But Now…
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
- Romans 3:21-22
But now…
20th century Welsh minister Martin Lloyd-Jones calls these the most beautiful words in scripture. That might sound like an overreach as a description of two such small words. However, I think he is onto something because these words highlight the stark difference between the depth of human depravity and the height of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For the previous two chapters in Romans, Paul has written at length about “the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (1:18). He includes everyone here, citing the 14th Psalm: “There is no one righteous, not even one;” “All have turned away” (3:10, 12). We think that we can make ourselves right with God by obeying his law, but Paul corrects us: “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law.” Instead, all the law can do is make us aware of our sin.
Just when we are ready to give up in despair, though, Paul changes direction. “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known.” We are truly hopeless if we expect to achieve a right standing with God through our following the law. We just can’t do it. We will always fail. But now, there is another way. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, but now, we are justified freely by God’s grace in Christ. We have redemption through Christ’s sacrifice of atonement on the cross.
This is a pretty heavy, densely-packed theological paragraph that Paul lays on us here. What does it all mean? The best example that I have heard is that Christ is the “Judge judged in our place.” That is, who has the right to judge us for all of our shortcomings, all of our lawbreaking, all of our sin? Only Christ. But instead of condemning us, he comes out and around from behind the bench, and stands for us in our place in the dock. We stand condemned, but Jesus our judge takes our place and sets us free. Q&A 52 of the Heidelberg Catechism puts the same concept this way: “In all distress and persecution, with uplifted head, I confidently await the very judge who has already offered himself to the judgment of God in my place and removed the whole curse from me.” What a comfort this is! With faith in Christ, because of what he has taken on for us, we have nothing to fear.
What Paul says in the early part of Romans up until chapter 3 verse 20 is terrible news, and it’s all true. But don’t stop reading! BUT NOW, the righteousness of God has been revealed. But now, we are justified freely by grace. Thanks be to God!