Romans Chapter 3: Justification by Faith Alone.
What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them has been committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not!
First of all God was not made known to Gentiles as explicitly as He has made Himself know to the Jews. That the revelation of God was entrusted to them. Even though God has chosen to make Himself known through the Jews yet some did not believe, that does not bring the faithfulness of God to question. God remains faithful, it has no bearing on Him.
[Side track: the righteousness of God, in the light of man’s failings]
Indeed let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.” [“that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.”] But if our unrighteousness demonstrate the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?
The Psalm 51:4 statement is expressed form two points of views: The first David speaking to the Lord on the account of his sin, and the just judgment passed on him. The second, the new testament translation presents it as if God is being scrutinised, Him being put to the test and proved right and just when judged.
Therefore, the righteousness of God is unparalleled. David spoke these words after he fell into sin, saying “against You only have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight.” that wrong is truly perceived against what is pure and right. That our unrighteousness is brought to full light, in the light of God’s righteousness. Without that our fault and failings have no bearing, measuring ourselves with ourselves which is a false bottom, in continual motion. So he is saying God is not being unjust to pass judgment, That is the very reason He is able to do so, because He wholly separate and righteous. In Romans 2:2, he compares the judgment passed by the one who is in sin, to justify himself and he follows it with “but we know the judgment of God is according to truth.”
For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why I am also still judged as a sinner? and why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”? as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm we say. Their condemnation is just.
Is a slanderous comments some make about them, because they teach through our failings God’s righteousness is made known. So they claim we teach: “let us do evil so that God may be glorified.” The point is God is unchanging, the one who is being taught the righteous requirements of God is us. Our wrong is brought to light on the account of God’s righteousness. That does not negate the punishment due to sin.
[Then comes back to the original question]
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all: For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
The point is though the Jews have got the revelation of God and His righteous requirements are made known to them, yet we all belong to the same fallen nature. Both Jews and Gentiles are under sin. “As many have sinned without the law will perish without the law and as many have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.” The general condition of man both Jew and Gentile is:
- There is none righteous, no not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seek after God.
- They have all turned aside; They have all together become unprofitable; There in none who does good, no, not one.
- Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongue they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
- Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.
- There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Now, we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be come guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is knowledge of sin.
The law is given to make the requirements of God clearly known. He also says though the law speaks to those who are under it. Its purpose is so every one may be convicted. With the law and without the law, all have sinned. Everyone stands guilty before God, that every mouth may be silenced. The law is not given, to justify men but to expose sin and to expose the weakness in men “all the world may be come guilty.” As such by the working of the law no man is justified, because through it is the knowledge of sin.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through Jesus Christ, to all who believe.
However now, the righteousness of God is revealed, without the law. That, both the law and prophets are there to point us to Jesus Christ, and the righteousness of God that comes through faith. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were preciously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness,that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
That both Jew and Gentile have fallen short, there is no difference. Both are able to obtain justification by faith in Jesus Christ. This is made available to all by His grace, freely given [it is not merited, by anything not even the working of the law]. That is accepting by faith the offering of Christ’s blood as a payment for our own sins.
That righteousness is worked out for us, that is “even the righteousness of God”. The law will foster pride in us, that we might think to obtain to the righteousness of God through our own deeds. That is the failing even Job did not see. Though he was righteous and just among all who lived on earth, yet at the sight of God it become nothing. In our own righteousness we will fail miserably, even if we look over our shoulders and see the rest of the world fall far short of our standard. That our best perception of ourselves are as nothing in the revelation of God. “And all our righteousness are like filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6
Therefore, the only way to the presence of God is through His Own righteousness, that is through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is God’s way of declaring to us, you are unable to enter into My presence, through your own works, My righteousness is beyond your comprehension. Even the knowledge of sin [evil] is not accepted in My sight. Whether you know My laws or you don’t, you have fallen short. Notice from the very beginning of the world. When all things are new, the offering of Abel’s sacrifice is accepted and of Cain’s sweat of his brow, the labour of his back was rejected. And the pride of Cain’s efforts saw to it that the grace his brother received required his blood to be spilt.
Where is the boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
There is NO Boasting: God is God of both Jew and Gentile and all are justified by faith only, apart from the deeds [the working] of the law.
Q&A : If righteousness is through faith alone is the law made void, abolished? [No we establish the law] Through the law the righteousness of God is revealed but to the unrighteous knowledge of sin. The premise being the law is holy and true and spiritual. So the law is not abolished or made void, since the law is not given to the righteous but to the unrighteous. The requirements of the law is fulfilled in those who have accepted:
God’s Own righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Bread Bait. 
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