In Romans, Paul stresses the “righteousness of God” revealed in the gospel. It is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,” and a “righteousness” that is being proclaimed throughout the earth to “Jews and Greeks” alike.
And by the “righteousness of God,” the
apostle means HIS “righteousness” - God's faithfulness in
providing salvation for His wayward creatures. And the genitive construction of
the Greek clause, the “righteousness of God,” must be given its full
weight.
Like the “goodness of God” and the “mercy
of God,” it refers to something that belongs to Him, a characteristic that
defines who and what He is. And that “righteousness” is found in and
demonstrated by His concrete acts on behalf of humanity.
SIN SEPARATES FROM GOD
The second and third chapters of Romans present
the gospel as the Great Leveler. Both Jews and Gentiles have fallen
short of the requirements of the Law. Therefore, both groups stand under its “just
sentence.” Consequently, short of divine intervention, Jews and Gentiles are
both destined for “wrath.”
Every man is “without excuse”
because all have sinned, and none is in a proper state to judge others. Regardless
of ethnicity, whether “within the law” or “apart from the law,” all
men and women are doomed to experience His “wrath” unless God makes
provision for their redemption - (Romans 2:5-11).
In the second chapter, Paul declares that “God will render to each one according to his works.” Here, the emphasis is on the future aspect of this “wrath.” It will be unleashed on “the day when God judges the secrets of men…through Christ Jesus.”
And elsewhere in his letters, Paul links the
“day of wrath” to the moment when Jesus arrives from heaven - the
“Day of the Lord” - (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
GOD’S PROVISION
Next, using a series of scriptural proof texts, Paul demonstrates conclusively that “both Jews and Greeks are under
sin” - “All have sinned and lack the glory of God” - therefore, men
and women are NOT set right with God “from the works of the Law.”
Instead, the Law serves to “expose sin” for what it is – the trespass
of God’s righteous requirements - (Romans 3:9-18, 3:23).
But mercifully, the “righteousness
of God” is being revealed through the proclamation of the gospel - “through
the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe.” In Christ, God declares all
who believe “righteous by His grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus,” and all this is provided apart from the works required by
the Torah - (Romans 3:22-24).
This has been done “with a view to a
showing forth of His righteousness in the present season.” In Paul’s teaching,
the stress falls on the present reality of the “righteousness of God,”
and this is demonstrated in the proclamation of the gospel to all
nations - clear evidence of His faithfulness to redeem men who respond in
faith to the message - (Romans 1:16-18, 3:19-30).
Thus, the faithfulness of God is
unveiled in the present whenever He declares men to be in right standing through
the “faith of Jesus Christ,” and in response to their faith in him. The
provision of salvation in Christ demonstrates the righteousness of God.
Paul speaks of His “righteousness”
from an Old Testament perspective, “righteousness” as the faithfulness
of God to His promises. Thus, God demonstrates His “righteousness”
for all men to see, in the present tense, and in a most personal way.