forbearance of God - Notice in this verse we read the phrase “sins that are past.” Christ’s sacrifice was effectual in the lives of the Old Testament Saints. The forbearance of God was during the Old Testament times before the time of Christ on Earth. From the time of Abraham to the time of the cross was about 2100 years. God was forbearing with the sins of the Elect until the Lord Jesus Christ finished the salvation plan of God. (John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Then justification of all the believers had taken place by the true Mercy Seat of God.


Rom 3:26 (KJV)
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

In the end of verse 25, we are told of the forbearance of God during the Old Testament before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ who would finish God’s salvation plan. The forbearance of God leads to the present declaration that the righteousness of God is now revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of this, God is just, especially in His salvation plan, which, through the blood of Christ, justifies those whom He elects to salvation. We can conclude that this is effective justification of the believer which means the believer can never be unjustified in God’s sight. Those in Christ are securely justified. There is nothing in Scripture which speaks of temporary justification. (Acts 13:39 KJV) And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Rom 3:27 (KJV)
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

The Pharisees and Sadducees believed they were justified by their works. There are many cults and churches today who believe their works will justify them before God thus granting them Heaven. This verse builds on verse 26. Based on the fact that God is just by justifying His Elect unto salvation, then where is boasting included? Does anyone have the right to boast that they did something to affect their salvation? Paul then quickly answers that question by stating that any boasting in that is excluded or eliminated. For how can one boast of securing their own salvation when God alone is responsible for it through the Lord Jesus Christ? Those who boast in the law of works will be found deficient in the arena of salvation because no one can work for their salvation. The law only proved to a person that they could never become righteous before God. The law whereby a person can become right before God is the law of faith. The law of faith is the Gospel of Free Grace. Within the law of faith, there is no boasting whatsoever since Grace is all of God. Even faith is governed by law.
Rom 3:28 (KJV)
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

The conclusion of the matter is plain. No one can become justified before God on their own merits but only through the Free Grace of God. Galatians 2:16 bears this out clearly. (Gal 2:16 KJV) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Since Christ fulfilled the demands of the law of God, the believers in Christ are justified as if they kept every last tenet of the law. The Judaizers had tried to mix the keeping of the law with grace, in hopes of keeping people under the law which would still keep the people under their control. Law and Grace are two different things and cannot be homogenized for salvation. Salvation has only been by grace in every case throughout history, there are no exceptions.
Rom 3:29 (KJV)
Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

Paul is breaking the Jews of a bad thinking habit in that because of their history, they believed that God was exclusively theirs as in ancient times but now that God is dealing with the world and His Elect within the entire world means that He is the God of the Gentile believers as well as the Jewish believers. The Jews had forgotten that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were Gentiles with a lineage from Mesopotamia which meant they had a Gentile lineage. The nation of Israel was not born until they came out of Egypt in the Exodus some 600 years after the time of Abraham. You can legitimately say that the nation of Israel was born in 1447 BC. While they were in Egyptian captivity, God was preparing them to be a nation among the nations who would eventually bring forth the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 4:22 KJV) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Rom 3:30 (KJV)
Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

Here Paul once again reiterates the truth that the same God which appeared at Sinai and guided the Israelites on their journeys plus judged them throughout the wilderness wanderings and times of the divided kingdom, is the same God who will also justify the Elect that He saves from among the Gentile population. The word “by” in this verse is the word “ek” in the Greek and it denotes “from or out of.” It also has a meaning of a point of departure or a separation which is very important. The Jews had thought that by keeping the law and the ceremonies such as circumcision, they would be acceptable in God’s sight. Here Paul is stating that the “circumcision” meaning the Jews, are justified apart or separate from the law, since the law cannot save anyone. He also goes on to say that the uncircumcision are saved through faith, or Free Grace. The meaning is straightforward here that the Gentiles of whom God elects, are saved through the avenue of Free Grace otherwise known as faith.
Rom 3:31 (KJV)
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Does the law of faith void the law? The answer is a resounding no. The word “void” carries with it in the Greek the meaning of “making of no effect.” The law remains in effect until the end of time. The law still holds authority over those who remain under it. Just because many are justified through the faith or Free Grace, does not mean the law no longer has any authority. If a person breaks just one rule of the law, they become guilty before God as if they broke the entire law. A person who is saved looks to Christ, who by His sacrifice, kept the law in its entirety and that obedience is imputed to every true Christian. When that obedience of the law is imputed to the Christian by God, then that means that God has justified that believer because of their complete obedience to the law which was kept by Christ and imputed to the believer as if we were the ones who kept the law completely. The law is established, which means it still stands firm. The law remains established side by side with Grace, because the law is the one entity that teaches us that we could never keep it perfectly. Grace, through Christ, is the imputation of the obedience of Christ in keeping the law to the Christian.

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