ROMANS 3: 21-30

Verse 21
• Righteousness of God: Man has no righteousness of his own. (Isaiah 45:8, 64:6)
• Apart from the law. (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, Philippians 3:9)
• Law and Prophets bear witness to it. (Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53):
1. Atonement Sacrifice
2. Prophecies and promises
3. Types
4. Gospel Scriptures (Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 36)


Verse 22: How do we receive it?
• Through faith alone
• In Christ alone
• For all who believe

Verse 24: Mechanism of being Right
• Justified: 2 fold problems

1.We disobeyed the law and is guilty and condemned. (negative)
2. Have not obeyed the law, so have no righteousness. (positive)
• 2 aspects of Justification described by the word ‘count’, ‘impute’. ‘reckon’
• Double imputation

NB: Justification vs Forgiveness
a. Isaiah: 53: 4-6 ; 1 Peter 2:24
b. Romans 5:19, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Philippians 3, Romans 10: 1-4
a+b – 2 Corinthians 5:21
• By Grace: Attributes of God:
a. Absolute (What he is in himself)
b. Relative (How He relates to the world and man)
• As a Gift/ freely – without a cause in us

• Redemption: Sin is picturized in the Bible in 3 ways:

1. Transgression (in terms of law/crime)
2. Enmity with God (Romans 5: 1,10)
3. Debt: Moral obligation imposed by the creator. Unpayable debt

• In Christ: Union with Christ

• Propitiation/ Atonement
1. Greatest or the most important word
2. God’s answer to the greatest problem in the Scripture (Proverbs 17:15, Romans 3:23)
3. God who is Holy and Just cannot simply forgive sins. Before Forgiveness, Justice must be satisfied for which a powerful sacrifice (Jesus) is required.
4. Blood of Bulls and Goats cannot cover the sin of man.
5. Jesus Christ drank the wrath of God, the justice of God was served. (Isaiah 53:10,11)
Verse 26: Thus because of Atonement/ Propitiation
• Word meaning is ‘satisfy’/ ‘Appeasement’
• Hebrew equivalent of the word is used to describe ‘the mercy seat’- the cover of the ark of the covenant. The High Priest sprinkled the blood on the day of atonement
• God becomes the justifier of sinners and remains Just!
Verse 25b: It demonstrates the righteousness of God ; justice of God