Bible Passage: Romans 3:21-31
Background Passages: Romans 3:1-31
Memory Verse: Romans 3:21, 22
Objectives:
Background Passages: Romans 3:1-31
Memory Verse: Romans 3:21, 22
Objectives:
- To know that God's righteousness has been revealed to man by Jesus Christ
- To know God's righteousness is given to all who will trust in Christ
- Thank God for the righteousness He has given through Jesus Christ
- Decide to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior if you have not yet done this
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Man’s need for salvation is the truth which Paul has been teaching through his letter to the Romans. Romans 1-3 has presented that all men are under the wrath of God because of the rebellion that is in their hearts. God has spoken and given us a clear picture of our need of help.
God has not left us in our sin and rebellion. He has also provided the way of deliverance for us. He Who demands perfect righteousness for those who want to please Him has also provided a way whereby man can receive this righteousness. This is the theme of the rest of the book of Romans.
Today, we begin the study of salvation from Romans 3:21-31.
I. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED (Romans 3:21-24)
A. Why It Had to be Revealed (3:21)
After describing and proving the terrible lost condition of man, Paul turns to the salvation which God has provided.
Question: How can man know about the way in which he can become right before God? (3:21)
God’s righteousness has been made known.
In Romans 1:19, 20 we learned that man can know God’s power and glory through creation. But creation cannot tell man about salvation. This had to be revealed by God.
There is also nothing within man that can tell him the way back to God. When man turned away from God, his heart became darkened and his thoughts became futile or useless (Romans 1:21). Man’s heart and mind were like a dark room which needs light from the outside. God had to bring the light of His righteousness to man by revelation.
B. How It Was Revealed (3:22-24)
1. Not by the Law
Question: How did God make known His righteousness to man? (3:22-24)
To understand this passage, we need to remember that Paul was talking to Jews. They believed that they could be made righteous and acceptable to God by trying to obey His laws which had been given to them by Moses.
Paul is saying here that God’s righteousness cannot be obtained through God’s law, but comes only by Jesus Christ. He discusses this fact more thoroughly later on in this letter, but now he simple states the fact. Righteousness does NOT come by knowing or trying to obey God’s laws which are in the Bible. It comes by faith in Jesus Christ Who came to reveal God to us and bring us His salvation from our sin.
2. By Jesus Christ
There is another reason why God’s righteousness was made known through Christ. Our God, who has made us, knows how we learn best. He knows that we respond, not so much to words, but to demonstration of what is to be learned.
God demonstration His righteousness and His love in His dealings with us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrated in His life the righteousness and love which God wants in our lives. God’s laws could only tell us what is wrong and right. But Jesus Christ came to show the way to do right and to give us power to do it.
II. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS RECEIVED (Romans 3:22-31)
A. As a Gift (3:24)
Question: If Jesus came to reveal God’s righteousness, then how does a sinner actually become good as Jesus is? (3:24)
God is giving His righteousness freely, so man receives it as a gift from Him.
There are two ways to receive something. The first is as a payment for what one has done. The second way is as a gift. Paul says that God’s way of providing righteousness to man is as a gift to those who will simply trust themselves to Jesus Christ.
1. A gift is often given to someone who cannot buy it because he is too poor.
We have seen how poor we are spiritually. We are all sinful. Therefore, righteousness had to come as a gift so we could become acceptable to God.
2. A gift is usually given because of love.
Righteousness came as a gift to all men because of God’s love (3:24). All men have sinned. But because of God’s grace, He has made this way whereby we can receive His righteousness and be declared right in His sight. It is His love that makes Him want to save us even when we are evil. He wants to make us good.
3. A gift has to be paid for by the giver.
God’s righteousness comes as a gift because Jesus Christ paid for our sins through His death on the cross. In this way His righteousness is put to our account (3:24, 25). This is justification.
B. Through Faith in Jesus Christ (3:22, 25, 26)
God has provided righteousness as a gift for all who have sinned.
Question: How does a person receive this righteousness into his own personal life? What is the only condition for receiving it? (3:22, 26)
The way to receive God’s righteousness is to trust in Jesus Christ.
Question: What does it mean to have faith in someone and what is the result in the one who believes?
If a student has faith in his teacher, he will accept whatever his teacher says as true. He will follow any counsel the teacher might give because of his trust in the wisdom of the teacher.
A young man who believes in a politician will allow himself to be influenced by the ideas of the politician. Even if he disagrees at first with some of his hero’s ideas, he will consider them because he believes in the man. Little by little his thinking is changed to be like that of the one he has committed himself to follow.
A patient who has faith in his doctor will take whatever medicine the doctor prescribes, even though he has to sacrifice to buy it. He will submit to an operation even though he is afraid, because he has faith in the man who has given the advice.
In the same way, faith in Jesus Christ means that we give ourselves to Him to be influenced and controlled by Him. To believe in Him means that we are willing to submit every area of our lives to Him to change because we believe in Him. We want the righteousness that He has for us. He must have this kind of cooperation from us before He can do anything in us.
Question: Suppose a person says that if God wants him to do good, then it is up to God to make him do it. How does this thinking show that this person does not really have faith in Jesus Christ? Why will true faith always result in submission to the one believed in?
C. Apart from the Law (3:27-31)
In Romans 3:21 Paul made it clear that the righteousness of God which is given to us in Jesus Christ has been revealed apart from the law. Jesus Christ came to show us God’s righteousness and to give the power to live righteously to all who submit to Him. This is God’s way of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles, for both those who know God’s law and those who do not.
Therefore, Paul concludes in Romans 3:27-31, that each person must receive God’s righteousness by faith. Salvation is not by faith in Jesus PLUS trying to please God by obeying the law. If it were, then only the Jews could be saved because the law was given to them (3:2). We have seen in Romans 3:20 that the purpose of the law is not to give us salvation but to show us our sin. Therefore, to receive God’s righteousness, we must give up our efforts to earn God’s favor and instead trust only in Jesus Christ Who will make us good.
God has not left us in our sin and rebellion. He has also provided the way of deliverance for us. He Who demands perfect righteousness for those who want to please Him has also provided a way whereby man can receive this righteousness. This is the theme of the rest of the book of Romans.
Today, we begin the study of salvation from Romans 3:21-31.
I. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED (Romans 3:21-24)
A. Why It Had to be Revealed (3:21)
After describing and proving the terrible lost condition of man, Paul turns to the salvation which God has provided.
Question: How can man know about the way in which he can become right before God? (3:21)
God’s righteousness has been made known.
In Romans 1:19, 20 we learned that man can know God’s power and glory through creation. But creation cannot tell man about salvation. This had to be revealed by God.
There is also nothing within man that can tell him the way back to God. When man turned away from God, his heart became darkened and his thoughts became futile or useless (Romans 1:21). Man’s heart and mind were like a dark room which needs light from the outside. God had to bring the light of His righteousness to man by revelation.
B. How It Was Revealed (3:22-24)
1. Not by the Law
Question: How did God make known His righteousness to man? (3:22-24)
To understand this passage, we need to remember that Paul was talking to Jews. They believed that they could be made righteous and acceptable to God by trying to obey His laws which had been given to them by Moses.
Paul is saying here that God’s righteousness cannot be obtained through God’s law, but comes only by Jesus Christ. He discusses this fact more thoroughly later on in this letter, but now he simple states the fact. Righteousness does NOT come by knowing or trying to obey God’s laws which are in the Bible. It comes by faith in Jesus Christ Who came to reveal God to us and bring us His salvation from our sin.
2. By Jesus Christ
There is another reason why God’s righteousness was made known through Christ. Our God, who has made us, knows how we learn best. He knows that we respond, not so much to words, but to demonstration of what is to be learned.
God demonstration His righteousness and His love in His dealings with us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrated in His life the righteousness and love which God wants in our lives. God’s laws could only tell us what is wrong and right. But Jesus Christ came to show the way to do right and to give us power to do it.
II. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS RECEIVED (Romans 3:22-31)
A. As a Gift (3:24)
Question: If Jesus came to reveal God’s righteousness, then how does a sinner actually become good as Jesus is? (3:24)
God is giving His righteousness freely, so man receives it as a gift from Him.
There are two ways to receive something. The first is as a payment for what one has done. The second way is as a gift. Paul says that God’s way of providing righteousness to man is as a gift to those who will simply trust themselves to Jesus Christ.
1. A gift is often given to someone who cannot buy it because he is too poor.
We have seen how poor we are spiritually. We are all sinful. Therefore, righteousness had to come as a gift so we could become acceptable to God.
2. A gift is usually given because of love.
Righteousness came as a gift to all men because of God’s love (3:24). All men have sinned. But because of God’s grace, He has made this way whereby we can receive His righteousness and be declared right in His sight. It is His love that makes Him want to save us even when we are evil. He wants to make us good.
3. A gift has to be paid for by the giver.
God’s righteousness comes as a gift because Jesus Christ paid for our sins through His death on the cross. In this way His righteousness is put to our account (3:24, 25). This is justification.
B. Through Faith in Jesus Christ (3:22, 25, 26)
God has provided righteousness as a gift for all who have sinned.
Question: How does a person receive this righteousness into his own personal life? What is the only condition for receiving it? (3:22, 26)
The way to receive God’s righteousness is to trust in Jesus Christ.
Question: What does it mean to have faith in someone and what is the result in the one who believes?
If a student has faith in his teacher, he will accept whatever his teacher says as true. He will follow any counsel the teacher might give because of his trust in the wisdom of the teacher.
A young man who believes in a politician will allow himself to be influenced by the ideas of the politician. Even if he disagrees at first with some of his hero’s ideas, he will consider them because he believes in the man. Little by little his thinking is changed to be like that of the one he has committed himself to follow.
A patient who has faith in his doctor will take whatever medicine the doctor prescribes, even though he has to sacrifice to buy it. He will submit to an operation even though he is afraid, because he has faith in the man who has given the advice.
In the same way, faith in Jesus Christ means that we give ourselves to Him to be influenced and controlled by Him. To believe in Him means that we are willing to submit every area of our lives to Him to change because we believe in Him. We want the righteousness that He has for us. He must have this kind of cooperation from us before He can do anything in us.
Question: Suppose a person says that if God wants him to do good, then it is up to God to make him do it. How does this thinking show that this person does not really have faith in Jesus Christ? Why will true faith always result in submission to the one believed in?
C. Apart from the Law (3:27-31)
In Romans 3:21 Paul made it clear that the righteousness of God which is given to us in Jesus Christ has been revealed apart from the law. Jesus Christ came to show us God’s righteousness and to give the power to live righteously to all who submit to Him. This is God’s way of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles, for both those who know God’s law and those who do not.
Therefore, Paul concludes in Romans 3:27-31, that each person must receive God’s righteousness by faith. Salvation is not by faith in Jesus PLUS trying to please God by obeying the law. If it were, then only the Jews could be saved because the law was given to them (3:2). We have seen in Romans 3:20 that the purpose of the law is not to give us salvation but to show us our sin. Therefore, to receive God’s righteousness, we must give up our efforts to earn God’s favor and instead trust only in Jesus Christ Who will make us good.
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MEDITATION
In his spiritual darkness and blindness, man could not become righteous as God demanded. Therefore, God sent His Son to reveal the kind of righteousness which He wants in us and to give it to us. All who will trust Jesus Christ will be accepted by God as righteous. He will then begin to make them good even as He is good. This is salvation.
In his spiritual darkness and blindness, man could not become righteous as God demanded. Therefore, God sent His Son to reveal the kind of righteousness which He wants in us and to give it to us. All who will trust Jesus Christ will be accepted by God as righteous. He will then begin to make them good even as He is good. This is salvation.
- Are these truths concerning salvation different from what you have believed? What are you really trusting in for your salvation? Your own goodness? Your knowledge or the Bible? The faith of your parents? Your church? Your baptism?
- Are you proud of your goodness? Or do you understand that righteousness is a gift from God?
- Have you received this gift through receiving Jesus Christ?
- Do you constantly praise God for this wonderful provision of salvation? Are you humbly grateful to Him for what He has done?
Source:
Foundations of Faith (Romans 1-7)
PCEP Adult Bible Studies 2
Foundations of Faith (Romans 1-7)
PCEP Adult Bible Studies 2