The Righteousness of God without the Law

The Righteousness of God without the Law

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:21-26).

This righteousness of God that Paul is drawing our attention to has a particular application and context.  It is an aspect of His righteousness that was not readily apparent before sins were put away by the Lord Jesus Christ.  

The gospel reveals that God Himself did not sin in His forbearance of men's sins.  When Adam and Eve sinned the holy and righteous God did not forthrightly cast them away from His Presence forever with no hope of recovery, but rather He immediately announced that He had provided a remedy for them to return (Gen. 3:15).  

In the diction of the woman of Tekoah, Neither did God respect any person: yet He nevertheless had devised means in the gospel of His Son, that His banished sons and daughters be not expelled from Him forever (see II Sam. 14:14).  

The gospel of Christ reveals that God has devised a means for you and me to be unquestionably accepted with Him, a means that is completely in harmony with His impeccably righteous character and Person.  And that place of acceptance is in Christ, and in Him alone.  It would be a flagrant violation of HIs holy and righteous Person for God to receive men unto Himself apart from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  He cannot deny Himself.  He does not and will not act work in a manner that is contrary to His own Person. 

But now the righteousness of God without the Law is revealed, a righteousness by which men, who have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, may come unto Him through His beloved Son and received the abundant salvation and remission of sins that He has provided in Christ, who "was manifested to take away our sins" (I Jn. 3:5).  That was the express purpose of God for sending His beloved Son, namely, to take away our sins. 

We praise God for the glad tidings that He has given us to declare in the gospel of His Son!  We urge all men to freely partake of God's salvation in Christ while it is yet "the accepted time".  Al Stoner