Today is Mother’s Day.  To all the mom’s in the room – “Happy Mother’s Day.”

We are also in a sermon series going through Romans and the title of the message is taken right out of

Romans 3:23:  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

God is Faithful vv.1-8.

Jews were given a great privilege to be the people of God, 2:17-20.  The blessings God promised to Abraham by faith were the blessings also promised to the nation of Israel when God redeemed them from bondage in Egypt and gave them His law.  But the promised blessings of God to Israel were conditioned on their obedience.

Throughout their history, the Jews were unfaithful to God and yet their unfaithfulness did not nullify God’s faithfulness to what He had promised in His Word: 

“Let God be true, and every human being a liar.”  (v.4)

As a matter of fact, the faithfulness of God and the truth of His Word are unchangable because God Himself is unchangable.  As we have seen in chapters 1 and 2 and now into chapter 3, the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel is that God hates sin – He always has and He always will. 

“God is not unjust in bringing His wrath on us.”  (v.5)

Mankind is Sinful, vv.9-20

The righteousness of God that is revealed in the gospel also reveals the just condemnation of mankind because of sin.  Paul concludes his argument on the wrath of God against sin by making this charge:  “Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin,” (v.9) and backs up this claim with Old Testament Scripture, verses 10-18.

True Righteousness Only Comes From God, vv.21-26

If we put these two propositional statements together – God is Faithful and Mankind is sinful, the logical conclusion must be that True Righteousness Only Comes From God.  Here is the full paragraph:

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  (22)  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  (25) God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – (26) He did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

As we get into this paragraph it is very important to notice the thematic statement found in verse 21.  Here it is:  Look with me at verse 21:  the righteousness of God has been made known.”

A.  How has it been made known?   Verses 21 and 22.

1.  “But now” is a time marker.  Up to the time of Christ, the righteousness of God had been made known through the law but now the righteousness of God has been made known through Christ.

2.  “Apart from the law” is a reference back to v.20:  “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”

3.  The Law and the Prophets testify about these two things.  That is, the entire OT shows that true righteousness only comes from God and that our response must be repentance and faith.  Repentance – we must acknowledge our sin and turn away from it.  Faith – we must put our complete trust in Jesus.

4.  The true righteousness that only comes from God comes “through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.” (v.22)  Notice three points:

It is a gift.

Every person who believes in Jesus Christ experiences it.

It is available to everyone – “for there is no distinction.”

B.  Why is it only known through faith in Christ?  Verses 23 and 24

Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, v.23, and [because] all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus, v.24

1.  The emphasis in verse 23 is on the word “all.”  When Paul says “all have sinned” he means “all have sinned.  This is the point that Paul has been making from 1:18-3:20; every person has violated/broken God’s law.  For Gentiles, God’s law is written upon their hearts and their conscience bears witness, 2:15.  For Jews, God’s law has been entrusted to them yet they dishonor Him by breaking the law, 2:23.

2.  “and fall short of the glory of God.” Notice the verb tenses here.  “Have sinned” [past tense] and “fall short” [present tense].  Put them together and the meaning becomes more clear:  all people, all the time, because of sin, choose to go their own way in rebellion against God.

These things are true of every person who has ever lived except 1, Jesus Christ.  Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves to make us righteous before God.  He never sinned and He lived for God’s glory.

The reason why we must put our complete trust in Jesus to be right with God is not only because of our need but also because of what Jesus accomplished for us:  “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus,” v.24

3.  Again “all” means “all.”  To be “justified” is to be declared or pronounced righteous.  This is something only a judge can do.  God is a righteous judge.  He is the only one who has the authority to make a pronouncement upon every person’s life – either justified or condemned – and His judgment is based upon one’s relationship to Jesus Christ.  When God justifies a sinner in Christ, that person is now accepted into favor and fellowship with God through the forgiveness of sin.

4.  God’s declaration is offered to us freely by His grace and this is only possible because of the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  I like an acrostic to define this word grace:  God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.  What did it cost Christ for us to be accepted into favor and fellowship with God through the forgiveness of sin?  It cost Jesus his own blood.  His blood, shed on the cross, was the ransom price required to set us free from slavery to sin.

Why is it that True Righteousness Only Comes From God?  It is because Jesus is the only one who could pay the cost of our redemption from sin.

C.  What did God do to demonstrate His Righteousness?  Verse 25 and 26.

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – (26) He did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

1.  “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement.  The word being defined here is propitiation. Jesus on the cross appeased or satisfied the wrath of God and removed God’s wrath from us.

2.  “He did this to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.”

Jesus on the cross also demonstrates God’s patience/long-suffering and kindness not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance of their sin and faith in Jesus, 2:4. Because of the forbearance of God, we might be tempted to think that there is something lacking in Jesus’ death on the cross and that we might need to add something to it to make the punishment for sin complete.

What Paul is saying here is that God did not exact a full and immediate punishment for sin in the past and this demonstrates His patience and kindness towards us.  However, Jesus on the cross is payment in full and nothing else needs to be done to appease God’s wrath against sin and fully justify those who believe in Jesus.

3.  “He did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Jesus on the cross happened 2000 years ago.  How can that event still have an effect on us today?  The answer is because God is not only just but he is also the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.