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Romans 3:20-22
The book of Romans contains some of nominal Christianity's favorite lines. Nominal Christianity really belts out those parts of the book. During other parts, though, where the lyrics are not as familiar, it hums and does a little head-nodding to get through those lines until it returns to familiar lyrics, at which point it sings with gusto once again. Yet, if nominal Christianity really grasped the song's meaning, it would sing a different tune.
Like a song by a skilled musician, some lines are memorable, but their full meaning comes from their place in the overall work. One stanza does not make a song.
While Peter's caution extends to all of Paul's writings (II Peter 3:14-18), it is common within nominal Christianity to use select verses in Romans to support the idea that God's law has been “done away”—or at least certain parts. Indeed, hardly anyone argues that idolatry, adultery, or murder are acceptable since Christ died for our sins. Charges of legalism are rarely laid when considering most of the Ten Commandments. For example, when men and women consistently uphold their marriage vows, we call them “faithful” or “committed.” When a man is careful about honesty, we consider him “trustworthy”—and wish there were more like him!
However, when the fourth commandment is under discussion, the tune changes. The seventh-day Sabbath—which Jesus and the apostles clearly kept—quickly brings out the hostility to God's law in the carnal mind (Romans 8:7), which often uses various verses in Romans to defend breaking it. Further, the carnal-minded frequently call those who keep the fourth commandment “legalistic” or “Pharisaical” or accuse them of trying to earn salvation. These allegations are never made about the other nine commandments. Why the double standard?
Due to how Paul arranges the material in Romans, he sometimes appears to contradict himself. Yet, such is not the case because God's Word cannot be broken (John 10:35). What he does is explore one side of the issue in one passage, then in the following passage, he switches to another side of the issue and explains it before returning to the first side.
But what commonly happens with the untaught and unstable (II Peter 3:16) mirrors what we experience when singing a song we do not know well. Nominal Christianity will jubilantly belt out those sections that sound as if Paul says the law is done away (Romans 3:28; 4:2-3; 5:1-2), but when the apostle changes keys and upholds God's law, it hums and mumbles and looks around uncomfortably.
Later, when the lyrics sound like they might indicate it can ignore the fourth commandment, nominal Christianity cranks up the volume and resumes singing. It lasts until Paul again upholds God's law (Romans 2:12-13; 6:1-2; 7:12), at which point worldly Christianity gets quiet and fidgety, waiting for the next line that sounds like he asserts that God's law no longer applies.
Peter was right to say some things Paul wrote are hard to understand! Despite some considering it to be so, the apostle who wrote so much New Testament theology is not contradicting himself. On the contrary, all he writes is true; otherwise, God would not have included it in His Word. However, such things as timing, context, and purpose, among others, are critical factors in properly understanding Paul's arguments and explanations, aspects that many misunderstand or miss altogether.
David C. Grabbe
How Does Faith Establish the Law? (Part One)Related Topics: ' Earning' Salvation | Antinomian Protestantism | Faith Establishes Law | God's Law Done Away | Legalism | Legalism, Charges of | Nominal Christianity | Paul's Writings Twisted | Proof Texts to Establish Error | Protestant Double Standard | Red Herring | Sabbath, Hatred for Seventh Day
Romans 3:19-21
Some ministers would like us to believe that justification and salvation by grace through faith just suddenly appeared when the Son of God lived and died in the first century. They imply that God changed His approach to saving men—that He was either losing the battle to Satan, or the way He had given man was just too hard. It also implies that men under the Old Covenant were saved by keeping the law.
Once a person has sinned, he is under the penalty of the law, and his righteousness is not sufficient to justify him before God. Since all have sinned, the whole world is guilty before God. It takes a righteousness apart from lawkeeping to do this.
Then Paul says that this righteousness is revealed in the Old Testament Law and Prophets! The teaching has been there all along, all through the centuries from Moses to Christ and down to our time! God never changed His course. In the first century, He only openly revealed the means, Christ, through whom would come the righteousness that will justify one before God.
Men have always been justified and saved by grace through faith. People who were saved during Old Testament times looked forward in faith to this being accomplished. We look backward at it as a promise and as fulfilled prophecy.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Is God a False Minister?Related Topics: God's Changelessness | God's Law | Grace | Justification | New Covenant | Old Covenant | Righteousness | Salvation | Salvation by Grace through Faith | Sin
Romans 3:21-26
God can forbear with us because Jesus Christ came to this earth and died for all of us. If we repent and ask God forgiveness, then Christ's blood covers all of our sins. Justice has been done. The sin has been paid for by the blood of Christ. God can thus forbear with us and allow us to "get away" with our sins for a while, because if we repent, then Jesus Christ's blood covers our sins, and justice is done. A person died for those sins—our Creator, Jesus Christ.
But if we do not repent, what happens? We die, and the penalty is paid. So this is a kind of legal maneuver by God. His forbearance is allowed under His legal system because Jesus Christ's blood pays the penalty for our sins. He can be merciful and lenient for a while, and whether we repent, or whether we do not repent, justice is ultimately served because a death occurs—either Jesus' or ours. This is the legal basis for why He can be forbearing. He has already taken care of it, one way or the other.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
ForbearanceRelated Topics: Christ's Righteousness | Christ's Sacrifice | Forbearance | Forbearance, God's | God's Forbearance | God's Forgiveness | God's Justice | God's Mercy | Jesus Christ's Righteousness | Jesus Christ's Sacrifice | Justification | Justification by Faith | Justification by Grace through Faith | Justification by means of Faith in Jesus Christ | Justification through Christ's Sacrifice | Repentance | Righteousness of Christ | Righteousness of Christ Imputed to Us
Romans 3:19-23
This passage shows us the foundation of understanding justification by faith and thus where we stand in our relationship with God. Paul explains that, regardless of who one is and what he has done that might be considered as righteousness, God owes Him nothing but death because "all have sinned." Sinners are those under the law, and the law condemns them, making them subject to its power to take the sinner's life. Each person's own transgressions against the law and God place him in that position.
Sin is something each sinner is responsible for, and once the individual has sinned and earned the death penalty, the sin cannot be forgiven simply because he does good to make up for it. God did not make him sin. A clear example is Adam and Eve: God obviously did not make them sin; each of them chose to sin. Romans 3:20 clearly states that no sinner can justify himself through law-keeping. The law's purpose is to make known what sin is.
Once a person sins, everything is seemingly stacked against him. The sinner can in no way make up for what he has done. Therefore, since justification cannot be claimed as a right due to his keeping the law, if a person desires to be forgiven, the only alternative is that justification must be received as a gift.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Living By Faith and God's Grace (Part Two)Related Topics: All Have Sinned | Forgiveness | God Owes Us Nothing | Justification as a Gift | Justification as Unearned Gift | Justification by Faith | Justification is a Gift | Justification not a Right | Living by Faith and God's Grace | Wages of Sin as Death
Romans 3:20-21
Where does righteousness apart from the law appear in the Bible? In the law, back in the Old Testament! It is not new with the New Covenant.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Nine)Related Topics: Justification | Justification by Faith | Justification by Grace through Faith | Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification | Righteousness | Righteousness Apart from the Law | Righteousness of Christ Imputed to Us | Righteousness of Faith
Romans 3:21-22
Here Paul explains that God has provided a means whereby we may receive forgiveness of sins and be accounted righteous in His sight. It is separate and distinct from obedience to the law. This forgiveness comes by having faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ!
Earl L. Henn
Saved By Faith Alone?Related Topics: Christ's Righteousness | Christ's Sacrifice | Faith | Jesus Christ's Righteousness | Jesus Christ's Sacrifice | Justification | Justification by Faith | Justification by Grace through Faith | Justification by means of Faith in Jesus Christ | Justification through Christ's Sacrifice | Obedience | Righteousness | Righteousness Apart from the Law | Righteousness of Christ | Righteousness of Christ Imputed to Us | Righteousness of Faith | Sin
Romans 3:20-31
We are justified through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the payment for our sins, thus freeing us from sin's penalty, and at the same time, God accounts—or imputes—Christ's righteousness to us. The righteousness that enabled Him to be the perfect sacrifice is accounted as if it is ours! This then makes it possible for us to have access into the presence of the holy God.
But this does not do away with law. It establishes it! It places the law in its rightful position in our understanding of what God is working out in our lives.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Nine)Related Topics: Christ's Righteousness | Christ's Sacrifice | Jesus Christ's Righteousness | Jesus Christ's Sacrifice | Justification | Justification by Faith | Justification by Grace through Faith | Justification by means of Faith in Jesus Christ | Justification through Christ's Sacrifice | Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification | Righteousness of Christ | Righteousness of Christ Imputed to Us | Righteousness of Faith
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What Does Romans 3:21 Mean?
God provides a means for forgiveness of sins and being accounted righteous separate and distinct from obedience to the law. This comes by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who died for all. If one repents Christ's blood covers the sins and justice is done. If not the person dies paying the penalty. This legal basis allows forbearance since a death occurs either way serving justice ultimately.