“But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” Romans 3:19-28

“In his letters Paul is fond of speaking of God justifying people through Christ.” Justification” does not primarily refer to God transferring moral purity to people or stamping “not guilty” on their foreheads. Rather, God repairs the fractured relationship between humanity and God through Jesus’ death. Most English translations make it impossible to see that the words justification and righteous-ness mean the same thing, for both translate the same Greek noun. Likewise, the verbs justify and make righteous are synonymous. When Paul refers to God’s righteousness in one breath and then says God justifies, he is essentially redundant. Through grace, God’s salvific activity claims people, nullifying the separation that human beings have opened up in their proper standing place before God. To be justified is simply to be set right with God, to be brought into the sphere of God’s deliverance and justice (“righteousness”), making our relationship and future with God secure.” (Commentary on Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28 [29-31], Matt Skinner, “What does the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ accomplish? What does it mean?”)

The Reformers who sparked the Protestant Reformation were trying to reclaim what Paul was speaking against – the tendency of people to find ways to justify themselves through works. Like Paul says, works do not justify – but works are necessary if we are to live the Christian life. So what do we make of works? They can be good, and they can be dangerous. Why? Because they can lead us to sin. How? Through self-righteousness. Doing good works can lead us to think we are better, more holy, more special than others. Odd as it sounds, doing good works can be dangerous – but only to your own sense of self-importance. Now Paul emphasizes something we need to remember: “No human being will be justified in God’s sight by deeds – by good works. But now, the righteousness of God has been disclosed”. Right now, Paul says, things are different. Right now, things have changed. “Now”, and forever more, our salvation is effective through faith, not works. G-d is declaring something new, right now. This very moment you have a gift, which has come unexpectedly, just for you – and that is the gift of grace, which comes through the cross of Jesus. Both Luther and Paul agree that the law can not “justify” us — cannot produce good or goodness in us. “…we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law” Paul writes. For that, to become righteous, we need to become “new creations”, through faith. That begins within us – inside our very being. Our inclination is to be bent in on ourselves, only concerned about ourselves. If we are to become new, then we need to begin to change – from the inside out – beginning in our hearts which are transformed when the Holy Spirit washes over us in Word and Sacrament. We cannot earn it, we can only accept it – into our hearts and minds. The rest is up to the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Dave