None righteous;
God provided righteousness;
How? Faithfulness of Christ:
And freely applied to each elect
No difference: this is the one and only way.
God provided righteousness;
How? Faithfulness of Christ:
And freely applied to each elect
No difference: this is the one and only way.
Rom 3:22
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:
Here is a wonderful passage understood by few. and messed up by many even though it declares the essence of the gospel of God.
Let us draw out four truths packed in this one verse.
1. First remember the context of this passage: The Divine Diagnosis
- "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Rom 3:10
- All, without exception, “no, not one”, are under the just and righteous condemnation because of sin.
- Sin has brought the wages of condemnation and death.
- Without righteousness, each man stands and remains justly condemned
2. The Divine Provision
- "Even the righteousness of God..."
- This is often mistaken as the attribute of God.
- This announces the righteousness of God's own provision.
- God Himself provided the righteousness for His people who have none.
- How did He do it? What is His means or instrument?
3. The Divine Instrument
- "which is by faith of Jesus Christ..."
- This declares the means God provided His own righteousness. How did God provide the righteousness necessary for the justification and life of His people?
- Faith (a feminine noun) has the meaning of fidelity or faithfulness. Check here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4102&t=KJV
- It is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in rendering perfect obedience to the complete law of God that the righteousness required by God for the justification of His people is provided for.
- John 17:4 KJV — “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” I have finished the work speaks of Christ’s faithfulness.
- John 6:38 KJV — “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” These words declare Christ’s faithfulness.
- Righteousness is through the obedience to the law of God, sin is the transgression of the law of God; sin brings condemnation and death but righteousness secures justification and life.
- God's free and gracious provision of righteousness by Christ is remotely related to the faith or the believing act of any man in Christ. That's a popular notion, but a fable nevertheless.
- If your Bible reads. "by faith in Jesus Christ," consider burning it because you have been grievously deceived. God's provision of righteousness in Jesus Christ was prior to and independent of your faith in Christ.
- Many are also deceived when they say that "by faith of Jesus Christ" means the faith that comes from Christ to them. What use is the gift of faith to one without righteousness, i.e. still in the native state of condemnation and death?
- Faith is worked by the indwelling Spirit of adoption in the children of God, thus enabling them to believe. Gal5:22.
4. The Divine Grace
- "unto all and upon all them that believe..."
- This righteousness of God's own provision through His Son Jesus Christ is upon all the believing ones. “All them that believe” is a present active participle; a verbal noun “all the believing ones.”
- They are believing ones BECAUSE this righteousness of God's own provision by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ has been freely applied to them by God.
- Many who are addicted to soundbyte read this to mean that believing is the condition to have this righteousness bestowed upon them; that’s the popular “sola fide” fiction.
- This is plain foolishness - a man without righteousness is a man still under condemnation and death; such a man can't possibly believe in order to receive righteousness.
- Romans 3:24 KJV — Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
- There are believers because God has freely justified them by His grace. Believing is evidence of the divine grace shown.
- This is the grand statement of the Old Baptists; they understood the truth: "The reason why any are justified IS NOT because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith IS because they are justified."
5. The Divine Impartiality
- "for there is no difference..."
- There is none righteous; by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified; all have sinned and are under the just condemnation of sin and death.
- There is only one righteousness by which sinners can be justified by God, even the righteousness of His own provision which is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ; this righteousness is freely bestowed by God upon those still under their condemnation of sin and death; it is freely by God's grace.
- Righteousness is NOT bestowed to a man through his faith. That's a lie and sadly, so many believe it.
These are gospel truths, the good news of what God HAS DONE for His people. Believing in Jesus Christ give evidence to that divine work of grace.
May the Lord grant you understanding. Amen.
Believe lies no more.
