The Faith of Jesus

We are not acquitted before God from the works of the Law but through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ – Romans 3:21-26.

Having demonstrated that all men violate God’s revealed will, Paul concludes that no one is acquitted before God “from the works of the Law.” Instead, we are justified “through the faith” or faithfulness of Jesus. We are reconciled with our Creator because of the gracious act of the Messiah for us. Since we deserve condemnation and death, all we can do is respond with repentance and faith to what God has done through the obedient death of His Son.

Jews have the Mosaic Law but fall short of its requirements. Gentiles have the witness of their own conscience yet continue to sin. Our sinful tendencies not only demonstrate that we are under the “Wrath of God,” but our never-ending transgressions are manifestations of the “wrath” that is “being revealed [present tense] from heaven against all unrighteousness.”

[Cross - Photo by Samuel McGarrigle on Unsplash]

Because we persist in ungodliness, God gives us over to the very sins for which we lust. His judgment and wrath are manifested in our multitude of sins, especially idolatry since we worship anything and everything except the God who made us. Sin begets more and even worse transgressions as we “treasure up for ourselves wrath for the Day of Wrath.” This, it seems, is only a fair “exchange”:

• “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it is being revealed a righteousness of God from faith for faith. As it is written, But the righteous one [singular] will live from faith. For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who possess the truth in unrighteousness <…> Wherefore God delivered them to the lusts of their hearts for uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonoured among themselves, for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and venerated and gave homage to the creature rather than the Creator” - (Romans 1:16-25).

Israel possessed the Law yet sinned all the same, and Jewish transgressors will be judged by the Torah. Gentiles sin “without the Law” and will “perish without the Law.” Jews and Gentiles alike are “under sin.” There is no one righteous, “no, not even one.” Every man is in the same state and destined for Divine Wrath. However,

• “But now, apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been manifested, borne witness to by the Law and the Prophets, a righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who have faith, for there is no distinction. For all have sinned and lack the glory of God. Being declared righteous freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God presented as expiation, through faith in his blood, for a showing forth of his righteousness by the passing-over of the previously committed sins in the forbearance of God, with a view to a showing forth of his righteousness in the present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man who has faith in Jesus” – (Romans 3:21-26).

Just as “wrath” is “being revealed from heaven,” so the righteousness of God is being revealed from faith and for faith. Paul is deliberate in his choice of prepositions in the passage from Romans 1:16-17 - (“A righteousness of God from [‘ek’] faith for [‘eis’] faith. As it is written, the righteous one will live from faith”).

The faithfulness or “righteousness” of God is revealed “from” faith. This rendering represents the Greek preposition ‘ek’ which stresses origin. In the passage, “my righteous one” is singular and refers to Jesus, not to righteous men in general or as a group. Christ is the one from whose faith or faithfulness the “righteousness of God” is being revealed to humanity, and it is unveiled “for” or “unto” faith (the Greek preposition ‘eis’).

The grammatical structure is important to Paul’s summary statement in Chapter 3 where he declares that “the Righteous One” (‘ho dikaios’, singular) “will live” (‘zésetai’, singular) “FROM faith” (‘ek pisteôs’). No one is justified “from the works of the Law,” therefore, we are reconciled to God on another basis, namely, “from faith.” But it is not “faith” in general or just any form of “faith,” but a very specific faith.

Paul expands on his cryptic statement from Chapter 1, “righteousness from faith for faith.” God’s faithfulness to save His children is now being revealed from the faith of Jesus, His “Righteous One,” and it is for the man or woman who responds to him and his faithful deed with faith, “to those who believe.”

THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

There is a “righteousness of God” that is being “manifested apart from the Law.” Paul is referring to the righteousness “of God” - something that God possesses, reveals, and delivers. The language reflects the Old Testament concept of God’s covenant faithfulness to His people demonstrated by the salvation He graciously provides for them - “His loving-kindness.”

• “But I have trusted in your loving-kindness. My heart will rejoice in your salvation” – (Psalm 13:5).

• “For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed. But My loving-kindness will not depart from you, neither will my covenant of peace be removed, declares Yahweh who has mercy on you” – (Isaiah 54:10).

God did not leave his wayward children without hope. He has provided a solution that remedies our seemingly hopeless plight, and He has done so in a way that highlights His faithfulness and mercy, a solution confirmed by the “Law and the Prophets.”

Paul hints at this in the Letter’s opening declaration. The Gospel was “promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,” and that promise has come to fruition in Jesus of Nazareth who was “of the seed of David” - (Romans 1:1-4, 3:21).

The Apostle also makes this understanding of God’s righteousness clear in Chapter 3, that the “righteousness” in view is God’s actions on behalf of His people. Thus, in the sacrificial death of Christ, God “presented His righteousness in the present season.” God “manifested this righteousness apart from the law” – (Romans 3:21, 3:25-26).

God's saving righteousness is provided for us “through the faith of Jesus Christ.” We must note Paul’s use of the Greek genitive case. It signifies something that Jesus possessed or did. It means the “faith of Jesus,” not our faith in Jesus. It refers to his faith or “faithfulness.” The righteousness that has resulted from his “faith” is “for [‘eis’] all men who believe.” Placing faith in him is how we respond to the faithful act of Jesus - (Romans 3:22).

The proposition that we are saved through the “faith of Jesus” is not unique to this passage or the writings of Paul. To the Philippians, Paul expressed his desire to be found in Jesus, “not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ” – (Philippians 3:9).

In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote that we “know a man is not justified from the works of the law but through the faith of Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified from the faith of Christ.” In the same paragraph, Paul clarifies what he means by the “faith of Jesus”; namely, Christ’s obedient death for us:

• “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me, and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” – (Galatians 2:16-21).

The claim that we are redeemed by the sacrificial act of Jesus rather than anything done by us goes back to Christ himself, and is expressed in several ways in the writings of the Apostles:

• “For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” – (Mark 10:45).

• “He poured himself out, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross” – (Philippians 2:7-8).

• “He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all sin, and purify for himself a people for his own possession” – (Titus 2:14).

• “Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame” – (Hebrews 12:2).

Believers who respond to Christ's sacrificial death with repentance and faith are acquitted before God “freely by His grace,” and this is “through the redemption that is in Jesus.” God justifies Jews and Gentiles alike of their guilt “through the faith of Jesus Christ,” and he does this “apart from the works of the law.” We are reconciled with God when we respond to His gracious offer with faith in what He has done for us “through the faith of Jesus.”

[PDF Copy]

SEE  ALSO:

• Salvation for the Nations - (The Good News announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and true life to men and women of every nation and nationality)

• The Gospel of God - (Paul presents his Gospel in Romans from humanity's plight due to sin to the resurrection of the dead and the New Creation)

• According to Scripture - (Paul introduces his ministry to the Church of Rome and begins explaining the Gospel by identifying Christ’s messianic qualifications)

• La Foi de Jésus - (Nous ne sommes pas acquittés devant Dieu par les œuvres de la Loi, mais par la fidélité de Jésus-Christ - Romains 3: 21-26)