A Study in the Book of Romans

Lesson #4 : Jesus is the Answer (Romans 3:21-31)

In the previous lesson we proved that both the Jew and the Gentile were guilty before God and that the Law could not justify them in the eyes of God. In this lesson we are going to look at God’s solution to this problem. The solution will be found in Jesus Christ alone.

Why is Jesus Christ the answer?

1)  Jesus is the righteousness of God (verses 21-22)

• The law was added because of the transgression (Galatians 3:19).
• Even if a man had never broken the law he is still guilty sin because of Adam (Romans 5:18).
• This is why Jesus had to be virgin born because he was not to have the sin from Adam. Jesus also did not ever break the Law he fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17).
• This makes him the one and only perfect sacrifice that could take away sin.

2)  Jesus justifies us not the Law (verses 24-26)

• Since we are condemned to death by sin (Romans 5:12-21) and the law is what shows us this (Romans 3:20 ; Romans 7:7 ; Galatians 3:19-24), then we need to be justified in the eyes of God.
• Justification implies that someone has been judged. The penalty of sin is death (James 1:14-15 ; Romans 6:23).
• When Jesus got on the cross and became sin for us then our sin was judged in him and he died for our sin. This is why we can be justified in him and seen as not guilty before God because the payment for our sin has already been paid (Romans 3:4 ; 5:16, 18)

3)  Jesus justifies by grace through redemption (verse 24)

• Since mankind was under the bondage of death through sin, there had to be a price paid that could redeem him from this bondage.
• The shed blood of Jesus Christ is the payment that God required to cover mans sin and redeem him (Romans 4:25 ; 5:1-9 ; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

4)  Jesus is the propitiation (verses 25)

• The word propitiation means the act of appeasing wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person.
• Remember that through sin the wrath of God is revealed against the undgodly (Romans 1:18) and God was satisfied with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:10-11) thereby appeasing the wrath that is against us.

5)  Jesus allows God to be just and the justifier (verse 26)

• God is holy, just, and righteous, therefore when man sinned he could not overlook this sin he had to judged and condemn his as guilty. This God did.
• But he also wanted a way to redeem man with voiding his on righteousness, holiness and being just.
• This is what Jesus does. He died in mans place for sin. So the demands of a righteous, just and holy God were met.
• God is just in justifying man only because as Jesus Christ he died in his place taking the punishment and payment for sin.

6)  Jesus establishes the law (verse 31).

• Since we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ the law is not voided but established, remember that the law is also holy just and good (Romans 7:12).

The outline that is formed at the end of Romans 3 shows us plainly that Jesus Christ is the answer to mans greatest problem, which is sin.

A Study in the Book of Romans

Lesson #4 : Jesus is the Answer (Romans 3:21-31)

Handout

1)  What have we see in the book of Romans up to this point?

2)  Give an outline for why Jesus is the Answer?