Having explained Rom. 3:28, we are prepared to understand a parallel text that, without the explanation already given, might be considered a difficult one. The text referred to is Rom. 3:21: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” The righteousness of God, as we have already learned, is a term applied to the Ten Commandments, or rather to that righteousness which the Ten Commandments enjoin. But the question arises, “If the righteousness of God is the perfect righteousness which the law demands, how can it be manifested “without the law?” Let Paul explain for himself, as he does in the following verses: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Rom. 3:22-25).
By this we see that the righteousness of God, which is manifested without the law, is simply the remission of sins that are past, for which no works of obedience on our part could make any satisfaction. Paul, speaking of Abraham, describes it as follows: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:20-25).
“Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” The same thing, says Paul, will be done to us also, if we also believe. The case, then, stands thus: The law demands perfect and unvarying obedience, but it speaks to all the world and finds none righteous; all have violated it, and all are condemned by it. (Rom. 3:9, 19.) Present or future obedience will not take away past transgression; therefore the law cannot help us. But Christ is perfect righteousness, for in him dwells “all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Now God says that he will impute the righteousness of Christ to every one who will fully believe on him. Impute means, “to set to the account of.” Therefore we are to understand that whenever we accept Christ, his righteousness is set to our account. Thus “the righteousness of God” is manifested in our past lives, even though we ourselves have never done a single act of righteousness. So we have the wonder of perfect obedience to the law, without a single righteous act on our part. The righteousness of God without the law—Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.[i]
But what is the law doing all this time? Has it relaxed its claims? Not at all. Paul says, “The righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law.” The law stands by, and witnesses to the righteousness that is thus manifested in our past life. Whereas it before condemned us, now it justifies us, for in the righteousness that is imputed to us it can detect no flaw. It makes no difference to the law that the righteousness to which it witnesses is not the result of our own works; the righteousness is accounted as ours, and that satisfies the law.
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