“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it” (Romans 3:21 ESV).
Like any good teacher, Paul the Apostle sought to reinforce the principles he established earlier with his audience. Here in Romans 3:21, that principle involved “…the righteousness of God.” This built upon the foundation Paul laid in chapter one of this epistle: “…the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith'” (Romans 1:17).
In the context of Romans 1:17, “righteousness” characterizes the state of right standing with God that He makes available to us through Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 elaborates on this idea when it tells us, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” This righteousness is imputed to us through faith in Christ, and the following chapter of Romans will provide us with an opportunity to explore the subject of imputation in greater depth.
So, in speaking of “…a righteousness that is by faith from first to last” (NIV), Romans 1:17 directed us to an important spiritual truth: righteousness (or “right standing” with God) is only available through faith. Paul will further expand upon that teaching here in Romans 3:21 by informing us that this righteousness has been revealed apart from the law.
This reference to the “righteousness of God” in Romans 3:21 touches upon God’s method of bringing fallible human beings into a right relationship with Himself. That righteousness is independent of the Old Testament Law and our adherence to those commandments. One author clarifies this idea for us…
“…this word righteousness is highly misunderstood in our day. Often it is associated with behavior. If people are behaving in a right way, we say that they are behaving righteously. But in the book of Romans righteousness does not directly touch on behavior. It is not what you do; it is what you are! That is even more important, because your behavior stems from what you are. The gift Paul is talking about, the gift from God, is that of a righteous standing.” (1)
With these things is mind, our text from Romans 3:21 presents us with two important applications:
- We can be made right with God apart from the rules of the Law.
- As such, that righteousness is not attainable through human effort.
Thus, as several Biblical expositors, both ancient and modern, have observed, “The righteousness God demands is the righteousness He also provides.”
(1) Excerpted with permission from But Now © 1976 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org. https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/romans/but-now