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AMAZING NEWS! (9 OF 26)

by Jonathan McLeod

Scripture: Romans 3:21-26
This content is part of a series.


Amazing News! (9 of 26)
Series: Romans:The Gospel of God
Jonathan McLeod
Romans 3:21-26


But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law...-the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (vv. 21-22).

THE HEART OF ROMANS

The book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to Christians living in Rome. Many scholars believe that Romans 3:21-26 is the heart of the letter. Martin Luther went so far as to say that this passage is the heart of ''the whole Bible.''

So far in his letter, Paul has given us a lot of bad news. ''None is righteous, no, not one'' (3:10). But starting in verse 21, Paul gives us the good news-the gospel of Jesus Christ.


BUT NOW!

The verse two words of verse 21 are two of the best words in the entire Bible: ''But now.'' Let's add these two words to the end of verse 20: ''For by works of the law no human being will be justified in [God's] sight [i.e., declared by God to be innocent of wrongdoing], since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now....''

This week I've been installing laminate flooring in our house. On the kitchen there was an extra layer of plywood on the floor, and it was nailed down every three inches! The task of removing that plywood seemed almost impossible, and it created a huge mess. But now!

Paul writes, ''But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law'' (v. 21). In other words, it's now possible to be justified-not by obedience to God's law but ''through faith in Jesus Christ.'' We aren't justified because of what we do but because what Christ has done.
This is the gospel!


NOT PLAN B

Paul writes that the gospel has been ''manifested'' (i.e., made known), ''although the Law and the Prophets [i.e., the OT Scriptures] bear witness to it'' (v. 21). The book of Leviticus bears witness to the gospel. In Leviticus 16 God gives instructions regarding the Day of Atonement:

[The priest] shall kill the g ...

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