Romans: Session 3 – The Righteousness of God

Notes:

The Righteousness of God – Rom.2:4-3:24    See Session Slides Here

Rom. 2:4. The purpose of God’s longsuffering is that people will come to repentance.

Rom. 2:5. If people do not repent, God’s patience works against them – it results in the accumulation guilt. The unsaved person treasures up wrath for the day of wrath.

Rom. 2:6-10. Paul is here speaking generally of the system by which God judges – according to each man’s works – punishing the evil and rewarding the righteous. What is not yet under discussion is how the righteousness of God is to be obtained. That starts at Rom . 3:21.

  • The wicked will be judged on account of and according to their works.
  • The saved will not be saved on account of their works, but on account of the merit of Christ. But they will be rewarded according to their works (at the Judgement Seat of Christ). Later it is clear that by the works of the law no flesh can be justified.

Rom. 2:11-15. Each one will be judged according to the measure of the light they have received. The Jews have received the written law; the Gentiles have a measure of the law written upon their hearts. By judging others they reveal that they know the standards. Judging is characterised by either accusing or excusing.

Rom.3:9-18. Summary: “all under sin”. The guilt of mankind is universal (see Rom.3:9-12; 19&23).

Rom. 3:19-20. Conclusion. “every mouth may be stopped”, i.e. in self-justification. Only when we cease to proclaim our own righteousness can we receive the righteousness that God wants to give us.

“By the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified in His sight”. The law wasn’t given to justify, but the opposite – to provide the knowledge of sin.

Rom. 3:21. “But now…” Having clearly demonstrated that there is none righteous by their own deeds we are introduced to the righteousness of God which is revealed in the gospel. Note:

  • It is the righteousness of God. God, not man, is the architect of this righteousness. He instituted it and He accomplished it. It is received “apart from the law”. The law makes demands upon us. The righteousness revealed in the gospel doesn’t ask anything of us but to submit to God’s righteousness. (Rom.10:4).
  • It has been revealed. Put aside your own ideas and reasoning, and see what God has revealed.
  • Though it is apart from the law it has been witnessed to by the law and the prophets.
  • It is through faith in Jesus Christ. The unrighteousness of which Paul has been speaking is due to the fact that we were in Adam. Rom. 1:18 – ‘Ungodliness’ leads to ‘unrighteous’. ‘Sin’ leads to ‘sins’. But Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh. 2 Cor.5:21. He received God’s judgement upon sinful humanity, died, rose again, and was glorified as the very righteousness of God!
  • The righteousness of God is received by faith (Rom. 3:22). The one who has put his hand over his mouth , accepted God’s verdict of him as “guilty” deserving of His wrath, yet has faith in Christ as the one who represents him, is justified.
  • Righteousness is offered unto all, but is only “upon all who believe”.



# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.