Today we are going to look at the subject of righteousness by grace. Romans 3:21‑23 says, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference [distinction]: For all have sinned, and come [fall] short of the glory of God" (brackets mine).
Notice that this scripture says, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested." I once asked a man, "What do you think you have to do in order to go to heaven?" He responded that he should keep the Ten Commandments, be faithful to his wife, live a moral life, plus a number of other things. I said, "Do you know what you have to do in order to go to heaven, to be in God's presence or in His kingdom? You would have to have a righteousness that equals God's righteousness." He said, "I beg your pardon? There is no one who can have a righteousness that equals God's. Only one man had such righteousness, and that was Jesus Christ!" I said, "You have the point! That is exactly right! None of us in our own selves have ever kept the Law or commandments perfectly, outwardly or inwardly, but we need a righteousness that equals God's in order to be acceptable before Him."
That is exactly what is said in verses 21‑22, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested...even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe..." The kind of righteousness that God offers you and me is a righteousness that is "through faith in Jesus Christ," and it's unto all and upon all who believe. There are two kinds of righteousness—the righteousness of man and the righteousness of God. The righteousness of man is a person's very best behavior and the good works they do, but that can't make you acceptable before God.
You need a righteousness that equals God's, and He is offering it to you—the righteousness of God that is without the law.
In the Greek, there is no definite article, which means that this text is really saying God is offering His own righteousness without Law. A righteousness that is according to Law is a righteousness of doing, earning, and achieving in order to be accepted before God. All the world religions today think you have to do, earn, and achieve in order for God to accept you. The word "Gospel" means "good news," and the good news of the Gospel is that God is offering His very own righteousness and acceptance to all who will believe in what Jesus Christ provided—His death on the cross for our sins, imputing to us the righteousness that equals the Law. This is the righteousness of God that is apart from the Law, without us doing, earning, and achieving; and it comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Notice in verse 22 that it is the righteousness of God that is through faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all. Why is God offering His righteousness to everyone? "For there is no difference [no distinction]: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (brackets mine). You have sinned, I have sinned, and we all come short of God's standard or perfection. Because of our sin, the greatest thing we need is acceptance, right relationship, and right standing with God...and God has offered this not through the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God doesn't come by your working, your trying, your earning, or your attempts to achieve; it comes through faith, dependence, and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
How was Abraham (the Jewish forefather) saved? The Bible says he believed God—believed the promise God gave him—and then righteousness was imputed to his account. The fact that Abraham was declared righteous before God through his faith was not just for him alone. We read in Romans 3:21‑22 that a man is declared righteous through his faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that because of the payment Christ made on the cross when He shed His blood for our sin, righteousness (right standing) will be imputed to any person's account who simply believes upon Christ.
Romans 5:17 says, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more that which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (emphasis mine). God is offering you a gift of righteousness, a gift of right standing before Him. A gift does cost something but not to the person who receives it. If you gave me a gift and asked me to pay for it, it wouldn't be a gift, but it did cost you something. God made righteousness available to you and me as a gift, and this gift of righteousness, acquittal, and right standing before God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Is salvation by faith alone, or is salvation by faith plus works? This is perhaps the most important question in all of Christian theology. This question was the cause of the Reformation, the split between Protestantism and Catholicism. This question is a key difference between biblical Christianity and most of the cults. Is salvation through faith alone or through faith plus human works? Stated another way, am I saved by trusting in Jesus, or do I have to believe in Jesus and, in addition, do certain things?
The works in addition to faith needed for salvation differ in various religious circles. Many groups point to water baptism as a work that must be added to faith for salvation—if you’re not baptized, you’re not saved. Some go even further: you must be baptized by the right minister, using the right method, saying the right words.
Others suggest different rites to be observed in order to be saved, but the formula is always faith + [fill in the blank]. Salvation is through faith + receiving Mass, faith + going to confession, faith + tithing, etc.
Many passages of the Bible teach that salvation is through faith alone, not faith plus works. Ephesians 2:8–9, for example, is clearly worded and unequivocal: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Of great importance is the word grace, which refers to God’s blessings on the undeserving. The very idea of grace negates all attempts to earn salvation. Paul makes that argument when teaching on God’s choosing of the remnant of Israel: “Since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved” (Romans 11:6, NLT).
Other passages that clearly teach salvation through faith alone include Acts 16:31; Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24; Ephesians 1:13; and Philippians 3:9.
There are a few Bible passages that, at first glance, seem to teach salvation through faith plus works. One such is James 2:24, which appears to say that justification is by faith plus works: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” This apparent problem is solved by examining the whole of James’ argument in his epistle. James is refuting the idea that a person can have saving faith without producing any good works (see James 2:17–18). Genuine faith in Christ, James says, will produce a changed life and result in good works (James 2:20–26). James is not saying that justification is by faith plus works, but that a person who is truly justified by faith will have good works in his or her life. The works are an outward show of genuine faith in Christ (James 2:14, 17, 20, 26)—and it’s that outward show that “justifies” the believer in the sight of other people.
Paul says those who have true faith in Jesus Christ will be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). To return to Ephesians 2, immediately after teaching that we are saved through faith, not through works (Ephesians 2:8–9), Paul says that we were created “to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith, and that faith is made manifest in good works. The works follow the faith and are a proof of it.
If we’re going to say that we are saved by works, we must qualify whose works. We are not saved by our own works, however meritorious they are in our own eyes. We are saved solely by the work of Christ on our behalf. His death and His resurrection are the works that save us. We receive our Savior by faith (John 1:12).
good work
truth about
Notice that this scripture says, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested." I once asked a man, "What do you think you have to do in order to go to heaven?" He responded that he should keep the Ten Commandments, be faithful to his wife, live a moral life, plus a number of other things. I said, "Do you know what you have to do in order to go to heaven, to be in God's presence or in His kingdom? You would have to have a righteousness that equals God's righteousness." He said, "I beg your pardon? There is no one who can have a righteousness that equals God's. Only one man had such righteousness, and that was Jesus Christ!" I said, "You have the point! That is exactly right! None of us in our own selves have ever kept the Law or commandments perfectly, outwardly or inwardly, but we need a righteousness that equals God's in order to be acceptable before Him."
That is exactly what is said in verses 21‑22, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested...even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe..." The kind of righteousness that God offers you and me is a righteousness that is "through faith in Jesus Christ," and it's unto all and upon all who believe. There are two kinds of righteousness—the righteousness of man and the righteousness of God. The righteousness of man is a person's very best behavior and the good works they do, but that can't make you acceptable before God.
You need a righteousness that equals God's, and He is offering it to you—the righteousness of God that is without the law.
In the Greek, there is no definite article, which means that this text is really saying God is offering His own righteousness without Law. A righteousness that is according to Law is a righteousness of doing, earning, and achieving in order to be accepted before God. All the world religions today think you have to do, earn, and achieve in order for God to accept you. The word "Gospel" means "good news," and the good news of the Gospel is that God is offering His very own righteousness and acceptance to all who will believe in what Jesus Christ provided—His death on the cross for our sins, imputing to us the righteousness that equals the Law. This is the righteousness of God that is apart from the Law, without us doing, earning, and achieving; and it comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Notice in verse 22 that it is the righteousness of God that is through faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all. Why is God offering His righteousness to everyone? "For there is no difference [no distinction]: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (brackets mine). You have sinned, I have sinned, and we all come short of God's standard or perfection. Because of our sin, the greatest thing we need is acceptance, right relationship, and right standing with God...and God has offered this not through the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God doesn't come by your working, your trying, your earning, or your attempts to achieve; it comes through faith, dependence, and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
How was Abraham (the Jewish forefather) saved? The Bible says he believed God—believed the promise God gave him—and then righteousness was imputed to his account. The fact that Abraham was declared righteous before God through his faith was not just for him alone. We read in Romans 3:21‑22 that a man is declared righteous through his faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that because of the payment Christ made on the cross when He shed His blood for our sin, righteousness (right standing) will be imputed to any person's account who simply believes upon Christ.
Romans 5:17 says, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more that which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (emphasis mine). God is offering you a gift of righteousness, a gift of right standing before Him. A gift does cost something but not to the person who receives it. If you gave me a gift and asked me to pay for it, it wouldn't be a gift, but it did cost you something. God made righteousness available to you and me as a gift, and this gift of righteousness, acquittal, and right standing before God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Is salvation by faith alone, or is salvation by faith plus works? This is perhaps the most important question in all of Christian theology. This question was the cause of the Reformation, the split between Protestantism and Catholicism. This question is a key difference between biblical Christianity and most of the cults. Is salvation through faith alone or through faith plus human works? Stated another way, am I saved by trusting in Jesus, or do I have to believe in Jesus and, in addition, do certain things?
The works in addition to faith needed for salvation differ in various religious circles. Many groups point to water baptism as a work that must be added to faith for salvation—if you’re not baptized, you’re not saved. Some go even further: you must be baptized by the right minister, using the right method, saying the right words.
Others suggest different rites to be observed in order to be saved, but the formula is always faith + [fill in the blank]. Salvation is through faith + receiving Mass, faith + going to confession, faith + tithing, etc.
Many passages of the Bible teach that salvation is through faith alone, not faith plus works. Ephesians 2:8–9, for example, is clearly worded and unequivocal: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Of great importance is the word grace, which refers to God’s blessings on the undeserving. The very idea of grace negates all attempts to earn salvation. Paul makes that argument when teaching on God’s choosing of the remnant of Israel: “Since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved” (Romans 11:6, NLT).
Other passages that clearly teach salvation through faith alone include Acts 16:31; Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24; Ephesians 1:13; and Philippians 3:9.
There are a few Bible passages that, at first glance, seem to teach salvation through faith plus works. One such is James 2:24, which appears to say that justification is by faith plus works: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” This apparent problem is solved by examining the whole of James’ argument in his epistle. James is refuting the idea that a person can have saving faith without producing any good works (see James 2:17–18). Genuine faith in Christ, James says, will produce a changed life and result in good works (James 2:20–26). James is not saying that justification is by faith plus works, but that a person who is truly justified by faith will have good works in his or her life. The works are an outward show of genuine faith in Christ (James 2:14, 17, 20, 26)—and it’s that outward show that “justifies” the believer in the sight of other people.
Paul says those who have true faith in Jesus Christ will be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). To return to Ephesians 2, immediately after teaching that we are saved through faith, not through works (Ephesians 2:8–9), Paul says that we were created “to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith, and that faith is made manifest in good works. The works follow the faith and are a proof of it.
If we’re going to say that we are saved by works, we must qualify whose works. We are not saved by our own works, however meritorious they are in our own eyes. We are saved solely by the work of Christ on our behalf. His death and His resurrection are the works that save us. We receive our Savior by faith (John 1:12).
good work
truth about
In Luke 14,
Jesus lays out the
terms
of discipleship
There were great crowds following Him
Everyone loved the miracles, healing,
and free food.
Jesus was cool, the talk of the town,
and
the latest fad
But He knew their hearts
He knew they desired the benefits of
what He did
rather than
an understanding of
who He was
They loved His gifts,
not the life
He was calling them to
So He explained
what it takes to be one of
His followers
Whoever does not bear his own cross
and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
For which of you,
desiring to build a tower,
does not first sit down
and count the cost,
whether
he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid
a foundation
and is not able to finish,
all who see
it begin to mock him, saying,
‘This man began to build and was
not able to finish.’
Or what king,
going out to encounter another king in war,
will not sit down first and
deliberate whether
he is able with ten thousand to
meet him who comes
against him with twenty thousand?
And if not, while the other is
yet a great way off,
he sends a delegation and asks
for terms of peace.
So therefore, any one of you who does
not renounce all
that he has cannot be my disciple"
(Luke 14:26-33).
Jesus said a lot in those simple illustrations.
He quickly put an end to the idea that He offered
some kind of welfare program.
Although the gift of eternal life is free
to anyone who asks
(John 3:16),
the asking requires a transfer
of ownership
(Luke 9:23; Galatians 5:24)
“Counting the cost”
means recognizing and agreeing to
some terms first.
In following Christ,
we cannot
simply follow our own inclinations.
We cannot follow Him
and the world’s way at the same time
(Matthew 7:13-14).
Following Him may mean we lose relationships, dreams,
material things, or even our lives.
Those who are following Jesus simply for
what they can get
won’t stick around when the going gets tough.
When God’s way conflicts with our way,
we will feel betrayed by the shallow,
me-first faith we have
bought into. If we have not counted
the cost of being His child,
we will turn away at the threat of sacrifice
and find something else to gratify our selfish desires
(cf. Mark 4:5, 16-17).
In Jesus’ earthly ministry, there came a time when the
free food
stopped and public opinion turned ugly.
The cheering crowds became jeering crowds.
And Jesus knew
ahead of time that would happen.
Jesus ended His description of the
cost of discipleship
with a breathtaking statement:
"Any one of you who does not renounce
all that
he has cannot be my disciple"
(Luke 14:33)
. “Renouncing” may mean we give up something physically, but more often
it means we let go emotionally so that what we possess no longer possesses us.
When we become one of His, we cannot continue to belong to this world
(1 John 2:15-17).
We must make a choice,
for we cannot
serve both God and Mammon
(Matthew 6:24).
The rich young ruler, when confronted
with that choice,
turned his back on Jesus
(Luke 18:18-25).
Suppose you learned that you had been
given an all-expense-paid condo on a
beach in Tahiti,
complete with airfare, a car, food,
and a maid.
You could brag about your
new lifestyle, plan for it, and dream about it.
But until you pack up and leave
your current home,
the new life is never really yours.
You cannot live in Tahiti and your current
hometown at the same time.
Many people approach Christianity the same way.
They love the idea of eternal life,
escaping hell, and having Jesus at their
beck and call.
But they are not willing to leave the life
they now live.
Their desires, lifestyle,
and sinful habits are too precious to them.
Their lives may exhibit a token change
but they want
to retain ownership of everything else.
Jesus is speaking in Luke 14 to those with
that mindset.
We cannot earn salvation
by lifestyle change or any other good deed
(Ephesians 2:8-9).
But when we choose to follow Christ, we are releasing
control of our lives.
When Jesus is in control, pure living results
(1 John 3:4-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
In Jesus’
parable of the sower,
it was only the soil that allowed
the seed to put down roots
and bear fruit that was called “good.”
If we are going to be disciples of Christ,
we must first
count the cost of following Him.
