What makes us right with God? Why should God be pleased with us? Most people would answer these questions by pointing to their good deeds. They have God’s favor because their good deeds outweigh any wrong they might have done. Jewish people would answer that they are pleasing to God because they have the Law of Moses. Since God gave them the Law it is obvious that God is happy with them.
However, the Apostle Paul does not agree with either of these assertions. In his inspired letter to the church at Rome he highlights the fact that no one, whether Jew or non-Jew, has achieved the level of perfection that God requires. Those who do not have the Law have violated their own conscience. Those who have the Law have not kept it. In short, God counts every person a sinner and our sin has separated us from fellowship with Him.
If we cannot rely on good deeds or the Law of Moses to save us from God’s judgment, is there no hope? Is there no solution to our sin? Yes, there is. In chapter 3, verses 21 through 31 Paul writes, “But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by
the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 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 to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.”
Paul points out in in this passage that the solution to sin lies with God. We will never be able to attain righteousness by our own efforts. Since we cannot, God must make it possible if we are ever to regain our relationship with Him.
God’s solution for sin is not the Law of Moses even though God is the One who gave it. Nevertheless, even though the Law of Moses cannot save us, it (and the writings of the Old Testament prophets) does testify to what can save us. In fact, this is one of the purposes of the Law. In another place Paul writes, “So the Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24 NIV)
Why is faith superior to the Law? Aside from the fact that the Law of Moses cannot save, the Law was given to only a few. Yet, everyone has sinned. Since sin is universal, the solution to sin must also be universal.
Earlier in the letter Paul described sin as those thoughts, intentions and actions which are contrary to God’s standards. Here he mentions another aspect of sin. He uses an archery term to describe it. We are like an archer whose arrow falls short of the target. Even if we have never done anything to violate God’s standards, we still do not attain the target of God’s perfection. Our goodness always falls short of His. We need something to fill the gap between our efforts and the perfection God demands. It is Christ’s death which fills the gap. It is His blood which atones for our sin. It is our faith in Christ and our acceptance of His death on our behalf which restores our relationship to God.
But why is the death of Christ necessary? Why can’t God merely forgive or overlook our sins without Christ’s sacrifice? The answer is that God must retain His own justice while justifying us. The penalty for sin is death. God cannot arbitrarily break that principle and retain His own justice. Sin must be paid for. Therefore, to atone for sin, someone had to die. Someone who was totally innocent had to take the place of us who are guilty. The sinless Christ had to take our sin upon Himself.
God’s justice was not always evident. The fact is that He did overlook the sins of many of the people we read about in the Old Testament. Even the sacrifices for sin specified in the Law of Moses were not sufficient to do away with sin. As Scripture says in another place, “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:3-4 NIV) In other words, God forgave sins even though the price for those sins had not been paid. But if the price had not been paid, then how could God be just? How could God overlook the sins of His people in the past while judging people for their sins today? This is another reason Christ had to die. His death not only pays for the sins we commit today, it also pays for the sins of those God forgave in the past. In this way, God can remain just Himself while justifying sinners. God looks at those who put their faith in Christ as if they had never sinned.
Christ’s sacrifice has another consequence. Since our release from sin does not result from our own efforts, but rather depends on what God has done for us through Christ, there is no room for us to boast. We cannot boast in our good deeds – they are not acceptable to God. We cannot boast that we are recipients of God’s Law – because the Law condemns us as sinners. Instead, the only boast we can make is that Christ died for us. As Paul writes in another place, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14 NIV)
Paul points out that justification by faith is not limited to any specific group or race. It is available to all. Since God is the God of everyone, both non-Jewish peoples as well as the Jews, His plan to redeem people from sin includes all people. Everyone is capable of faith in Christ.