Justified by Faith Alone

Sermon Text

Romans 3:21-4:25

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 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 previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

David Celebrates the Same Truth

5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Abraham Justified Before Circumcision

9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Main Theme

Paul's central message in Romans is that all people are sinners who cannot save themselves, and the only way anyone—Jew or Gentile—is justified before God is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Sermon Summary

• Romans 1:16–17 serves as the thesis of the entire letter: the gospel is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes.

• The gospel is truly "good news" because God has graciously provided a way for guilty sinners to be reconciled to Himself.

• Romans 1 demonstrates that Gentiles stand guilty before God because they suppress the truth, reject God's revelation, exchange His glory for idols, and are given over to sinful desires.

• Romans 2 shows that Jews are equally guilty because possessing God's law does not make someone righteous. God judges impartially according to truth.

• Romans 3 concludes that every person is under sin. No one is righteous, no one seeks God, and every mouth is stopped before His judgment.

• The law exposes sin but cannot justify sinners.

• Romans 3:21 introduces the glorious turning point: God's righteousness has now been revealed apart from the law in Jesus Christ.

• Jesus is the perfect righteousness God provides to all who believe.

• Christ's death was a propitiation, satisfying God's justice while demonstrating His mercy toward sinners.

• Justification is a free gift of grace, purchased by Christ's blood and received only through faith.

• Because salvation is entirely God's work, all human boasting is excluded.

• Romans 4 proves this doctrine by Abraham's life. Abraham was declared righteous by faith before circumcision and centuries before the Mosaic Law.

• Salvation has always been by grace through faith—not by works.

• Believers are called to abandon every attempt at self-righteousness and rest completely in Christ's finished work.

• The sermon concludes with a call to trust Christ alone and to rejoice in the peace and assurance found in His completed redemption.

• Why does Paul spend so much time demonstrating humanity's guilt before presenting the gospel?

• Why can no one be justified by works?

• What does it mean that Jesus is our righteousness?

• How does understanding propitiation deepen our appreciation of Christ's sacrifice?

• Why does justification eliminate boasting?

• What encouragement does Abraham's example give believers today?

• How should the doctrine of justification shape our assurance of salvation?

• What dangers arise when Christians rely on their own performance instead of Christ?

• How should gratitude for free grace affect daily obedience?

• In what ways does understanding justification produce humility, peace, and worship?

• Justification – God's legal declaration that sinners are righteous through Christ.

• Grace – God's undeserved favor toward sinners.

• Faith – Trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

• Redemption – Christ purchasing sinners from the bondage of sin by His blood.

• Propitiation – Christ satisfying God's righteous wrath against sin.

• Imputation – God crediting Christ's righteousness to believers.

• Righteousness – Perfect conformity to God's holy standard.

• Law – God's moral standard that reveals sin but cannot save.

• Gospel – The good news that God saves sinners through Jesus Christ.

• Sanctification – The lifelong work of God making believers increasingly holy after justification.