Romans 3:21-31 – Paul unveils the solution to this universal problem of sin / unfaithfulness in a densely packed couple of sentences using a variety of images to convey the immense importance of these ideas…
- Now, in this stage of salvation history, the righteousness / justice of God (specifically, God’s faithfulness to His covenant promise to fix the world through Abraham’s family) has been revealed from outside the system of Torah. Yet this covenant faithfulness is not unconnected to the Torah – in fact it is anticipated and described by the Torah and the prophets
- This uprightness / covenant faithfulness of God is seen through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah (the one true deserving heir of the covenant; the true Jew; the representative of Israel)
- This uprightness / faithfulness is good news for any / all who trust (those who with no “physical” sign to lean on but who are instead depending & trusting that God will make good on His word – making them heirs to the covenant blessings)
- There is no distinction (no barriers, no discrimination)
- because it is not contingent on any physical markers such as circumcision or the distinctively Jewish lifestyle marks)
- because nobody can stand in judgment and expect to be vindicated – all have sinned and disgraced God by bringing His name disrepute rather than glory (Jew / non-Jew alike)
- The ones who trust are declared to be in the right / justified here and now (in anticipation of the final judgment)
- This comes not as part of the covenantal obligation nor because of moral performance (neither of which have anything to say for themselves), but due to God’s generous and undeserved gift…
- …which is received on account of and through the slavery payment (redemption) made for those who participate in / belong to the Messiah (representative head of the covenant community) Jesus…
- …who is the place of mercy (mercy seat – Lev. 16), removal of sin, removal of what causes wrath that God provided
- …by Jesus’ blood (life)
- Which is effective / available for anyone who trusts God for this gift
- God put forward Jesus as the place of mercy / forgiveness / removal of sin in order to demonstrate His justice / faithfulness to the covenant…
- …because in His patience / leniency He had not dealt with the sins that were committed previously (since the entrance of sin into humanity). He had merely passed them over in anticipation of dealing with them in this climactic act
- all of this was to prove in the present, here and now the fact that He is both
- just (a trustworthy, honest judge – having rightly condemned and dealt with sin)
- and…
- justifier (the one who declares His people vindicated)
- He justifies the person who trusts in Jesus (or who has the faithful obedience of Jesus)
- Based on all of this, is there any place for celebrating / taking pride in Jewishness (claiming to be God’s “insiders”)?
- No, it doesn’t belong… it is disallowed
- According to which Torah?
- Are you talking about the Torah we have been talking about all along? – The one which if kept clearly marks out “insiders” with God based on particular Torah actions like circumcision, Sabbath, purity laws?
- No, we are talking about the “Torah of trust” that we just referenced
- As we have already said, a person is declared right / vindicated by trusting God apart from Torah actions meant to show who is “in” and who is “out”
- After all, is God the God of the ethnically Jewish people only? Isn’t God the God of non-Jews too? – Yes, of non-Jews too!
- Since God is singular (one), He has a singular people – a group that is declared such on the ground of trusting Him regardless of whether you are coming from a Jewish or non-Jewish background!
- Does this mean that since the Torah is not used as a way of determining who is “in” and who is “out” that we should just chuck it?
- Absolutely not! Rather, in a round about way we are upholding the Torah and establishing its vital place in God’s plan (see 3:20 – “through the Torah comes the knowledge of sin”)
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