From mid-way in chapter 1 on, this letter
has been bad news: For God’s wrath is
revealed; Therefore God delivered them over; This is why God delivered them
over; Therefore you have no excuse; So what advantage have the Jews?; What then
– are we any better? For no one will be justified. And that brings us to
our text for today:
Romans 3:21 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed.
Finally some good news! Of particular interest to the Jews, but of importance
to all men – the righteousness of God is revealed to man through something
other than the law; whether the Law of Moses or the universal law. What is
revealed of God through the law cannot reconcile sinners to Him. The law, as
Paul has been explaining and will continue to explain, brings knowledge of sin
and condemnation, leading some to cry out for mercy and others to seek out
escape routes, as W.C. Fields is said to have done on his deathbed while
flipping through a Bible. Apart from the law righteousness is revealed, from
faith to faith as Paul wrote in chapter 1. In declaring, “But now,” the apostle
is drawing the line between the hopeless estate of fallen men apart from Christ
and the sure eternal hope of those in Christ.
Lest we think the Old Testament was useless,
this verse reminds us that the gospel is present in all of Scripture as the Law and the prophets bear witness of it.
Let us not fall into the trap of writing off the Old Testament as if it has no
relevance to us. Some of the most glorious revelations of Christ are found in
the types and shadows of those earthly things that bore witness to the heavenly
things. I love the gospel presented in the great flood, wherein we see
salvation of those God called into the boat at great expense.