Where is the Most Important ‘But’ in the Bible?
…20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:20-24 (NIV)
Romans 3:21-31 marks a pivotal moment in Paul’s letter, as he shifts from the dark reality of human sin to the glorious hope of the gospel, “No one will be declared righteous … through the law we become conscious of sin” (Ro. 3:20), but now, Paul unveils the glittering diamond of the gospel.
The first two words of verse 21 are “But now,” which signals a dramatic pivot in the flow of this letter. Martin Lloyd Jones has said, “Praise God for the buts in the Bible.” “But now” turns the corner from the condemnation of the entire human race to the justification of all believers in Jesus Christ by the grace of God. To this point, everything in this letter to the believers in Rome has been preparation for this extraordinary truth of justification.
The gospel reveals a “righteousness from God” (Ro. 3:21) or “the righteousness of God” (ESV). This righteousness is not only displayed but also granted to us. The Greek words for “righteousness” and “justified” in these verses share the same root: dikaiosune. Therefore, verse 21 could be read as, “But now a justification from/of God has been made known,” and Ro. 3:24 could be translated, “and are righteousnessed freely.”
Righteousness can be understood as a validating performance record that opens doors, much like a resumé when applying for a job, or the GPA needed to get into school. In every religion and culture, people believe that they must present a sufficient moral or spiritual record to be accepted by God. They hope that their performance record will qualify them for life with God.
However, Paul introduces an unprecedented approach to God. For the first time in history—and the last—a divine righteousness, the perfect record of God Himself, is given to us. This is a stark contrast to all other belief systems, where we must develop our own righteousness and offer it to God, hoping anxiously for acceptance. In the gospel, God develops the perfect righteousness and offers it to us, by which we are accepted. This unique aspect of the Christian gospel reverses what every other religion, worldview, and even the human heart believes.
The passage highlights the importance of the phrase “But now” in Romans 3:21. How does this dramatic pivot from condemnation to justification through faith in Christ bring you hope and encouragement?
[The ideas for this week’s materials on Romans 3:21-31 were drawn from Tim Keller’s book “Romans 1-7 for You“]
The dramatic pivot from condemnation to justification through faith in Christ brings hope and encouragement in that it is not contingent upon my ability (or rather inability) to live a perfectly righteous life, but upon the righteousness from/of God which is secure and eternal. This fact also curbs any tendency toward either a sense of hopeless frustration on one end, or an arrogant pride on the other. It is not because of anything I have done or not done that has made me right with God, but because of who He is and what He has done for me. Early on as a believer, missing this point created in me a lot of turmoil and anxiety. I felt as though to be a “good Christian” I needed to live a perfectly righteous life, which, being obviously unable to do so, resulted in a phony hypocrisy in which I pretended as though I did. This inevitably led to a severe downward spiral, during which time I believe God used to teach me the truth of the gospel message that we are justified solely by His grace through faith in Christ. This fact is a large part of what causes Paul to burst out in praise to God later in Romans in a way that really resonates with me: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
Just as with others who first come to faith, I thought that I need to do something to prove myself worthy to earn my spot. So I tried and all my tries failed in different ways. The Lord reveal to me that even in my “success”, my motivation was not pure and so I still failed. I also recognize that temptations pull at me constantly and it is hard to stay the course so I need the Lord help not just at the point of accepting the gospel but for my entire life.
I imagine the helicopter analogy in the sermon. God landed it next to me and open the door and allow me to come in. The zombies are gathering but many don’t see and so not all even step into the ship. But after stepping in, is that the end? No, we still have to journey to the other end of the chasm where safety lies. God pointed to the distance destination but I don’t see it – it is only His promise that it would be there so I have to have faith in Him. I say that I do but somehow even that turns out to be a lie unless God helps me to keep my faith in Him. So now I’m in the ship and I see out the window that there are other landing points closer and maybe I see enticements and temptations. Why do we have to go so far, there is safety there on that ledge and there is a banquet waiting! Let me off there! So God continue to talk sense into me, speaking to me but I have a hard time hearing through the distractions. Sometimes the only way for me to learn is for Him to just let me get off and see that the temptation that attracts will only do me harms. And when I beg Him to let me back onto the helicopter, He would through His grace and Love always pick me up again and for a time, I sit contentedly with the Lord only to catch something else outside the window to distract me. Staying focus on the Lord and not looking out the window is the only way to stay on course. This means studying His Words and praying and filling all my free time with Him. God is beautiful and all we should need so why do we still stray? It’s the same question I ask when I see well known celebrities who marry other beautiful and successful people but still cheat on their spouses with others who are no way comparable. Why do we keep doing these things…that’s the mystery of the depth of human sinful nature.
Lord, when we were talking this morning, I recognize how your love is the ONLY true love that’s completely pure and selfless. We keep aspiring toward Godly love but I realized that none of us, or at least I’m not, are capable of Godly love. I can only attain a poor version of Your love and maybe that’s why even in my desperate hours when I need to cling to You and to love You for my own sake, I find myself incapable without Your help. Lord, please have mercy on my soul and keep me safe and don’t abandon me no matter my constant cycle of rebellion and repentant until I meet with You again.