Previously in Romans 2, we saw Paul prove both the moralist and the religious man to be law breakers. The Gentiles will perish without the Law, because the Law is written on their hearts. The Jews, who were under the Law, will be judged by the Law. He ended with a radical statement for the Jewish reader, circumcision only profits if you keep the law, otherwise, it is counted uncircumcision. Likewise, if you are uncircumcised and keep the law, it is counted as circumcision. Our tendency in our human nature is to think that we are somehow an exception to the rule. these things apply to everyone else, but my circumstances are different. However, Paul is going to prove this notion to be false as well.
If the Jew is just as much a lawbreaker as the Gentile and their circumcision of no value, what advantage is there to being in Jew, Paul asks? He then answers, “much in every way.” This is primarily because they were given the Word of God. It is this Word that testifies of the coming plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. Whether the Jewish people believe it or not, it doesn’t change that God is true and that men are liars. Even though we are unfaithful, He remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). Charles Spurgeon stated the following about God being true: “It is a strange, strong expression; but it is none too strong. If God says one thing, and every man in the world says another, God is true, and all men are false. God speaks the truth, and cannot lie. God cannot change; his word, like himself, is immutable. We are to believe God’s truth if nobody else believes it. The general consensus of opinion is nothing to a Christian. He believes God’s word, and he thinks more of that than of the universal opinion of men.” This faithfulness is even seen in His judgment in unbelieving and unrepentant man.
Next Paul mentions some possible objections to this truth, and then answers them. First, if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, how can God judge me for my sin? His righteousness reveals our sin, and our unrighteousness reveals His righteousness on the day of judgment. To take it even further, if God’s truth is increased by my lie, and this brings glory to Him, why don’t we then just do evil so good will come? Paul was being falsely accused of teaching this, but he states those who truly teach this are justly condemned. These are objections that are stated out of a proud and unrepentant heart. He is coming back in judgment one day soon, and those who are wise will avoid it through faith in Christ.
Since the Jews were given the word of God, does this mean they are better than everyone else? Paul says, “Not at all.” He had previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles to be under sin. This “under sin” means to be sold under sin, and speaks to our slavery to it before coming to Christ. Next, He will put the nail in the coffin of the universal sinfulness of man.
He then quotes from some Old Testament passages in Psalms and Isaiah, and when you read those passages, it seems like they are referring to a specific group of people (e.g. David’s enemies), but here Paul quotes them as referring to mankind as a whole. He writes, “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Lest we be tempted to think we are the exception to the rule, Paul tells us there is none righteous, no, not one. He repeats it a second time, “There is none who does good, no, not one.” When the Lord repeats something twice, He is wanting to make sure we get the point. Man in his unregenerate state is a slave to his sin, he has no spiritual understanding, and does not even seek after God. He is entirely given to his sin. As we discussed before, it is God who seeks us out and calls us with His Holy Spirit. He opens our understanding to spiritual things (1 Co 2:11-16).
Paul then returns his discussion back to the law. He said that whatever the law says, it says it to those who were under the law, that every mouth would be stopped, and that the whole world would become guilty before God. In my witnessing to others, I have personally observed this happen. When you go through the 10 Commandments with someone (even just a few of them), it stops their mouths. This is especially true when you bring in the words of Jesus who said even if you think it in your heart, you are guilty. It is for this reason that no one can be justified by the deeds of the law. The law can only bring the knowledge of sin, and therefore is our schoolmaster or tutor to bring us to Christ. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal 3:21-24)
This means that man has a fatal disease, and if our hope was in the law, it would be an incurable one. However, this is where the Lord stepped in. Now that Paul has established that man has the fatal disease of sin, he now shifts to its only cure.
He begins by saying, “but now,” signifying a transition between the judgment of God and justification. We see again that the righteousness of God is revealed, apart from the law, that is to say the keeping of the law had nothing to do with this righteousness, the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus to all who believe. So, Paul has come full circle back to justification by faith as he stated in chapter 1, and it is the bad news of sin and God’s wrath discussed in these three chapters that make this justification so glorious. Without these chapters, justification through faith loses its value, and the grace of God is something we would take for granted.
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. However, we have been justified freely (without cost to us) by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This grace is the unearned favor of God. Not only does the Lord not give us what we deserve (eternal punishment in hell), but He gives us salvation and eternal life when we did nothing to deserve it. It is given to us because of our faith in Jesus who paid the price on the cross to buy us back from the slavery of sin.
God set forth Jesus to be a propitiation by His blood through faith. This word in its classical form refers to making a sacrifice to appease the anger of the Greek gods. Jesus appeased the wrath of God on the cross. This same Greek word is used to refer to the mercy seat, the lid that covered the ark, where blood was sprinkled once a year by the high priest. So then, Jesus is both our atoning sacrifice and our mercy seat.
This demonstrates the righteousness of God, because He had previously passed over the sins that were committed by the Jewish people. The blood of bulls and goats could never truly take away sin, so God in His forbearance covered them until the blood of His Son could remove them. Again, God is just in doing so, because Jesus was a perfect sacrifice. He can legally justify us through our faith in Jesus.
Paul asks the question, “Where is boasting then?” He then answers it that it is excluded, not by works, but by the law of faith. If we could be justified by our works, then we would boast about it. However, since we are all condemned by the law, it is by faith, and our boast can only be in Christ. We must conclude then that we are justified by faith, apart from the deeds of the law. If both Jew and Gentile are condemned by the law with no hope of escape on their own merits, then it would logically follow that both can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ.
Lastly, he asks if faith nullifies the law? His answer is faith establishes it. Faith establishes the law that it reveals our sin, drives us to our knees, and shows us our need for Jesus Christ. In the following chapter Paul will give us an Old Testament example of someone who was justified by faith.
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