Romans 3:21, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it.”
The Law leaves us on the the “outside,” as it were, of God’s righteousness….It sets up a temporary veil of ordinances that preserves God’s people from destruction, but simultaneously bears witness to their sin.
But now, Paul says, the righteousness of God has torn that veil of separation and has been manifest to His people apart from the Law.
The righteousness of God which is His character, the righteousness of God which is His saving activity, and the righteousness of God which is His gift of right-standing granted to those who trust in Christ—THIS three-fold righteousness has now appeared to the world and it has appeared apart from the Law…..Where, then, has it appeared?
It has appeared in Jesus Christ, it has appeared in the faithful incarnation, obedience-unto-death, and resurrection of the Beloved Son. If we would know the righteousness of God—if we would see the excellence of God face to face, if we would see the pinnacle of His saving work, and if we would enter in to His own purity—we do not look finally to the Law and Prophets, but we look in faith to Him who is their fulfillment, the slain and risen Jesus Christ.
And what, specifically, does this appearance of righteousness apart from the Law look like? What is the radiant face of the righteousness of God? It is God, in Christ, bearing the wrath of God so that the enemies of God might be damned in the death of God and raised up in the resurrection of God as beloved and justified children of God (Rom.3:24-26)….this is God’s righteousness on full, unhindered, unobscured display. And entrance into this righteousness is no longer barred by the veil of Law, it is open to any and all who will see the slain and risen Jesus by faith and embrace Him as Lord and God.
