Romans Chapter 3
Justified Freely by His Grace
A. The Righteousness of God’s Judgments
1. (Romans 3:1–2) The advantage of the Jewish people.
“What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.”
Paul has just finished in chapter 2 demonstrating that neither the possession of the Law nor the outward sign of circumcision is sufficient for justification. He emphasized that God shows no partiality, declaring in Romans 2:11, “For there is no partiality with God.” This naturally raises the question: if Jews, despite their covenant sign of circumcision and their possession of the Law, still face condemnation, what then is the advantage of being Jewish? Why does being part of God’s covenant people matter at all?
Paul answers this potential objection by affirming that there is indeed an advantage. He writes, “Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.” The Jewish people were uniquely entrusted with the sacred responsibility of preserving and proclaiming the Word of God. This stewardship included the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings—the entire Old Testament revelation. This was not a small or insignificant role; it was a divine privilege and responsibility to act as custodians of God’s Word.
The expression “oracles of God” refers to the very words and revelations of the living God. The Jews were not merely recipients of cultural wisdom or ancient tradition, but stewards of divine revelation. This placed them in a position of immense privilege, for they alone had access to the unfolding plan of redemption, the promises of the Messiah, and the record of God’s dealings with His covenant people. As the psalmist declared, “He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation; and as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 147:19–20).
This privilege, however, also carried great responsibility. Having received the oracles of God, the Jewish people were accountable to obey them and to bear witness of the true God to the nations. As Moses instructed Israel, “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people’” (Deuteronomy 4:5–6).
While Paul will later list in greater detail the many blessings of Israel in Romans 9:4–5—“who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen”—he emphasizes here that the chief advantage of Israel lies in their possession of God’s Word. This was their crown jewel, their most significant treasure, for by it they were given light in a world of darkness.
It is important to note that having the oracles of God does not automatically guarantee righteousness. Possessing the Law without obedience leads to judgment, as Paul has shown. But the privilege of possessing God’s Word means that the Jews had the clearest revelation of His character, His holiness, and His plan for salvation. They were entrusted with the roadmap that pointed to Christ, though many tragically failed to recognize Him when He came.
In this way, Paul holds the tension: being Jewish carries immense advantages in terms of divine revelation, yet it does not guarantee justification. Justification is by faith alone, grounded in the righteousness of Christ, not by national identity or external ritual. The Jewish people had the tremendous privilege of stewardship, but they still needed to believe the message of the Scriptures they preserved.
Justified Freely by His Grace
A. The Righteousness of God’s Judgments
2. (Romans 3:3–4) Jewish unbelief does not make God wrong.
“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:
‘That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.’”
Paul now anticipates a question regarding God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel. If some of the Jewish people rejected God’s promises and failed to believe, does that mean God’s Word has failed? Paul gives the resounding answer: “Certainly not!” God’s promises are never nullified by man’s unbelief. His faithfulness stands independent of human response, for He is unchanging and cannot lie.
The rejection of the gospel by many Jews in Paul’s day was undeniable, yet their unbelief did not prove God unfaithful. Instead, it proved the opposite—that even in the face of human failure, God remains steadfast. As Paul later explains, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not!” (Romans 3:3–4a). Man’s unbelief can never cancel God’s promises, for His Word is rooted in His own character.
Paul reinforces this by declaring, “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). This striking statement elevates the authority of God’s truth above all human opinions and objections. If every man on earth denied the Word of God, it would still stand unmoved. God is faithful and immutable. His Word is eternal, as it is written, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). The whole world may declare God’s promises void, but the believer clings to them as unshakable.
Paul then cites Psalm 51:4 as evidence: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.” These words come from David’s confession after his sin with Bathsheba, when he declared God righteous in judgment and blameless in His verdict. Even David, the great king of Israel, confessed that God is always just, even when He judges His own people. The principle is clear: God will always be vindicated in His words and actions, no matter the accusations of men.
This passage confronts the pride of man, for it teaches us that God is right, even when His truth exposes our sin. As Charles Spurgeon observed, “If God says one thing, and every man in the world says another, God is true, and all men are false. God speaks the truth, and cannot lie. God cannot change; His Word, like Himself, is immutable.” The Christian must be willing to stand on God’s truth even if the world mocks, denies, or condemns it. Human consensus does not determine truth; God’s Word alone does.
The unbelief of Israel, therefore, does not disprove God’s promises. Rather, it shows the faithfulness of God in spite of man’s failure. His covenant with Israel remains, His Word is sure, and His justice is perfect.
3. (Romans 3:5) An objection regarding the unrighteousness of man and the righteousness of God.
“But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)”
Having established that God remains true even when man is unfaithful, Paul anticipates another objection. Someone might argue: if human sin ultimately highlights God’s righteousness, then how can God judge sinners? If my unrighteousness reveals His holiness, why should I be condemned?
This reasoning is profoundly flawed, yet it is a common human attempt to excuse sin. Paul writes, “But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say?” In other words, “If my sin serves as a backdrop that magnifies God’s justice, does my sin not serve a good purpose?”
The objector then pushes further: “Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)” Here Paul clarifies that such reasoning is purely human, springing from fallen logic rather than divine truth. No inspired prophet or faithful apostle would accuse God of injustice. Only sinful man would dare raise such a charge against the Holy Judge of all the earth.
The question sounds very much like what Judas might have argued. Judas could have reasoned, “My betrayal of Christ fulfilled prophecy. If I had not done it, Jesus would not have gone to the cross. Since God brought good out of my evil, how can I be judged?” But this line of reasoning is a smokescreen. Though God overrules human wickedness to accomplish His purposes, the sin itself is still wicked and worthy of judgment. Judas acted from his own greed and betrayal, not from any desire to glorify God. God was sovereign in turning evil into good, but Judas remained guilty for his sin.
Thus Paul insists that God is never unjust when He inflicts wrath. His justice is perfect, and His judgments are righteous altogether, as it is written, “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). Even when God uses human sin to display His glory, the sinner remains fully accountable.
Justified Freely by His Grace
A. The Righteousness of God’s Judgments
4. (Romans 3:6–8) Paul’s answer to the objection raised.
“Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.”
Paul immediately rejects the foolish objection that God would be unjust to judge sin if it somehow magnified His glory. He responds with the emphatic phrase, “Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?” (Romans 3:6). Both Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s day accepted the certainty of divine judgment. The Old Testament is filled with declarations of God as the Judge of all the earth, as Abraham confessed in Genesis 18:25, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” To suggest that God could not rightly judge sin is to deny one of His most basic attributes as righteous Judge.
Paul’s reasoning is straightforward: if God could not judge human sin, then justice itself would collapse. But Scripture repeatedly affirms that God will indeed judge all men. As Paul later states, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10–12).
Paul then restates the objection of his imaginary opponent in verse 7: “For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?” The argument claims that if God is glorified even through human falsehood, then it would be unjust to condemn the sinner. But this is twisted reasoning. Though God may overrule sin to accomplish His purposes, the sinner remains guilty. Judas’s betrayal of Christ, for example, fulfilled prophecy and brought about the crucifixion, yet Judas bore the full weight of his sin and was rightly condemned (Matthew 27:3–5). God’s sovereignty does not cancel human responsibility.
Paul presses the logic further in verse 8: “And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’?” Here he exposes the absurd conclusion of his opponents’ reasoning. If sin somehow glorifies God, then why not deliberately sin more so that God’s glory would abound all the more? This is a grotesque distortion of the gospel, and Paul will later confront this same perversion directly in Romans 6:1–2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
This false accusation—that Paul taught one should sin more in order to magnify God’s grace—was a slander spread by his enemies. He notes, “as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say.” Paul never taught such a thing, but because he preached salvation by grace apart from works, critics accused him of promoting lawlessness. Even in our own time, true preaching of grace often provokes similar accusations, for legalistic minds cannot comprehend a gospel that offers complete forgiveness apart from human merit. As Paul declared in Ephesians 2:8–9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Paul’s response to such a perversion of the gospel is sharp and final: “Their condemnation is just.” Those who twist the doctrine of grace into a license for sin are rightly condemned. To turn God’s greatest gift into an excuse for wickedness is a perversion greater than pagan immorality, greater than the hypocrisy of the self-righteous moralist, and greater than the misplaced confidence of the Jew in outward ritual. It is a direct assault on the holiness of God and a mockery of the cross of Christ. Such a twisting of truth will receive the full weight of divine judgment, as Jude warns in Jude 4, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thus, Paul silences his objectors: God remains just, sin remains sin, and grace never provides a license for wickedness. The Judge of all the earth will uphold righteousness, and every sinner will give account before Him.
B. Conclusion: The Universal Guilt of Mankind Before God
1. (Romans 3:9) The guilt of both Jew and Gentile before God.
“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.”
Paul, having dismantled the false securities of both the pagan and the moralist, now addresses his own people, the Jews. When he asks, “Are we better than they?” he means, “Are we Jews, with our covenant privileges, superior in righteousness to the Gentiles?” His answer is unequivocal: “Not at all.” Though the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God and enjoyed great advantages (Romans 3:2), these privileges did not shield them from the reality of sin. Paul affirms that both Jews and Gentiles alike are “all under sin.”
The phrase “under sin” is striking. It does not mean that people occasionally stumble into sin, but that they exist under its dominion, enslaved to its power. To be “under sin” is to live under its authority as a tyrant, helpless to free oneself. This truth corresponds with Paul’s later teaching in Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” By nature, all men are bound in chains of sin, spiritually dead and incapable of self-redemption.
This declaration levels humanity. The Jew cannot boast in the Law, nor can the Gentile boast in philosophy or moral codes. Every man, apart from Christ, stands guilty and condemned, as Jesus Himself declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).
2. (Romans 3:10–18) The Old Testament witnesses to the universal depravity and guilt of mankind.
“As it is written:
‘There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.’
‘Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit’;
‘The poison of asps is under their lips’;
‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’
‘Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.’
‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”
Here Paul weaves together a string of Old Testament citations, primarily from the Psalms (Psalms 14:1–3; 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; 36:1) and Isaiah (59:7–8), to present an irrefutable case: all mankind is corrupt, guilty, and spiritually bankrupt before God.
He begins with the sweeping declaration: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Apart from Christ, not a single human being meets God’s standard of righteousness. Even Adam in his original state was innocent, not righteous in the fullest sense, for righteousness requires tested holiness, not mere innocence. Only Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, is truly righteous. All others fall short, as Paul later states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Paul proceeds to expose man’s spiritual blindness: “There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” This strikes directly against the common assumption that man, through religion, philosophy, or mysticism, is genuinely seeking God. The reality is that man does not seek the true and living God of Scripture. Instead, he invents idols, fabricates false religions, and pursues gods of his own imagination. As the Lord declared through Jeremiah, “They have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction” (Jeremiah 32:33).
Paul then declares: “They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable.” The word “unprofitable” carries the image of rotten fruit—spoiled, worthless, and unusable. Sin renders man spiritually corrupt, incapable of producing anything truly pleasing to God. Isaiah echoes this truth: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).
From verses 13–17, Paul turns to a vivid anatomical description of man’s depravity, moving from the throat to the tongue, lips, mouth, feet, and eyes. He shows that every part of man is infected with sin. The “throat is an open tomb” (Psalm 5:9), meaning the speech of man is like the stench of death. His “tongue practices deceit” (Psalm 5:9), his “lips drip with the poison of asps” (Psalm 140:3), and his “mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (Psalm 10:7). These verses reveal that sin dominates human communication, twisting words for lies, hatred, and destruction.
Next, Paul speaks of man’s violent nature: “Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known” (Isaiah 59:7–8). History testifies to the truth of these words, for mankind has been characterized by war, bloodshed, and violence since Cain slew Abel. Even in our modern world, filled with technological advances, humanity remains bent on violence, as daily news headlines confirm. The way of peace is foreign to sinful man because peace with God is absent.
Finally, Paul summarizes the entire condition with this damning conclusion: “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Psalm 36:1). At the root of every sin is a lack of reverence for God. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), yet fallen man lives in arrogance, disregarding the Judge of all the earth. As John Calvin remarked, the fear of God is a bridle that restrains wickedness, and when it is absent, men give full rein to their sinful desires.
This sweeping indictment is comprehensive and devastating. From head to toe, man is corrupt. His mind does not understand, his will does not seek God, his actions are violent, and his words are poisonous. Sin has affected every part of his being. This passage demolishes any hope of self-righteousness, showing man’s desperate need for the righteousness of Christ.
B. Conclusion: The Universal Guilt of Mankind Before God
3. (Romans 3:19–20) Summation: the law cannot save us from our sin and the penalty it deserves.
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Paul concludes his devastating indictment of the human race with a direct statement about the purpose and function of God’s law. The Law speaks first and foremost to those who are under it—the Jewish people who were entrusted with it. Yet its message extends beyond Israel, silencing every mouth and declaring the entire world guilty before God.
The imagery here is profound: “that every mouth may be stopped.” This phrase envisions a courtroom where the accused, once eager to defend themselves, is struck silent in the face of overwhelming evidence. No arguments remain, no excuses can be made, and no defense can be offered. The Law strips man of every pretense of righteousness and leaves him condemned before the Judge of all the earth. As Job confessed, “Indeed, I know it is so. But how can a man be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2). The Law answers that question by showing man that he cannot be righteous through his own efforts.
Paul adds, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20a). This is one of the most important statements in Scripture regarding justification. The Law was never designed as a means of salvation. Its purpose is diagnostic, not curative. It exposes sin, convicts the guilty, and drives man to recognize his need for a Savior. It can reveal the problem, but it cannot provide the solution. As the apostle will later explain, “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law” (Galatians 3:21).
Since Adam and Eve, mankind has attempted to justify itself by works, but every attempt has failed. Adam tried to cover his shame with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), but God clothed him with garments of sacrifice (Genesis 3:21), demonstrating that only God can provide true covering. Israel received the Law at Sinai, but as the record of the Old Testament demonstrates, the Law condemned them repeatedly, for they could never keep it perfectly. Even today, attempts at moralism, ritual, or self-righteousness cannot erase sin. The prophet Isaiah declared, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).
Paul concludes, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20b). The Law acts as a mirror, showing us who we really are before God. It reveals the crookedness of our lives by providing the straight edge of God’s perfect standard. As J.B. Phillips paraphrased, “It is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are.” Far from making us righteous, the Law reveals just how unrighteous we truly are.
This does not mean the Law is useless. As Paul later explains, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). The Law convicts, condemns, and points us to our need for the righteousness that only comes through Jesus Christ. Its role is essential, but it is preparatory—it prepares the sinner to see his need for the gospel.
Thus, Paul closes his case: Jew and Gentile alike are guilty. Every mouth is silenced, every defense is stripped away, and the whole world stands condemned before God. The Law makes it clear: salvation cannot come by works, but only by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ.
C. The Revelation of the Righteousness of God
1. (Romans 3:21) The revelation of righteousness.
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”
The words “But now” mark one of the most glorious turning points in all of Scripture. After the bleak courtroom scene of Romans 3:19–20, where every mouth is stopped and the whole world stands guilty before God, Paul announces the arrival of hope. Judgment has been declared, but now justification is offered. Condemnation has been proven universal, but now salvation is revealed in Jesus Christ. This is the transition from man’s inability to God’s provision, from the despair of law to the joy of grace.
The righteousness of God is now revealed “apart from the law.” This does not mean it is contrary to the Law, but rather that it is independent of law-keeping. The Law has demonstrated man’s guilt, but it cannot provide righteousness. God therefore reveals a righteousness that is not based on human obedience or performance but is wholly His gift. This is the essence of the gospel: a righteousness provided by God, received by faith, and grounded in the work of Christ alone. Paul makes this clear later in the letter: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).
This righteousness, though new in its full revelation, is not novel in its origin. Paul affirms that it was “being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.” The phrase “Law and the Prophets” was the common Jewish way of referring to the entire Old Testament. The gospel of righteousness by faith was foretold from the beginning. Abraham was declared righteous by faith, not by works (Genesis 15:6; cf. Romans 4:3). David spoke of the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works (Psalm 32:1–2; cf. Romans 4:6–8). The prophets foretold the coming of the Righteous Servant who would bear the iniquities of many: “By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). Thus, the gospel is not a break with the Old Testament, but its fulfillment.
The phrase “apart from the law” deserves emphasis. God’s righteousness is not revealed as something we contribute to or supplement with our own efforts. It is not a divine addition to our imperfect attempts at law-keeping. Instead, it is an entirely different principle, wholly apart from works. As Paul later teaches, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
This means that God’s righteousness is not offered to fill the gap between our best efforts and His perfect standard. It is not a supplement to human righteousness but a substitution for it. Our own righteousness, even at its highest, is insufficient. God therefore provides His own righteousness as a gift, entirely apart from law, works, or merit. As Isaiah declared, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).
In short, Romans 3:21 opens the door to the heart of the gospel. The Law has condemned us, but the Scriptures also bear witness to a righteousness provided by God, revealed in Jesus Christ, received through faith, and entirely apart from the Law. This is the righteousness of God that alone saves sinners.
C. The Revelation of the Righteousness of God
2. (Romans 3:22) How this righteousness is communicated to man.
“Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.”
Paul now moves from declaring the reality of God’s righteousness apart from the law to explaining how this righteousness is applied to sinners. The righteousness of God is not theoretical; it is given, communicated, and received by men. He writes, “Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” This clarifies that justification is not earned, achieved, or inherited. It is received only through faith.
The emphasis falls on the phrase “through faith in Jesus Christ.” Faith is not a meritorious work that earns righteousness. Rather, it is the means by which we receive God’s righteousness. Faith is like an empty hand stretched out to receive the gift of God. As Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8–9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Salvation is entirely of grace; faith is the channel, not the cause.
This righteousness comes “to all and on all who believe.” The offer is universal in scope—available to Jew and Gentile alike—but it is applied only to those who believe. Faith is the instrument by which sinners lay hold of Christ and are clothed with His righteousness. The words “to all and on all” emphasize both the universal offer and the personal application. God’s righteousness is extended to all men in Christ, but it rests upon each individual only when they believe.
Paul then declares, “For there is no difference.” This phrase removes any imagined distinction between Jew and Gentile. The Law cannot justify the Jew, and philosophy cannot justify the Gentile. Both stand equally condemned (Romans 3:9), and both are equally offered salvation through faith in Christ. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. As Paul later states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
This teaching strikes at the root of human pride. No man can claim to have a special advantage before God apart from Christ. Neither ethnicity, heritage, nor religious effort can save. The only dividing line God recognizes is faith: those who believe are justified, and those who reject remain condemned. As Jesus Himself declared, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
Thus, Paul sets forth the simplicity and sufficiency of the gospel. The righteousness of God is available to all, applied to all who believe, and withheld from none who trust in Christ. There is no distinction, no other way, and no partiality. Justification is always and only through faith in Jesus Christ.
C. The Revelation of the Righteousness of God
3. (Romans 3:23–24) Man’s universal need and God’s universal offer.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Paul now summarizes the condition of man and the provision of God in a single sweeping statement. The need is universal—“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The offer is equally universal—“being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” In these verses Paul lays down the foundation of justification, introducing the three key themes that will govern his teaching: justification, redemption, and propitiation.
The word “justified” comes from the courtroom. It is the language of legal declaration, meaning that the sinner who stands guilty before the Judge is now declared righteous. This does not mean that man is made righteous by his own works, but that God declares him righteous on the basis of Christ’s finished work. As Paul explains elsewhere, “It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen” (Romans 8:33–34). Justification addresses the problem of man’s guilt before a righteous Judge.
The word “redemption” comes from the slave market. It speaks of being bought back at a price, liberated from bondage, and set free. Humanity is enslaved to sin, Satan, and death, but Christ paid the ransom price with His blood. As Paul reminds the Corinthians, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Redemption solves the problem of man’s slavery.
The word “propitiation” (introduced in verse 25, but implied here) comes from the temple. It speaks of the satisfaction of God’s wrath through sacrifice. Man has offended God, and the just wrath of the Almighty must be satisfied. Jesus, through His death, bore that wrath in our place. Thus propitiation solves the problem of man’s offense against a holy Creator.
Paul begins with man’s condition: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The universality of sin is absolute. The harlot, the liar, the murderer, and the thief are sinners, but so are the moralist, the religious, and the self-righteous. The outwardly wicked and the outwardly good are all alike condemned. As Isaiah declares, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). There are no exceptions. The imagery of “falling short” conveys failure to meet God’s perfect standard. Some may be closer than others by human measure, but none can reach the standard of God’s glory. As Spurgeon put it, whether one stands on the bottom of a mine or on the crest of a mountain, neither can touch the stars.
Paul adds that all “fall short of the glory of God.” This phrase can be understood in several important ways. First, man fails to give God the glory due to Him in thought, word, and deed (Romans 1:21). Second, man disqualifies himself from the glory and reward God gives to the faithful. Third, man refuses to reflect God’s glory by resisting conformity to His image. Finally, man forfeits the final glory that God will bestow upon His redeemed people at the consummation of history. In every respect, sin causes man to fall short of the glory of God.
Yet into this desperate condition comes the good news: “being justified freely by His grace.” The word “freely” (Greek, dorean) means without cost to the recipient. Justification is a gift, not a wage. As Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). The same word appears in John 15:25, “They hated Me without a cause.” Just as there was nothing in Christ to deserve hatred, there is nothing in us to deserve justification. It is entirely of grace, unearned and undeserved. Calvin observed that Paul piles up terms—“freely” and “grace”—to strip man of every shred of self-righteousness and to ascribe all glory to God.
This justification comes “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” It is not through works, rituals, or merits. It is grounded solely in the ransom Christ paid at the cross. As Peter writes, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19). The cost of redemption was not silver, gold, or earthly wealth, but the blood of the Son of God.
Thus Paul proclaims the gospel in its essence: all men are sinners, all fall short, all stand condemned, yet all may be justified freely by God’s grace, through the redemption accomplished by Christ. The guilty are declared righteous, the enslaved are set free, and the wrath of God is satisfied. This is the glory of the gospel of grace.
C. The Revelation of the Righteousness of God
4. (Romans 3:25–26) How the death of Jesus satisfies the righteous judgment of God.
“Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Paul now brings us to the heart of the gospel: the cross of Christ. He declares that God has publicly displayed His Son as a propitiation by His blood. The term “propitiation” (hilastērion) refers to the turning away of God’s wrath through a sacrifice. This means that Jesus, by His death, satisfied the righteous judgment of God against sin. He bore the penalty in our place so that God could remain holy and just while extending mercy and forgiveness to sinners.
The word hilastērion carries rich theological meaning. In the Septuagint, it was used for the mercy seat—the golden cover of the Ark of the Covenant upon which the high priest sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). Inside the ark lay reminders of Israel’s rebellion: the tablets of the Law they had broken, the manna they had despised, and Aaron’s rod which they had rejected. Above the ark were the cherubim, representing God’s holy presence. Between man’s sin and God’s holiness stood the mercy seat, and the sprinkled blood testified that a substitute had died in the sinner’s place. In this imagery, Paul shows that Christ Himself is our mercy seat. His blood, shed at Calvary, stands between guilty humanity and the holy God, averting wrath and securing forgiveness for all who come by faith.
It is crucial to recognize that “whom God set forth” demonstrates that propitiation was not man’s attempt to placate a reluctant deity, but God’s own initiative. The Father Himself provided the sacrifice. As John writes, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Far from a harsh Father being convinced by a loving Son, it was the Father’s plan from eternity to display His mercy and justice in Christ’s death.
Paul also explains that Christ’s sacrifice was necessary “because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” In the Old Testament, God did not ignore sin but passed it over temporarily, awaiting the final payment that would be made at the cross. Animal sacrifices covered sin but could not remove it (Hebrews 10:4). They were promissory notes pointing forward to the full satisfaction Christ would accomplish. At Calvary, those IOUs were paid in full, and God’s justice was vindicated. As the writer of Hebrews affirms, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).
Paul then states the divine purpose: “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” This is the crux of the gospel. At the cross, God’s justice was fully satisfied. Sin was punished, wrath was poured out, and righteousness was upheld. At the same time, God became the justifier—the one who declares sinners righteous—not by ignoring sin but by judging it in Christ. In this way, God is both perfectly just and abundantly merciful.
Human reasoning struggles to balance justice and mercy. A human judge can be just by condemning every guilty criminal, or merciful by pardoning them all, but he cannot be both without compromising one for the other. God alone found a way to remain just while justifying sinners. He did this by placing their guilt upon His Son. As Isaiah foretold, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Adam Clarke summarized it well: God displayed His justice in requiring a sacrifice and refusing salvation in any other way, and His mercy in providing the sacrifice His justice required. The cross is therefore the ultimate demonstration of both God’s righteousness and His love.
C. The Revelation of the Righteousness of God
5. (Romans 3:27) Boasting in the salvation which comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ is excluded.
“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.”
Paul anticipates the natural question: if salvation is freely given by grace through faith, what place remains for human pride? His answer is categorical: “It is excluded.” There is no room for self-congratulation or boasting in salvation, because justification comes not through our merit, but through God’s gift. Pride is incompatible with the gospel, for grace strips man of every claim and exalts God alone.
Paul adds, “By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” This means boasting is not excluded by a specific commandment forbidding pride but by the very principle of faith itself. Faith, by its nature, acknowledges human inability and casts itself entirely on God’s sufficiency. Works leave room for pride, but faith excludes it altogether. As Paul writes elsewhere, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
This is precisely why fallen man resists grace. Grace refuses to recognize his imagined merits, exposes his helplessness, and denies him any ground for boasting. To come to Christ in faith is to confess spiritual bankruptcy and to rely wholly on God’s provision. As Jeremiah wrote long before, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
6. (Romans 3:28–30) Justification (acquittal in the court of God) is found, for both Jew and Gentile, apart from the deeds of the law.
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
Paul now states his conclusion plainly: justification is by faith apart from works of the law. This is the great doctrine of Sola Fide—faith alone—which became the rallying cry of the Reformation but was first proclaimed by Paul himself. Salvation is not a mixture of faith plus works; it is wholly and exclusively by faith. As Paul told the Galatians, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
But does this contradict James, who wrote, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:24)? The answer lies in recognizing that Paul and James use the word “justified” in different senses. Paul speaks of justification before God, which is by faith alone apart from works. James speaks of the demonstration of faith before men, showing that genuine faith produces works. True saving faith is never alone—it is always accompanied by transformation—but it is faith alone that justifies. As Calvin observed, James’ aim was not to describe how men are made righteous before God but to expose the hypocrisy of those who claim faith without works.
Paul further shows the universal scope of justification: “Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.” Since there is only one God, there can only be one way of salvation. He does not justify Jews one way and Gentiles another. The same God justifies both Jew and Gentile on the same basis: faith. Paul insists, “since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Circumcision or uncircumcision is irrelevant; faith in Christ is all that matters. As he writes in Galatians 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”
7. (Romans 3:31) What of the law then?
“Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
Finally, Paul answers the natural objection: if justification is apart from the law, does this nullify the law’s authority or purpose? His emphatic answer is: “Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Far from overthrowing the law, the gospel confirms it.
Faith does not abolish the law but fulfills its true intent. The law reveals sin and points to man’s need for a Savior. In this way, the gospel establishes what the law anticipated: justification by faith, apart from works. The law cannot save, but it testifies to the necessity of grace. Paul will illustrate this in Romans 4 by pointing to Abraham, who was justified by faith before the law was given.
Jesus Himself declared the same truth: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). The gospel fulfills the law, not by legal obedience on man’s part, but by Christ’s perfect obedience and substitutionary death. In Him, the righteous requirement of the law is satisfied, and faith establishes the law by recognizing its role as tutor and pointer to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
