The Righteousness of God

Q: What does the Bible say about the righteousness of God?

The righteousness of God is revealed as being unattainably perfect through the law, yet provided through faith in Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God, as outlined in Romans 3, emphasizes that no one can achieve righteousness through the law, as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God's law demands perfect obedience, and since all humanity has failed to meet this standard, righteousness cannot be obtained by human efforts. However, God provides a way of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law perfectly and offers His righteousness to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22).

Q: How do we know that justification by faith is true?

Justification by faith is rooted in God's revelation through scripture, notably in Romans 3, where it states no flesh can be justified by works. Paul argues in Romans 3 that no one can be justified by their works due to the reality that all have sinned (Romans 3:20). Justification is defined as being declared righteous by God, which cannot be accomplished through adherence to the law since it highlights our inability and sinfulness. Instead, salvation is presented as a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ, who embodies the righteousness of God and provides the means for us to be justified (Romans 3:21-22). This teaching is consistent throughout the New Testament and foundational to Reformed theology.

Q: Why is understanding sin important for Christians?

Understanding sin is crucial as it reveals our need for grace and the righteousness of God provided through Christ. The concept of sin is at the core of the Christian faith because it demonstrates our fallen nature and the holiness of God (Romans 3:10-18). Recognizing that all have sinned and are incapable of achieving God's standard of righteousness makes clear our need for salvation through Jesus Christ. This recognition fosters humility, leads to genuine repentance, and highlights the adequacy of Christ's atoning work, which satisfied God's justice and offers forgiveness to sinners. It is through understanding our dire condition that we can fully appreciate the grace extended to us through faith.

Q: What does it mean to be justified before God?

To be justified before God means to be declared righteous and accepted by Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Justification is a legal term indicating that a person is declared righteous in the sight of God, freeing them from the guilt of sin. According to Romans 3:20-24, justification cannot be earned through our works or observance of the law, as all are sinners. Instead, it is a gift from God, granted to those who believe in Jesus Christ, whose obedience and sacrifice fulfill the law's requirements. This means that believers are not only pardoned from sin but are also credited with Christ's righteousness, enabling them to stand before God without condemnation.

Now the scripture that I'll be
using today will be found in Romans chapter 3. I'd like you
to open your Bibles to the third chapter of Romans. I'm going
to speak on the subject, the righteousness of God. Now while
you're finding the scripture, this message will be offered
on a cassette tape. I'll tell you at the end of the
program how to order this message. But I'd like for you to follow
in the Word. I'd like for you to listen to
me. And I'd like for you to order this tape and give it to a friend
or listen to it again yourself. This is so important, the subject
that I'll be dealing with today, the righteousness of God, Romans
chapter 3. Now, in the first chapter of
this book of Romans, The Apostle Paul exposes, oh, how he exposes
the evil and the iniquity and the unbelief of Gentile nations. These Gentile nations, Paul says
in chapter 1, when they knew God, or when God had revealed
himself to them by conscience and by law and by creation, When
they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. When they saw
His glory and His power, they did not believe. They did not
glorify Him as God, but they became vain in their imaginations
and wicked in their conduct. And he describes their conduct
in Romans chapter 1, how they worshiped creatures and idols
and anything to keep from believing God. And three times he says
this, Paul uses this term three times in regard to these unbelieving,
evil, wicked, Gentile nations, pagans, heathen. He says three
times, God gave them up. God gave them up. God gave them
over. First, he says, God gave them
up to uncleanness, just gave them up to do what they would.
The uncleanness and wickedness of their evil imagination, just
gave them up to it. And then He gave them over to
vile affections, unnatural affections. And then it says He gave them
over to a reprobate mind, just totally reprobate, contrary,
completely contrary to anything good or decent or holy. God just
gave them up, gave them over to uncleanness, to vile affections,
and to a reprobate mind. Now, this is a picture of nations
in general today. You know that. What rules? What reigns? Well, drunkenness,
idolatry, dishonesty from government all the way down to the people
on the street, just plain dishonesty, unnatural affections, corruption,
corruption in every area of life, murder. Some of our cities are
called the murder capitals of the world. Evil on every hand. These things just go unchecked. Drugs and drunkenness and dishonesty
and unnatural affections. And we're like these pagan Gentile
nations of the first century of which the Apostle Paul is
writing in Romans chapter 1. Read it sometimes carefully.
God gave them up, God gave them up, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind. And Paul describes the condition
of these nations in chapter 1. And then in chapter 2 of Romans,
the apostle Paul deals with somebody else. He exposes the hypocrisy
of the religious people of his day. All of chapter 1 now deals
with exposing the wickedness and perversion and corruption
of Gentile heathen nations. But then chapter 2 of Romans,
Paul deals with the hypocrisy in religion, the complete sham
and hypocrisy on the part of people who claim to believe in
God, and actually who claim to respect and rest in the law of
God. He says there's no difference.
Isn't that something? Two or three times he uses this
term. There's no difference. There's no difference between
these heathen, pagan, unbelieving, corrupt, wicked, heathen, and
the folks who claim to be religious. He says there's no difference
between the Jew and the Gentile. They're all sin. They've all
sinned. They've all come short of the glory of God. What he
shows us in chapter 1 is the evil and wickedness of the Gentile
nations was open and public, right out in front, up front
as someone would say. While these religious Jews, their
evil was secret and hidden. The religious people committed
their evil under the cloak of religion. Their iniquity, oh,
it was a different form of iniquity, a different form of transgression,
but it was an iniquity of heart and an iniquity and corruption
of mind, as well as indeed an act. But that's religion today. Romans 1 perfectly describes
the nations of this day. And Romans 2 describes the religion
of this day. An outward profession of religion.
An outward veneer of religion that covers pride, jealousy,
hatred, envy, dishonesty, covetousness, lies, all manner of hypocrisy. And this religious cloak covers
it. But it's all, it's like Paul
said, there's no difference in reality. While the heathen is
sinning openly and publicly with no care or concern, The religious
clothe themselves with this religious veneer and this religious righteousness
and religious talk while their inward thoughts and hearts and
minds and conduct is contrary to the holy law of God. And then,
you know, Paul closes chapter 2, that chapter which exposes
the false claims of the religious with these words. He said he's
not a Jew, which is one outwardly. He is a Jew which is one inwardly. A man is not a Christian. He's
not a child of God who is one only outwardly in profession
and dress and association. He's a Christian. He's a child
of God who's one inwardly. That's what he's saying. He's
a believer, a child of God who is one inwardly. Circumcision
is of the heart. It's of the heart. It's not of
the letter. The pagan is wicked outwardly and makes no claim
on God, while the religious are wicked inwardly and profess holiness
while they hide their sins under a profession of religion and
claim to believe the Bible. But Paul says in chapter 3 here,
now we go to chapter 3, he says there's no difference. There's
no difference. Do you see that? You take Romans
sometime and read it. Chapter 1, the corruption and
dishonesty and evil and wickedness of pagan nations. Chapter 2,
the hypocrisy and phony veneer of religious people who claim
one thing outwardly and who live another way inwardly. And Paul
in chapter 3 comes down to this. He says there's no difference.
There's no difference in Jew or Gentile. There's no difference
in religious people and unbelievers. There's no difference. They're
all under sin. They're all under sin. Listen
to it. Romans 3, verse 10. There's none righteous. No, not
one. There's none that understandeth.
There's none that truly understand the truth of God. There's none
that truly seek after God. None, he said. The Lord God looked
down from heaven to see if there was any that did do good. And he said, they're all gone
aside. They all together become unprofitable. And finally in
chapter three, Romans Paul says, there's none good. No, not one. No, not one. And then he describes
us in that third chapter and how he talks about our feet being
swift to shed blood and the poison of snakes is under our lips and
our eyes are evil, evil and our thoughts are evil and all about
us from head to toe is evil. And then he says in verse 19,
that's where I want to start, verse 19, Romans 3, now we know,
now we know that what the law saith, it saith to them under
the law that every mouth may be stopped, every mouth, Jew
and Gentile, pagan, religious, every man, and all the world
become guilty before God. Now, what's this saying? Well,
he says, now, we know. There's no doubt about this.
This is the truth. We know this. We know this. What the law says. Now, what does the law say? What
does the law say? Well, the law says, thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength. Isn't that what the law says?
What the law says? The law says thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself. The law says, as you would that
men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them. The law says
thou shalt have no other God before thee. The law says thou
shalt not covet, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not commit adultery,
thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, The law says, Be ye
holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord God. That's what the law
says. Now we know, he said, that what
the law says, and that's what it says. To whom does the law
say this? The law says this to all who
are under the law. Well, who's under the law? Well,
everyone who's under the reign of God. Everyone who's on God's
earth. Everyone who's under God Almighty's
sky, Gentile and Jew, pagan and religious, old and young, male
or female, it says it to all. What does it say to all? Keep
the law perfectly, no deferments. That's what the law says. The
law and the commandments of God are unchanging, unbending, unrelenting. If you would be accepted of God,
Do not sin. Do not think evil. Do not speak
evil in word, deed, or thought at any time. That's what the
law says. And that's the people to whom
the law says it. That's what we know. Well, what's
the results of this? Well, the results of this is
a conclusion to which Paul came at the end of chapter 2. There's
no difference. There's no difference. Every
mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before
God because, listen, Romans 3, 23, all have sinned. All have sinned and come short
of the what? The glory of God. It's not that
we've come short of the standard set forth by religious people. We've come short of the glory
of God. There's not a just man upon the
earth, not one. not a just man upon the earth
that doeth good and sinneth not." That's the conclusion to which
Paul has come in these first three chapters. There's none
good, no, not one. All right, let's look at verse
20. Therefore, therefore, this being the case, this being the
case, Jew, Gentile, bond-free, male, female, this being the
case, verse 20 says, therefore, By the deeds of the law, there
shall no flesh be justified before God." No flesh. Well, what is it to be justified
before God? What are we talking about? Well,
to be justified before God means to be accepted of God. It means
to be approved of God. It means to walk with God. It
means to be a child of God. It means to be acknowledged by
God as having no guilt. That's what it is to be justified.
Well, therefore, when we understand what we are by nature and by
birth and by choice and by practice, that means no flesh, religious
or pagan, old or young, mothers or fathers, male or female, rich
or poor, no flesh is accepted. No flesh is justified. No flesh
is good. No flesh is approved of God. by the law, because all have
sinned. No man can, does, or has kept
the law of God perfectly. You see, the law was never given
to save. The law, first of all, reveals
our sins. Paul said, I would not have known
sin had not the law said, thou shalt not covet. That's when
I realized my sin. The law reveals our sins. The
law declares us guilty before God. What the law saith, it saith
to everyone who's under the law, that every mouth may be stopped
and all the world become guilty before God. The law reveals our
sins, the law declares us guilty, and the law shuts our mouths. Shuts our mouths. Well, you may
ask, is there no hope? Is there no way of salvation?
Is there no way to God? Is there no way of holiness?
Oh yes, yes there is. And I'll tell you this, if we'll
take our place before God as sinners and shut our mouths,
now that's what that verse 19 said, that every mouth may be
stopped and all the world become guilty. then there's a possibility
that we might have the way of righteousness revealed to us,
because salvation is certainly of the Lord, and there's a righteousness,
a holiness to be had. There's one provided. And I see
it here in verse 21, Romans 3, 21. Now look at it. But now,
but now, you see where we are? In Romans 3, 19, it says, Let
every mouth be stopped, and all the world become guilty. Romans
3.20 says, Therefore, because of our guilt, we can't be justified
before God by the law or by deeds or works. But now, Romans 3.21
says, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. Without the law? Yes, without
the law. I can't have a righteousness
based on law because I've broken it and do break it. I can't have
a righteousness, a holiness, an acceptance with God by my
deeds because my deeds are bad. So if I have a righteousness,
as far as I'm concerned, it's going to have to be without the
law. The law's not going to be able to enter into this righteousness.
It's got to come to me freely, not by works or deeds or religious
performances. And it says this righteousness
of God is already manifested. Without the law is manifested. In other words, it's already
been established, already been established, already been provided.
The righteousness of God which He has provided for us and in
which He will accept us is not in the law, it's in Jesus Christ. Look at verse 22. This is good
news. Look at verse 22. Verse 21 says,
But now acknowledges our condition, fallen, wretched, depraved, incapable. But wait a minute. But wait a
minute. Don't despair. There's a righteousness
of God without the law manifested. Verse 22, it is even the righteousness
of God which comes by the obedience and death of Jesus Christ, by
His faithfulness, not mine, by His life, not mine, by His obedience,
not mine, by looking to Him, not looking to the law. You see
that? And this righteousness, this
holiness, this perfection, well, you say, who's this for? Listen
to this verse. It's unto all and it's upon all
who will believe on Him. For, look at that next verse,
there's no difference. Here we are again. There's no
difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. There's no difference. It's unto all and upon all who
will believe. There's no difference. What do
you mean there's no difference? Well, you drunks out there, you
have not kept the law of God perfectly. Well, we know that,
preacher. Well, you preachers haven't either.
That's what he's saying. There's no difference. You preachers
haven't either. Both are sinners. You harlots
out there, you have not kept the law, have you? Why, no. You
know we haven't. Well, you dear old mothers haven't
either. Now, that's what Paul is saying. We bring it home here
now. You can talk about Gentile nations
and religious Jews. There is no difference. Wait
a minute. There's no difference between pagan people and religious
people as far as God's holiness and God's law is concerned. You
rich men, you have not kept the law. You poor hard-working minors
haven't either. All have sinned, come short of
the glory of God. All are sinners in some way,
some fashion before the law of God. Judgment is upon all men. Therefore, by works, human morality,
or religion, no flesh can be accepted of God. We need a perfect
holiness. God's perfect. He can be satisfied
with no less. God's holy, immaculately, infinitely,
unchangeably holy. He can be satisfied with no less.
So this God, determined to have a people, determined to save
a people, has provided for us what we could not provide or
produce for ourselves. He did it in the person of His
Son, Jesus Christ. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son made of a woman, made flesh of our flesh, bone
of our bone, took upon Himself the form of a servant, and became
obedient. God sent His Son made of a woman,
made under that law. If He's a man, He's under that
law, even the God-man. If he's born of woman, he's under
that law just like you. Whether he's born in America
or whether he's born in Jerusalem, he's under that law if he's in
God's world. And he was made of a woman, made
under the law, that he might redeem us who are
under the law. I Peter 3.8 says, Christ has
suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God.
You see that? What the law says, it says to
everybody who's under the law. And what the law says shuts our
mouths, or it better, and establishes a condition of guilt, guilt,
guilt upon all people. Therefore, by religion, deeds,
morality, shall no flesh be justified in God's sight. But now, there
is a righteousness, the righteousness, the holiness of God, which is
manifested. It is even the righteousness
of God which is in the faithfulness and obedience and blood and death
of Jesus Christ who was tested, tempted in all points as we are
yet without sin. Our Lord's redemptive work was
twofold. I wish preachers would preach
on this today. They keep telling people to believe.
I wish to tell them what to believe, whom to believe. The redemptive
work of Christ on behalf of His people is twofold. Number one,
His obedience before God as a man satisfied the law. That law is
unchanging. We've been reading about it all
evening here. That law is unchanging. And Jesus
Christ came, and He didn't go around the law. He didn't compromise
the law. He didn't make it easier to keep.
He just kept it. in every thought, word, and deed
perfectly. He knew no sin. He had no sin.
He did no sin. And His obedience was perfect. And He did that for us and imputed. You know what imputed means?
Reckoned, charged to us as if it were our own, this perfect
obedience. Our substitute did it for us.
Secondly, He went to the cross. And on that cross, as our sin
offering, he satisfied and honored God's justice. God's law says,
do this and live. God's justice says, because you
haven't done it, die. And Jesus Christ came and honored
the law and satisfied the law and did it. And then he went
to the cross and there he died the death, the death of deaths
for all who believe. And Paul says, I'm not ashamed
of the gospel. This gospel of Christ, for it's the power of
God, the dynamite, the power of God, to salvation, to redemption,
to justification, to all who believe, to the Jew and to the
Gentile, to the religious Jew and to the pagan Gentile. Same
way for all. For therein, for there in that
gospel is the righteousness of God revealed. Look at verse 25,
Romans 3. For God had set forth His Son,
Jesus Christ, to be a propitiation." A propitiation. You know what
propitiation is? It's a mercy seat. It's a mercy
seat. It's that old mercy seat in the
tabernacle where, which was over the Ark of the Covenant, in which
was the tables of stone, the Ten Commandments that we had
broken. The mercy seat was over the broken log. And once a year,
in the Holy of Holies, and God said, I'll dwell between the
cherubims on the mercy seat, and that's where I'll meet you.
That's where I'll meet you, on the mercy seat. And once a year,
the high priest would come in and sprinkle the blood on the
mercy seat, the blood of atonement, and God would meet those who
believe. Now this is what the publican
prayed in the temple. He said, be propitiated let thy
blood be propitiation for me on the mercy seat on the mercy
seat and God has set forth his son to be our mercy seat that
he might reveal his righteousness his righteousness even for sins
of people of the Old Testament before Calvary sins of the past
now look at verse 26 and the life and death of Jesus Christ
manifest declares God's righteousness that God may be just and justify
the ungodly. I tell you, it's so important
and yet rarely do I ever hear anybody preach on this subject
here. How can God be God and accept a sinner like me? How
can God be holy and just and righteous and true? and the judge
of all the earth shall not the judge of all the earth do right?"
Well, how can He accept as perfect and sinless and guiltless folks
like you and me and still be holy and just? Just one way. And that's because Christ did
for us honor that law. And He did in our place instead
satisfy that justice. So because Christ loved us and
lived for us and died for us and made atonement for our sins,
God can be just and holy, because in Christ, that's what we are,
and He can accept us. Now, if you want this message,
the righteousness of God, write for it. Here's the address. Send
$2, and we'll mail it right back to you as quickly as we get your
order, the righteousness of God. And I'll be preaching next week,
and this message will be on the same tape. Are believers still
sinners? Are believers still sinners?
All right, see you next week. Until then, God bless you.

The Righteousness of God

What does the Bible say about the righteousness of God?

How do we know that justification by faith is true?

Why is understanding sin important for Christians?

What does it mean to be justified before God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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The Righteousness of God

What does the Bible say about the righteousness of God?

How do we know that justification by faith is true?

Why is understanding sin important for Christians?

What does it mean to be justified before God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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