Justification is By Faith Alone – Romans 3:27-31
Bethel Baptist Church – David Rising
Romans 3:27-31; July 19, 2026 AM
Justification is By Faith Alone
Last week we examined one of the most precious verses in the bible, Romans 3:25, where we see how God took care of our sin through Jesus. Romans 3:24 taught us that sinners are freely justified by God’s grace because God has redeemed us through the sacrifice of Christ.
God the Father put us in a right relationship with Him because He set forth His Son, Jesus, as a propitiation.
Remember that word? It means at least three things:
(1) the wiping away of our sin – expiation.
(2) the satisfaction of God’s wrath against sin. God’s holy justice was met through the death of Christ, His shed blood for us.
(3) The mercy seat – that place, depicted in the OT Day of Atonement, where blood was sprinkled, the place where God met with His people, that picture of God the Son giving to His people access. God’s people can gain access to God’s presence because of the shed blood of Christ.
All of these things are bound up in the term propitiation, which Rich Price taught us a few weeks ago as well.
God forgave us our sin through Christ, and as He did He demonstrated Himself to be just as He justified us – declared us righteous. Justification is by faith alone.
In our text for today, we will see the Apostle Paul raise several questions to support the teaching of justification by faith. Pray.
Since our righteous standing before God comes by faith and not works, Paul now addresses the question about boasting. Notice verse 27:
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
27Ποῦ οὖν ἡ καύχησις; ἐξεκλείσθη. διὰ ποίου νόμου; τῶν ἔργων; οὐχί, ἀλλὰ διὰ νόμου πίστεως.
Justification by faith means …
1. No Boasting! (3:27-28)
Paul’s method for making many of his points in Romans is to raise a question, and so we see two in verse 27 that go together.
If God justifies the individual by faith rather than by works, then we have no basis for boasting because we didn’t do anything.
God puts us in a right standing before Him on the basis of what Jesus did, not what we did. Because this is true, we have no reason to boast.
Boasting (ἡ καύχησις) is what we do when we want to make a big deal out of something or someone, usually ourselves and what we have accomplished. It is the flesh’s default mode.
If we could earn our righteous standing before God, surely we would boast about it.
But Paul immediately takes that away and says in God’s economy there is no boasting.
Paul uses this as a verb in Galatians 6:14 and makes a strong point:
Galatians 6:14 (NKJV) 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
If there is to be any boasting, let it be in the Lord and what He has done through Jesus.
Justification is based upon the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Another verse that comes to your mind when we think of boasting being excluded is Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
There is no room for human boasting. Why? Because we did not save ourselves.
Here in Romans 3:27 Paul asks related question:
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Why is boasting excluded? Paul says it is because of the law of faith.
If justification was the result of works, we could boast. But because of the “law of faith,” boasting is excluded.
We admit that it sounds a little strange to refer to faith as ‘the law of faith’ but he is probably just speaking about how faith works – i.e., the rule of faith. NET ‘the principle of faith.’
Schreiner notes:
“If boasting is excluded because righteousness is by faith instead of works, then it seems that the boasting criticized is boasting in works accomplished. At least some sectors of Judaism in Paul’s day were synergistic, believing that their works, although performed under the banner of God’s grace, played a role in obtaining salvation (Laato 1991: 229–40; cf. Fitzmyer 1993c: 359). [1]
[1] Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Vol. 6: Romans. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (204). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
I think human nature tells us also that if there was something that we could do to obtain our standing before God, then we would certainly try to do that and then our instinct would be to boast about that in some way.
Think about it: if you or I do something that is quite important, we usually find a way to tell someone about it. Or, if others discover it, we are certainly pleased to take some credit for it, even if we do it very humbly. We may not be intentionally trying to boast, but we still would have a hard time being quiet about our accomplishments.
And that would be especially true if the accomplishment was earning God’s righteousness.
Notice now in verse 28 how Paul draws a conclusion based on his argument so far:
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
28λογιζόμεθα γὰρ δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου.
Justification is by faith alone. Paul is very clear here.
Our salvation through Christ is granted to us by God’s grace. God did not complete our salvation mostly and then ask us to do the final part.
Schreiner adds this important perspective:
“People can confess God’s grace, deeply believe in it, and yet believe that human works play a vital role in obtaining salvation. Paul vigorously opposed such a synergism, contending that entrance into the covenant was by faith alone. Thielman (1994a: 181–82) also detects a polemic against boasting in works here but cautions that this does not constitute an indictment against all Jews or Judaism generally … “[M]ost” Jews … would have acknowledged that the righteousness could not be attained through the law … not all Jews were legalists. Nonetheless, it is probably the case that Paul detected a reliance on one’s own works in those Jews who had heard and rejected the gospel, for they trusted in their own adherence to the law rather than in Christ for salvation. The large-scale rejection of the Pauline gospel by Jews suggests that the problem of self-righteousness was … widespread … This is not to say that Judaism per se was a legalistic religion, nor that Judaism was such in centuries past … The rejection of the gospel by many Jews, however, uncovered a heart attitude that exalted self rather than God. Such a response cannot be limited to Jews but is the natural response of human beings, who are inherently inclined to what C. S. Lewis (1943: 108–14) calls “the great sin,” pride.[2]
Because we are justified by faith and not by works, Paul tells us in verse 28 that there is …
1. No Boasting.
Notice verses 29-30 where we see a second important point:
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.
29ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ θεὸς μόνον; οὐχὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν; ναὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν, 30εἴπερ εἷς ὁ θεὸς ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως.
Paul raises 2 more questions and then answers them to say that …
2. Jews and Gentiles are justified in same manner (3:29-30)
God is the God of Jews and Gentiles. Justification is by faith in Christ whether one is a Gentile or a Jew.
Paul makes the same point in
Galatians 2:15–16 (NKJV) 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Justification is by faith. Works are important for our Christian life, but they are not the basis of our salvation.
God is the God of the Jews, and He is the God of the Gentiles.
Paul’s mention of circumcision takes us back to 3:25-29 where he discussed this and emphasized the internal work of the Spirit rather than just some external ritual of circumcision.
Gaining a right standing before God is not by adherence to the Law. Gaining a right standing before God – being justified – is by faith.
Remember again the last part of 3:22 through the first part of verse 24:
For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace …
In the book of Acts, when Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ, there arose a debate that generated a conference as noted in Acts 15. We also see Paul address the theme in Galatians 2. The gist of the issue was this: was it necessary for a Gentile to keep the Mosaic Law, including circumcision, in order to become a child of God?
Did Gentiles have to become Jewish in order to be God’s people?
The answer in Acts and in Galatians and here in Romans is a resounding “no.” Paul was quite animated in making this point when he confronted Peter in Galatians 2 over his behavior that changed when he was in a different crowd. His answer to that situation was the few verses I just quoted from Galatians 2.
For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Our evangelistic message for Jews and Gentiles is the same: faith in Jesus.
Paul is making a distinction here between faith in Christ and works. Yes, they are related, but they are distinct.
Many bible students point out Paul’s implicit reference to “one God” in verse 30 to the Shema (“hear O Israel…”) of Deuteronomy 6. Certainly this would have been picked up by the Jewish readers.
Because there is one God, He will justify both Jews and Gentiles alike.
Just a quick note to the language at the end of verse 30. We see that Jews will be justified “by faith” (ἐκ πίστεως) and Gentiles “through faith” (διὰ τῆς πίστεως). This is generally acknowledged to be a shift in style rather than introducing some mysterious nuance for some clever pastor to discover some deep meaning.
By faith, through faith – they are basically saying the same thing. “by faith” is literally “out of faith” or “from faith” and “through faith” is literally “through the faith.”
Paul is merely finding several ways to emphasize the fact that justification is a matter of faith and not a matter of works. That is the greater point he is making.
1. No boasting
2. Jews and Gentiles are justified in same manner (3:29-30)
Notice a third point Paul now makes in our final verse for today, verse 31:
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
31νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ νόμον ἱστάνομεν.
3. Faith establishes the law (3:31)
This is the more complicated point. Paul established the importance of faith, and now anticipates a question about the Law. Since faith is so important, then what about the Law? Does it just go away?
Paul puts them together here in verse 31.
Keep in mind the shift that is taking place in this first century. Until the coming of Christ and the establishment of the church through the blood of Christ, the Mosaic Covenant, the Mosaic Law, still was the way God was at work.
But now that Christ has come, how should one think of God’s Law?
We already know from our study in Romans 3 that the Law was very important. Paul says in Romans 3:20 that by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law helps us come to a knowledge of our sin.
God’s Law also was a testimony to God’s righteousness (verse 21), and so Paul anticipates someone who does not like the idea of the law appearing to be set aside.
NKJV: “Do we than make void the law through faith?” Does faith “overthrow” (ESV) or “nullify” (NET/NASB) the Law?
Paul is quick to answer and offers the same answer he has given to many of his earlier questions. Paul says: “Certainly not!” KJV “God forbid” ESV “By no means.”
Faith does not nullify the law.
Rather, he says, we establish the law.
This can seem confusing. Paul just argued that justification is by faith and not by the deeds of the Law, and so how does faith establish the Law rather than nullify it?
To establish (ἵστημι) the law means to acknowledge the validity of the law, to put it in place. It sounds like on the one hand that faith has disestablished the law, but Paul says that faith establishes the law.
There is debate about verse 31 whether Paul is referring to the Mosaic Law or individual laws, as in moral laws.
Some (Schreiner) think it is individual law/moral laws.
Daniel Davey thinks it is the Mosaic Law.
They join the chorus of students who have debated this for centuries.
It seems clear in the context of the NT, that the Mosaic Law as a body of governance is no longer the Law as a whole that governs God’s people, whether it be Jew or Gentile. We do not preach the Mosaic Law as our guide for life in the church. We do not offer animals. We do not forbid mixed fabrics. We do not demand circumcision. We do not have priests and don’t celebrate the seven Jewish feasts. And so forth.
The Law as the Mosaic Law is not binding as a set of statutes for the church.
Jesus spoke about His blood being the blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many (Mark 14:24). That is an anticipation of a change that took place at and after Jesus’ death.
However, the idea of law as God’s moral guide for His people has not been set aside. We are not antinomian and God has plenty of commands for the church we must follow.
Paul argued in chapter 3 that the law shows us our sin and renders us guilty. The Law reminds us that we need to have our sin resolved. The gospel of Jesus Christ announces to us that solution, and we receive the gift of God, eternal life, by faith.
In short, the Law points us to Jesus and the gospel calls for a response of faith.
And so we can see how faith establishes the law. The law makes it necessary that we gain the righteousness of Christ in a way other than by trying to keep it perfectly which we could not do.
We can also point to the fact that Jesus fulfilled the Law as He did precisely what the Law required.
Paul will say more about faith and law as he continues his letter, but this is as far as we’ll go today.
Next time we’ll get into chapter 4 where Paul will bring up Abraham and talk about how faith and works factored into the events of his life.
Faith in Christ orients us to live for the Lord, to desire to do His will and follow what He commands.
Application
1. No boasting. There is nothing in our salvation that should cause us to have any personal boasting. We did not impress God with our actions and so he decided to save us. We did not really decide to follow Jesus without God first moving our hearts to be inclined to Him. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and so all praise and glory go to Him.
2. God is not just our God. We can display an attitude of elitism whenever we look down upon others who reject God. Unbelievers are both rebellious before God, yes, but they are also blinded and cannot see. This should give us a heart of compassion and a continual attitude of prayer for their salvation.
3. Understand the relationship between faith and law. The gospel is the truth about Jesus that we proclaim and faith is the response to that message. We do not earn our salvation by keeping the law.
As believers we need know how to live, and God’s law (commands) revealed in the scriptures for the church guide us in our daily lives.
This topic can get very confusing, but I’ll try to keep it as simple as I can so that we can make good sense out of it.