Romans: Part 3 - Ch. 5-6

Justification & Righteousness

As we look at the next two chapters of Romans, two words come to mind. Justification and righteousness. The doctrine of justification in the Bible is absolutely crucial because it deals with the matter of how we are saved. How could a sinner become justified? The answer to this question is what will point us to salvation, and that is exactly what Paul answers in these two chapters. This is a beautiful bridge from chapters 3 and 4 because those chapters discuss how no one is righteous and how everyone from the beginning of time can only be saved because of Christ. What better way to build off of this than to remind everyone how we are justified and ultimately viewed as righteous? As John Piper beautifully says, “The doctrine of justification by faith is the heart of the gospel. The righteousness that God requires for our justification is not a righteousness that we perform, even by sovereign grace, but it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by God.” Justification, as we can see, is no small matter. Knowing the concept of this doctrine and understanding how it works is vital to our understanding of the gospel as a whole. With that being said, let’s dive in. 

How Are We Justified?

To start, Chapter 5 begins with excellent insight into how justification works in salvation. Romans 5:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.” Paul is quite clear that the way we are justified is by faith, and this faith can be put in no one other than Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is what ultimately leads us to justification. Without this faith, there is no justification. Our sin cannot be atoned for, and therefore, we must pay the ultimate price for our sin by spending eternity in Hell to face God’s wrath. So, if we want to find a way to avoid this result, we must be justified through faith in Christ. Not only does Paul clarify what justification through faith looks like, but he also shows us how we can become righteous because of this justification. And just like being justified, becoming righteous is also impossible apart from the sacrifice of Christ as well. 

Romans 5:17-18 says, “For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind.” In this short chapter alone, we can see the doctrines of original sin, justification, and righteousness all in one. This is what makes the book of Romans and Paul’s teachings so popular. He is able to take the core of the Christian faith and break it down so that we may understand what the gospel of Jesus Christ really is. And right here, Paul hits the nail on the head when discussing righteousness because the very first thing he reminds us of is that we are all unrighteous. Without understanding that we are all born into sin, we wouldn’t all understand that we all need to be saved from this unrighteousness. However, once we understand that through one man, sin entered the world, we can eventually understand that through one man, sin can be atoned for. This is the power of the gospel and why Paul is so adamant on letting us know how the power of this gospel can be applied. 

A New Kind of Slave

Furthermore, when seeing how we are justified and made righteous, Paul is sure to let us know that there should be a change in our lives. The common theme in the beginning of chapter 6 is how we are dead to sin once we are saved in Christ. Look at how Paul words this in Romans 6:5-6 “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, inorder that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” What a beautiful way to describe our transformation. No longer are we slaves to sin, for our bondage to sin has passed away since we have been justified by Christ. So, if we are now free from sin, does this mean that we are no longer slaves at all? Not quite. We may be free from the bondage of sin, but we are still slaves of Christ. Our masters may have changed, but our title still remains. Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:17-18 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.” This is what we must undertake as followers of Christ. We are changed human beings because we have been justified by faith in Christ, and this new life that has been justified is now made righteous because of the sacrifice of Christ as well. This is why when we are saved, it is appropriate to not just call ourselves slaves of righteousness, but slaves of Christ Himself. I hope and pray that as you read and digest the book of Romans, you will see how the doctrines of justification and righteousness are truly accomplished in Christ. When we understand this, we will ultimately have a greater love and appreciation for the gospel and the effect it has had on our lives. 

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Sources

[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/

[2] ​​Piper, John. “The Doctrine of Justification by Faith.” Desiring God, 1 Mar. 2005, www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-doctrine-of-justification-by-faith.