Israel had two boasts, one boast was in God being their God.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray and said, Our Father, who art in heaven, the “our” there was Israel, he was the God of Israel, not the God of the Egyptians.

They knew the true God who spoke to their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That was their other boast, that God revealed and gave oracles to them. Information and knowledge in the law.

Romans 2:23 says,

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 

In Romans 3:2 Paul asks what profit is there in being a Jew.

Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 

Paul’s pointing out how they did boast in the law and the advantage they had of being Jews to whom were committed the oracles of God, even though they broke the law.

Gentiles didn’t have that to claim. God didn’t make their nations. But God did birth the nation of Israel who were God’s firstborn son when he birthed them out of Egypt, when he miraculously conceived their fathers through Abraham’s son and then, Isaac’s son, and then Jacob and his twelve sons. And so God made this nation and delivered them from Egypt through Moses. And so the foundation of their boasting is in these glories.

So when Paul asks, where is boasting He’s talking about Israel.

But it can also be widened out to mankind in general. Boasting in our flesh who we are, what we do, things that we think we deserve or things that we earn.

Now, when we come to know the gospel of the grace of God, we know that thinking we’re saved by what we deserve or what we’ve earned is not it?

The gospel is by grace, which means we haven’t earned it and we don’t deserve it.

Paul’s revealing this for the first time in Romans and he says, boasting is excluded by what law? Not of works, not the law that was given Israel or by who we think we are and what we deserve.

It’s by the law of faith.

It’s not by a law requiring faith as if the Gospel itself was a law, a sort of new, milder one. The word “law” here signifies any “doctrine” or “instruction”, and here particularly, the doctrine of a sinner’s justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ. According to this law of faith the most unlikely persons are justified, even the ungodly and the worst and vilest of sinners; and without any consideration of their works, by faith only, which is freely given to them by faith in Christ’s righteousness alone.

This is the law that makes a person righteous when they believe on the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Christ Jesus.

It’s upon all that believe in him. They’re the ones that get justified. It’s by faith. So there’s no boasting in our flesh because, as we’ve seen, all are sinners.

So in Ephesians 2:8-9 we have the passage that is so basic and elementary to us, who know God’s grace,

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Ephesians 2:10 goes on to say,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

This is after we’re saved by grace through faith. We’re his workmanship.

We didn’t make ourself to be who we are in Christ.

We believe and he makes us something. We are a Christian, not by our own behavior, our own deserving of it, but because God made us that when we trust his finished work.

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Not because of good works.

And so this is Romans three. Boasting is removed by grace and faith as Paul reveals it here but it’ll come up again and again through Romans.

So the conclusion is in Romans 3:29,

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

Then Romans 3:29-30 says,

Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision (the Jew) by faith, and uncircumcision (the Gentile) through faith. 

We might ask why Paul’s talking about this?

Well, Paul’s just got through saying how boasting is excluded by the law of faith, and a man is not justified by the deeds of the law, and then he straight away asks the question, is he the God of the Jews only?

See, the proud, boastful Jew would say, he’s our God. And Paul’s saying, is he your God only? He is your God.

The Jews would have known that these pagan sinners, the Gentiles weren’t justified, but they regarded themselves as being protected in their flesh because God was their God.

Paul’s already cleared that up by saying no flesh will be justified and that’s a bash against Israel. And he says that all, all meaning Jew and Gentile, have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

But if you’re a Jew reading that, you’re going, well, wait a minute, you mean all them don’t you? Those heathen Gentiles.

Even Christians today tend to think that way. But all means all have sinned.

And so this is how a Jew would read it and Paul’s saying, no, no, no! It’s everybody. Even you religious people because he’s not just your God. He’s the God of everybody.

He’s the same God that judges the Gentiles, judges the nations, judges sinners, and judges you religious people to be sinners as well.

Romans 3:22

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:

Romans is so fundamental to our understanding as a Christian.

In every other of Paul’s epistles, he’s bringing something out of Romans.

For example in 1Corinthians 1:22-27 we read,

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

Paul’s talking about Jews and Gentiles and how the gospel is a stumbling block to the Jews and to the Greeks foolishness.

What does that mean?

It’s not about our flesh, is it? That’s the point. God’s chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. By the way, notice it says not many wise after the flesh, which means it’s not that they’re excluded. It’s just not many. And there’s reasons for that. It’s because there’s got to be an understanding of our own sin.

That’s what the Jews stumbled over and what the Greeks saw as foolishness. Salvation is by faith. That’s foolishness. People stumble over it because it’s got to be faith and works.

So Paul’s saying no flesh should glory in his presence.

By the way, verse 29 is quoting the Old Testament. Jeremiah 9:23–24 says this,

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me…

This passage aligns with Corinthians 1:29, showing that true boasting is not in human strength or wisdom, but in knowing the Lord.

What’s Paul doing? Using the prophets to witness the truth of the gospel of the grace of God.

So God is the creator of all things so He’s the God of the Gentiles too, even if they don’t know Him and reject Him He’s still their God.

Later in Romans Paul will bring this point up again from Old Testament prophecy about how the Gentiles were promised there’d be a time where they would glorify God.

Remember, the Gentiles will be blessed through Israel’s rise according to prophecy.

Romans fifteen talks at length about the Gentiles glorifying God and again uses Old Testament prophets as a witness.

Paul’s common point here, according to these prophecies is Gentiles, Gentiles and Gentiles. He’s quoting Israel’s books because they didn’t think the Gentiles should have what they had. And Paul’s saying, have you read your own books? They’re going to get what you have. They’ve been promised it. You just get it first. That was Israel’s program.

But in this dispensation, Israel’s fallen.

So it goes to all mankind without Israel.

Paul’s point is that God does not exclude the Gentiles. He’s the God of them, too.

Paul say’s in Ephesians 2:13,

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Jesus Christ is preached as God manifest in the flesh to all, and He’s the God of all.

So Romans three verse twenty nine, then is the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. There’s no So we see that Romans 3:29 and Romans 3:30 are one sentence the first part of the sentence in verse 29 being that God is God of the Gentiles as well as the Jew and then the sentence continues in verse thirty with,

Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

This is doubling down on the fact that justification doesn’t come from being Israel or the law. No flesh is justified by the law. Justification comes by faith. That’s been concluded.

It’s one God Who justifies the circumcision (the Jew) and uncircumcision (the Gentile).

Circumcision by faith, uncircumcision through faith.

Look at Galatians 3:23-24.

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

It is this issue that that Paul had taught in Romans here, but it’s coming back up because the Galatians were being persuaded to be circumcised and to keep the law of Israel. Why?

Well, God made Israel special, and he gave them things to do that were righteous. So they were being persuaded by this. And Paul’s point in Galatians is, no, that’s not what makes you special, and it’s not what you do that gets you what God’s given you.

That’s his whole argument to the Galatians.

God set up a system of covenants and promises to the Jews and if they were to receive all this by faith, they’d go through these covenants, which included the law, and arrive at the promise fulfilled which would be Christ and His kingdom where He reigns on earth with Israel.

So they haven’t received yet, but they’ve been promised it. There’s things they’ve got to do first before they receive what was covenanted to them. Blessings and glory forever. Gentiles didn’t have that.

In fact, Paul even explains in Ephesians 2:12 they’re without hope, so how’re they supposed to get any blessing? They weren’t given covenants and promises.

The Circumcision, the Jews, had covenants, and laws and promise so they could be justified before the cross, before Paul’s revelation of the gospel of grace. How?

Abraham justified by faith? When he was given a promise by God, he was justified by faith through keeping what God told him to do.

When God told Abraham to circumcise himself and his sons, it was by faith that he went and circumcised.

When he gave Moses the law, Moses was justified by faith through keeping the law.

Hebrews 11, the faith hall of fame, talks about the importance of faith.

Without faith, it’s impossible to please God and it was by faith that these people in time past, Israel, did what God told them to do.

It wasn’t the doing. It was the faith that justifies.

We’ve seen in Romans 2 that Israel, who was given the law, failed to do it.

So how can they get what God promised them if they failed to do what God said? Because it’s by faith.

That’s what Paul’s point is.

In Galatians 3:2 Paul says.

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Now these are Gentiles. Paul asks did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or did you get the Holy Spirit by faith when you heard without the works.

The Galatians believed the gospel and received the spirit upon believing as Ephesians 1:13 confirms,

In whom (Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

The Holy Spirit was given to them freely and He sealed them by his grace when they had faith in the cross of Christ.

So when you trust the cross, you get the spirit and it’s not anything they did.

It’s by faith and through faith. No works. It’s not that they’re so special. It’s that Christ did it all. So it’s by faith and through faith.

In Galatians 3:8 we see this,

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

Abraham was given a promise, and there’s nothing for him to do. Abraham believed, and God counted his faith for righteousness.

So, the Scripture, foreseeing what Paul says, explained how the Gentiles would get blessed by faith through faith.

This’s why Paul says in Romans 3:29, it’s one God. He justifies all by faith, the Jews by faith, and in the uncircumcision through faith. It’s by faith and through faith there’s nothing else.

Jews had faith, and they had their covenants and their promises and their laws that they had to go through.

People argue about by faith in and through faith, and they are different words, but the point’s the same. It’s all faith.

Israel had to be justified even though they broke their covenants, this channel through which they’d be blessed. So on what basis could God righteously give them the blessing? Answer by faith.

The Gentiles had nothing to do. They were already given up by God. But how did they get righteousness? By faith and through faith. It’s all faith. There’s nothing else.

The man of faith would always do what God said to do in Israel’s past, when they broke the law, the man of faith would express his faith by confessing his sin and offering a sacrifice, praying for mercy as the law required the sinner to do under the covenant.

A Jew without faith wouldn’t confess his sins and wouldn’t offer the sacrifice and wouldn’t even pray and ask God for mercy. They didn’t care.

And, they didn’t receive anything because they didn’t have faith.

So Paul’s point is that faith is always required. It’s the thing that God looks at whether he gave you covenants or not. He looks at faith.

But now, as Ephesians 2:12-13 states,

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

So how, as Gentiles, do we get anything from God?

Faith! Through faith.

We can now understand how God can justify anyone in the Bible. Faith is necessary and God’s grace is necessary. The cross was necessary.

Remember Romans 3:25, that Christ died for the sins that were past. We now know God’s manifold wisdom of how salvation’s possible for anybody.

What’s being removed from Paul’s preaching? You don’t have to be Israel. You don’t have to be in the law. There’s no more boasting anymore. No more special ministers. He’s sending salvation to everybody, freely.

So now, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything. It doesn’t matter if ‘re circumcised or not or if you’re religious or not. We’re all sinners who need Christ to save us.

Paul ends his letter to the Galatians with this, Galatians 6:14-15,

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 

This means there’s no glory in our flesh, in what we do for Christ Jesus.

He justifies by faith. Faith is the requirement.

Paul says a new creature. What’s that? That’s what we are when we trust the gospel of grace of God, and have faith in what Christ did.

He makes us a new creature.

Why wasn’t that true before?

We have to understand how different that is from what God was doing before.

So let’s refresh where we are in Romans and read this vital passage of Romans 3:29-31 again,

Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

We see Paul clarifying this further in Ephesians 2:15,

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

Part of Christ’s work was the abolishing of the enmity that smoldered between Jew and Gentile and also between man and God.

Paul identifies the law as the innocent cause of this enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances.

The Law of Moses was a single code but it was made up of separate, formal commandments and these in turn consisted of dogmas or decrees covering most areas of life.

The law itself was holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), but man’s sinful nature used the law for hatred because it set up Israel as God’s chosen earthly people.

Many Jews became arrogant and treated the Gentiles with contempt and the Gentiles struck back with deep hostility, which we’ve come to know as anti-Semitism.

But how did Christ remove the law as the cause of enmity?

First, He died to pay the penalty of the law that had been broken and in doing so, satisfied the righteous claims of God.

Now the law has nothing more to say to those who are “in Christ” because the penalty’s been paid in full.

Believers are not under law but under grace.

As a result of abolishing the hostility stirred up by the law, the Lord has been able to usher in a new creation. He’s made in Himself from the two, that is, from believing Jew and believing Gentile, one new man, the church, united with one another in this new fellowship in His Body. The church, the Body of Christ is new in the sense that it’s a kind of organism that never existed before and it’s important to see this.

The church, the Body of Christ is not a continuation of the Israel of the OT. It’s something entirely distinct from anything that’s ever existed before. This is what’s new:

1. That a Gentile should have equal rights and privileges with a Jew.
2. That both Jews and Gentiles lose their national identities by becoming Christians.
3. That Jews and Gentiles should be fellow members of the Body of Christ.
4. That a Jew should have the hope of reigning with Christ instead of being a subject in His kingdom as will happen after the dispensation of grace has ended and the Kingdom comes.
5. That a Jew should no longer be under the law.

The church is clearly a new creation, with a distinct calling and a distinct destiny, occupying a unique place in the purposes of God. But Christ’s work doesn’t end there.

He has also made peace between Jew and Gentile. He did this by removing the cause of hostility, by imparting a new nature, and by creating a new union. The cross is God’s answer to racial discrimination, segregation, anti-Semitism, bigotry, and every form of strife between men.

So believers in this dispensation of grace are not under the law but that doesn’t mean the law is no longer real and relevant. It’s every bit as real today as it was when it was given to Moses.

When Jesus came He said in Matthew 5:17-18,

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

The difference is that Jesus did exactly what He said was required, He fulfilled the law, every Jot and tittle of it.

We’ve already seen in Romans 3 that no flesh will be justified by the deeds of the law. We saw by the law was the knowledge of sin.

Paul’s saying that God now justifies freely by his grace, and that it’s His righteousness, not ours that justifies the unbeliever, the sinner.

He can do this while fully completing the demands of His own justice because the penalty of disobedience to the law has been fully paid for on the cross.

Men under the law had faith. Moses had faith. Abraham had faith. David had faith, and he broke the law. It wasn’t his faith that broke the law. It was his sins. So you see by asking, well, is it faith or law? Christians argue this all the time. Is it just by faith that we’re saved or is it by works or is it by works and faith?

But we’re framing the question wrongly and using the wrong comparison.

Faith’s always been something that was necessary, even under the law. Works never saved anyone, not Moses or even one person of the Old Testament. Faith is how people are saved by grace. But faith is what you hear from God and how you respond to that. And so if what you’re hearing is that you must do the works of the law, then faith says I’ll give it a go. If Abraham heard, “You must sacrifice your only son”, faith says where’s the blade? If Israel heard you must sacrifice an innocent animal for the forgiveness of sins, faith says ok let’s do it.

It’s always of faith.

Israel’s faith back then, in the past was in the law that they were to keep.

Our faith, the Body of Chris’s faith, is in Christ’s finished work.

Through faith we believe what God said, that he’s offered Christ.

He set forth Christ as a propitiation for our sins and we’re justified freely by the redemption in Christ Jesus. We trust His work.

How are people saved in the Old Testament? That’s a common and a valid question because Christ hadn’t come yet.

And it can’t be by the law because everybody broke it.

So the Christian question of whether it’s by faith or works is wrong. Dichotomy. Dichotomy should be. Does God operate today through We should ask what is it that God is doing today that we need to have faith in?

God knew he was giving His law to sinners. He knew the standard of the law was higher than these sinners could ever reach.

So why give it? To show them they’re sinners.

We may say that’s kind of a mean thing to do. No, because He wants them to trust Him for salvation, not trust their own inadequate works.

That’s the whole point of removing the boast of our flesh and our own works, and focusing on our glory in the Lord.

How do we do that? By removing our own glory. By not thinking we’re special and our works can actually get us eternal life. It’s all our way.

God answers that by saying well, okay, here’s a law. Just keep it and I’ll bless you.

We fail over and over again and so there goes our glory. The law’s functioning just fine, as it was intended to but the people are failing. And that’s what God’s trying to get through to mankind.

That we need Him and His perfection and glory. He doesn’t need us.

People tend to think that somehow religion is God needing us but we need to see how we need God.

So in Romans 3:31 Paul has this combined question and answer,

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. 

He says faith doesn’t destroy the law or make it void.

Faith doesn’t say the law was bad. No, the law is good. And it worked. It did what it was supposed to do, at least for those who understand it and by understanding faith we can actually communicate the law’s purpose clearly.

Faith is establishing or authenticating the law.

The law can’t be established by trying to teach people that they must do it to earn God’s blessing, because that can never happen.

What could the law not do? Actually atone for our sins! Only Christ could do that.

In Galatians 2:19 Paul says,

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 

What’s that mean? See the Galatians were talking about the law and whether they should keep it or not. And Paul says, let’s talk about keeping the law. I can’t and neither can you which means through the law, we’re dead. So you keeping the law is your death. What can you do for that? Nothing but Christ can. He died as a sacrifice that permanently satisfies the just penalty for failing to keep the law’s demands.

And so if we trust Him, then death now becomes the means through which we can live. I’m dead to the law that I might live unto God because I’m crucified with Christ.

The law declares me dead. And I say, declare me dead in Christ Jesus. That’s what Paul says in Galatians 2:20,

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I live by the faith of the Son of God. He’s in me.

That’s the only way I can live. Who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:21,

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

So the law teaches righteousness. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. If righteousness came by the law, then we don’t need Christ. But it doesn’t, so we need Christ and the law brings us to Christ.

Romans 3:31 is the last verse in Romans chapter three where Paul says, we establish the law. We need to get comfortable with that. We need to know why that is. If we don’t, we’re going to have confusion and error.

If we read, establish the law, and we think, I’ve got to do something, we’ve missed the boat.

So we’ll go to Romans four next episode as we talk about Abraham and David and Paul brings up the scriptures, Israel’s scriptures.

This passage covers a shift in dispensations from the law to grace, and from Israel to all, both Jew and Gentile. Paul doesn’t invent a new gospel; he reveals a mystery that was purposed by God long ago before the foundation of the world but that He kept a a mystery right through all those ages up until Paul to whom this mystery was made manifest and made known to all through Paul.

Ephesians 3:1-7

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, (that’s in Christ’s body, the Body of Christ) and partakers of his (God’s) promise in Christ by the gospel: 

Whereof I (Paul) was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 

This mystery that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs with Christ and in body as members of His body, was not known by the prophets of old and was not revealed until Paul.

This change in dispensations was definitely not because God changed His nature.

Hebrews 13:8,

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Malachi 3:6,

For I am the LORD, I change not;

God’s nature never changes and His overriding purpose never changes, but very clearly the way He deals with mankind and the progressive revelation He gives to man does change!

Let’s quickly look at this because it’s a vital key to understanding scripture.

Hebrews 1:1–2

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…

This shows a shift from revelation dispensed through the prophets to revelation dispensed by Christ Himself.

Ephesians 3:2–3

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward… by revelation he (God) made known unto me the mystery…

Paul introduces the “dispensation of grace,” a new administration seperate from the law.

Colossians 1:25–26

…according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations…

Paul was entrusted with a previously hidden truth now revealed.

Galatians 3:23–25

But before faith came, we were kept under the law… the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ…

The law is pictured as a guardian or a tutor that taught lessons concerning the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and the need for atonement.

Romans 5:13–14

Sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses…

This separates the time before the law from the Mosaic era.

Acts 13:38–39

…through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Paul contrasts justification by faith with the limitations of the Mosaic law.

1 Corinthians 9:17

…a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

Paul acknowledges a specific stewardship of the gospel message that was given to him.

Ephesians 1:10

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ…

This points to a future completion of God’s ultimate plan.

These verses collectively show that while God Himself never changes (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8), His methods of dealing with mankind—through law, promise, grace, and future glory have varied according to His purpose and timing.

Now this dispensation of Grace that we live in today came about because Israel fell, and God began creating a new creature—the Body of Christ.

God kept this mystery a mystery because God’s intention was to give Israel every possible opportunity to inherit the long promised and prophesied Kingdom of God that He promised them way back to the time of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

With the coming of Christ, the Messiah, this promise was finally at the feet of the nation of Israel. All they had to do was walk in by faith, by believing that the Messiah had come and that He was Jesus who walked among them.

Remember that Jesus came to Israel for this purpose announcing, with John the Baptist, that the Kingdom of heaven was at hand. See Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 10:7, Mark 1:15, Luke 21:31.

In Matthew 15:24 Jesus states,

But he (Jesus) answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

But the nation of Israel rejected the Messiah and murdered Him. They rejected Him in spite of the unmistakable signs and wonders that proved who He was.

They rejected God and His power at Christ’s resurrection and they rejected the Holy Spirit when He was sent at Pentecost according to Jeremaiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:10 and Joel 2:28.

The final, last straw came when they stoned Stephen after Stephen had clearly shown them the fulfilment of their history up till that date.

This caused God to place His program for Israel and the earthly kingdom on hold and Israel was blinded temporarily.

Romans 11:25

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

Now, in this current interlude to God’s timeline that we know as the dispensation of grace, there’s no difference between Jew and Greek.

Colossians 3:11,

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

Even though God, in His perfect foreknowledge knew this would be the outcome He still performed absolutely according to His promises to Israel who were given every possible opportunity to walk into their promised kingdom and their incredible prophesied position. Even though currently and temporarily set aside, that promise will never change. It will be realised in the future after this dispensation of grace is over.

So, Paul uses the Law, the Prophets, and Christ’s work on the cross to preach justification freely to all, including those in Rome.

Romans 3:21–26 is not just doctrine, it’s dispensational, revelation, and deeply rooted in God’s eternal purpose.

So, after all that lets go to Romans 3:27.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 

So, this comes right after Paul says in verse 26 that God justifies those who believe in Jesus.

Lots of people say they believe in Jesus, but Paul’s talking about more than that. We’ve got to believe in what He did not just that He existed as a historical figure. We’ve got to believe His sinless blood was shed for our sins (verse 25), the free gift of grace (verse 24), and the fact that we’re all sinners (verse 23).

We can’t just grab verse 26 and skip the rest. It’s all one sentence, all connected.

As we asked last time, Did Christs death on the cross save us?

If that were true every person that ever existed would be saved and we know that’s not true.

The key to all things with God is belief, faith. Without faith it’s impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6.

It’s our belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ that saves us.

So Paul asks, “Where is boasting then?” That’s a big question. Before the cross, Israel had a special place.

Romans 3:1–2 says they had advantages—God gave them His law, His promises.

Romans 2:17 says they boasted in God, and verse 23 says they boasted in the law, and rightly so! God gave them His word, His law, and access to Him and that was a privilege.

But now, Paul’s preached the gospel and shown that all are sinners, even Israel, and salvation is now only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and where that grace is concerned there’s now no longer Jew or Gentil. All are the same.

So where’s the boasting now? It’s gone. Verse 27 says it’s excluded. Why? Because salvation isn’t by trying to keep the law or by our works anymore. It’s by faith in what Christ did, His works, That means nobody’s got a special edge. Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, educated or not—salvation is offered to all on the basis of faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Back then, Israel had laws only they could follow. They had an access to God that others didn’t. That was their boast.

But now, Galatians 6:14 says we glory only in the cross of Christ. That’s the only thing worth boasting about. Not our background, our behavior, or our religion.

Even today, some Christians think they can boast because they’re saved. But Paul says no. We didn’t earn it and we didn’t deserve it. It’s a free gift.

Romans 3:24 says we’re justified freely by His grace. That word “freely” wipes out any idea of earning it. And verse 21 says it’s “without the law.” So if salvation isn’t by law, you can’t boast in the law.

Paul keeps saying “His, (Gods) righteousness” not ours. Under the law, Israel could say “look what we did, look who we are” But now, it’s “look what Christ did.” That’s the shift.

Deuteronomy 6:25 says,

And it shall be our righteousness, (Israel’s) if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. 

If Israel kept the law, it would be counted as their righteousness. But now, that’s gone. Paul says it’s excluded.

Even Christians today can get this wrong when they start boasting in their good behavior, their church attendance, their clean living. But that’s not the gospel. Good works are good, for sure and Ephesians 2:10  tells us this,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

But they’re not the reason or the method by which we’re saved. We can’t boast in them. That opens the door to pride, selfishness and confusion.

So Paul’s walking through history here. Israel had the law, had the promises, and had the access. But now, all are sinners, and all need grace. And that grace is offered to all. That’s why boasting’s excluded, because salvation isn’t about what we’ve done—it’s about what Christ did for us.

Unsaved people may say in talking about Christians, “I live just as good as you do,” and they’re probably right.

In the flesh, in the natural man, there’s no real difference between a saved sinner and an unsaved one. The change happens in our spirit when we believe.

Even then, even when our old inner man, our flesh is dead in Christ it takes a changing of our mind, a renewing of our thinking—to walk right and even then salvation isn’t based on how well we live.

If it was, then better living would mean better salvation. But that’s not grace—that’s law. That’s the wrong gospel.

So then, Paul asks in Romans 3:27, “Where is boasting then?” It’s excluded, shut out, banned.

You can’t boast in the law when salvation is without the law. You can’t boast in God as if He’s only yours. Israel used to boast in their God, the God of Israel. But now, Romans 3:22 says salvation is “unto all and upon all them that believe,” and “there is no difference.” That means Jew and Gentile are on the same level. Israel has no special access anymore.

This’s what got Paul in trouble. He wasn’t just saying Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. He was saying Israel, the law and the covenants, aren’t needed any longer in order to be saved.

That was heresy to many people. But Paul shows in Romans that this gospel is backed by Scripture, witnessed by the law and prophets. It’s what Christ told him. So it’s not out of line or heretical, it’s just new to their ears. It’s the mystery revealed.

In Romans 3:29 Paul asks,

Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 

That’s why Israel can’t boast anymore because God’s also the God of the Gentiles as well.

Paul says boasting is excluded and asks the question “by what law?” in such a way that he’s going to inform them what makes this a principle.

He then explains that it’s not the law of works which excludes boasting, but the law of faith.

That tells us two things:

1. The law of works—doing good, avoiding bad—can’t remove sin or make any man righteous. Romans 3:20 says no flesh is justified by the law. The law only shows us our sin.

2. Faith is not a work. Paul makes a contrast between works and faith. If faith were a work, it would fall under the law of works. But Romans 4:5 says faith is counted for righteousness, not earned. So faith isn’t something you do to earn salvation—it’s the method or the channel by which we receive it.

Ephesians 2:8–9 expands on this and we read,

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

That’s the same truth Paul teaches in this passage of Romans 3:21–28. Salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ and His blood. No boasting’s allowed.

Romans 3:28 gives the conclusion:

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

You and I couldn’t reach that conclusion before verse 20. From Romans 1:18 to 3:20, Paul shows how all are under sin—Gentiles, Jews, everyone.

Romans 3:10 says,

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Romans 3:23 says,

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

So in verse 21, Paul starts explaining the gospel: the righteousness of God without the law.

This ties back to Romans 1:17, where Paul says “the just shall live by faith.”

From creation to Israel, Paul walks through history showing that works won’t save anyone. God’s wrath is on all, and the only way to be justified is by faith.

Romans 2:13 said,

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 

But now Paul shows that no one can do the law perfectly. So the only way is faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God—not by doing the law. That’s the shift. That’s the gospel. And that’s why boasting is gone.

If you’re under the law and say, “I heard it, but I’m not doing it,” then you’re not justified. Romans 2:13 says it’s not just hearing—it’s doing. But Paul reveals something new in our passage (Romans 3:21–28): the righteousness of God without the law. That’s the only way faith can stand alone and justify us.

When we get to Romans 6 we’ll see the explanation of why we’re not under the law anymore.

In Romans 2, Paul talks to Israel. They boast in God and the law, but he asks, “Do you do it?”

Romans 2:21 says,

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 

See, you teach others, Israel, but do you teach yourself?”

You say don’t steal—do you steal?

Romans 2:26 says,

Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 

This shows that even Gentiles who keep the law’s righteousness are counted as circumcised. Paul’s point is that Israel didn’t keep the law, even though they boasted in it. So boasting is excluded. You’ve got nothing to brag about.

So, Romans 3:28 says a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

That clashes with Romans 2:13 and James 2, which say the doers of the law are justified and that was true under the law.

Jesus said similar things in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,  but Paul’s conclusion in Romans 3 is something we couldn’t possibly know without the mystery being revealed to Paul.

It wasn’t taught before and if we removed Paul’s 13 epistles from the bible we wouldn’t know about it now because it’s not revealed anywhere else in the bible.

But now, we know what Christ did—not just for us today, but for sins under the law that are past as we saw in Romans 3:25.

People in the Old Testament and those living in the law, outside of the mystery revealed by Paul, had things they were required to do, but they failed.

Christ died for them too and Romans 3:26 reveals that God now justifies freely by grace through faith in Christ’s work.

Faith was always there, but now it stands alone. In the past, faith had to be proven by doing something—like offering sacrifices. God saw that as faith, even though the animal sacrifice itself didn’t save them. But now Paul says it’s without the deeds of the law. That means no sacrifices, no rituals, no works. Just faith.

That’s the mark of this dispensation. It’s not that faith or grace are new—it’s that they now stand by themselves. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. The nation Israel, the priests, and the covenants are no longer needed for salvation.

Paul says “but now” those things are removed. What’s replaced them?

Romans 3:21–26 says: the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s why we’re Christians. We worship Christ and His finished work.

Jesus was Israel’s Messiah who came fulfilling all the prophesies spoken of by the prophets for centuries.

Now the death of Christ declares God’s righteousness. God is just because He has made a way to save sinful man while still requiring the full payment of the penalty of sin.

He can justify the ungodly without condoning their sin or compromising His own righteousness because a perfect Substitute has died and risen again.

Christ is now all we need. Salvation from sin through His death, burial and resurrection is offered freely to everyone today and we find this truth only in Paul’s epistles.

The wonderful Romans 3:28 is the faith-alone verse,

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

Acts 13:38–39 backs this up. Paul stands and speaks to the Jews in the synagogue at Antioch and says,

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Jesus Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Through Jesus, forgiveness is preached, and all who believe are justified from things the law of Moses couldn’t fix. The law couldn’t justify you—but Jesus can.

That’s not something that Peter and the Jewish apostles said. Neither did Jesus Himself say that while He was on earth.

Paul can say it though because this new dispensation, the dispensation of grace, was given to him. Christ gave him new information that God did not reveal before Paul.

So Paul starts Romans 3:21 with “but now”—the righteousness of God without the law. He starts and ends the gospel sentence with that.

We need to understand why we’re not under the law.

If we just say “we’re not under the law” and leave it there, then the question could be asked, “Then why do good?” and that’s a fair question.

Back in Israel’s program, if you didn’t do what God said, you were cut off, Some even died.

That’s what 1 John 3:7 talks about.

John’s not writing to the church, the Body of Christ, today, he’s writing to the tribulation remnant, and in 1 John 3:7 he says,

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

He that “does righteousness,” many people try to separate that from the doing of the law, but how do you know what’s good without the law God gave? Scripture is the only standard we’ve got. This happens mainly because people have been taught by tradition that 1st John and the other Jewish epistle were written as instruction for us the Body of Christ today. It was most certainly given for our learning and understanding, just like all scripture is as we see in 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17,

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

All scripture is given for our doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness but not all scripture written specifically to us for our instruction. We must use context to understand the difference.

1 John 2:2 says,

And he (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

Then in the next verse, 1 John 2:3-4 we read,

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

These’re tough verses when you compare them to Romans 3, where Paul says all are sinners and the law can’t justify anyone.

So how do we know God? Not by our works, but by the faith of Christ (Romans 3:22). It’s not about doing what Christ commanded—it’s about trusting in what He did.

Romans 2 talks about God judging every man by his deeds (verse 6). But Romans 3:28 says a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

That seems like a contradiction unless we understand how Paul, in Romans 2, is walking through history, showing how God used the law to expose sin. But in Romans 3, he reveals the gospel, righteousness without the law.

If we stop reading at Romans 2, we’ll miss the point. The same as if we stop at Acts 2, you miss what God revealed in Acts 9. We’ve got to keep reading. Romans 3 is progressive revelation. Paul’s not making it up, he’s showing what God’s been doing all along.

Some people see the seeming contradiction between Romans 3, righteousness without the law, and James 2 where faith and works is required.

They try to fit it in to one combined teaching by saying Paul’s only referring to the removal of Israel’s ceremonial laws—like the ones that relate to circumcision, holy days, and special foods, but the moral laws like loving your neighbour must still be kept.

They say Paul taught faith plus works, just not Israel’s special works. But Paul clearly says “without the deeds of the law”. Not just some of them, all of them.

Most church denominations teach faith plus works.

They say James is correcting people who misunderstood Paul. But the real issue is they don’t rightly divide the word of truth and so they don’t see the dispensational change.

Romans 2 and 3 are both Paul, but he’s speaking historically in chapter 2 and revealing the mystery in chapter 3.

There’s no split between ceremonial and moral law. That’s man-made. The Ten Commandments include both. For example, “don’t commit adultery” is moral, but “keep the Sabbath” is ceremonial. Yet they’re all part of the same law given to Israel.

Teachers and preachers in many, if not most, modern, man organised churches teach this mixture that yes, we’re saved by grace through faith, but we must do the works of the law to either complete or keep salvation.

Often this mixture is subtle but whether subtle or blatant it causes confusion amongst church goers and all because these pastors and teachers have failed to see the dispensational changes in the bible, particularly where the mystery dispensation of grace is revealed to and by our apostle for today, Paul.

Paul says we’re justified by faith alone—without the law. That’s the gospel for today. It’s not faith plus works. It’s faith in Christ’s finished work. That’s what saves. That’s what makes us righteous. And that’s why we don’t boast in ourselves—we boast in Him, Christ.

Under Israel’s law, every one of the 613 commands was a moral requirement. You couldn’t pick and choose. James 2:10 says this,

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

See, if you break one, you break them all.

God held them accountable for every law—not just the “big ones.” People try to split the law into categories: ceremonial, moral, civil. But that’s man-made. The Bible doesn’t divide it like that. All 613 laws were given by God, and they were all binding.

Even in society today, civil laws help keep order.

Are they less moral? No. A law is moral if God gave it. So when Paul says “without the law” in Romans 3:20–21, he’s not just talking about Israel’s ceremonial stuff. He means the whole law—everything that was given to show right from wrong.

If Paul only meant ceremonial laws, then Romans 3:20 wouldn’t make sense. He says “no flesh” is justified by the deeds of the law. No flesh includes everyone, not just Jews. And the law brings the knowledge of sin—not just because someone didn’t wear tassels or tithe mint, but because they broke deeper commands like “thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7).

Jesus rebuked Israel in Matthew 23:23,

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 

This rebuke was not for skipping ceremonies, but for ignoring the weightier matters: judgment, mercy, and faith. Those are the hard laws.

The priests could tithe easily—that was their job. But loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbour? That’s harder. That’s where sin shows up.

So when Paul says “without the law,” he’s removing all works—ceremonial, moral, everything. If you say he’s only removing Jewish rituals, then you’re still stuck with the hardest laws. And those are the ones people fail at most.

Paul says no one’s justified by any deeds of the law.

If the law only showed sin through ceremonies, it wouldn’t apply to Gentiles. But Paul says the law shows sin to all. That includes moral failures like not loving God or our neighbour. That’s why the law brings the knowledge of sin.

In 1 John 2:29 we read,

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 

If you do righteousness, you’re born of God. But 1 John is written to remnant Israel under their covenant, not to the church, the Body of Christ, today. It’s a book of law and love. Paul’s gospel is different—it’s about grace and faith without the law.

We can’t split the law into parts. God didn’t and Paul didn’t. The law was one whole system, and it’s been set aside today.

Today, we’re justified by faith alone in Christ’s finished work. That’s the gospel of grace. That’s what Romans teaches. And that’s why we don’t go back to the law—not even the so called “moral” parts—to try and prove we’re righteous.

Good works are what we should be doing but when we try and earn salvation by those works we’re in grave error.

So, according to 1 John 2:29 if you know God is righteous, then everyone who does righteousness is born of Him.

Then in 1 John 3:6 it says whoever abides in Him doesn’t sin, and whoever sins hasn’t seen Him or known Him.

That’s a hard saying.

If Paul and John are teaching the same thing, and we’re only removing ceremonial laws, then 1 John would be our instruction. But John doesn’t talk about tassels or circumcision, he talks about keeping commandments. And if you don’t, you’re not of God. That’s not grace. That doesn’t line up with Paul.

1 John 3:10 says,

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 

In 1 John 3:18 we have,

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 

This’s the verse people use to say works are needed in this dispensation. But Paul doesn’t teach that our love earns us anything with God. He teaches that God loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). It’s His love, not ours, that saves.

If Paul was only removing ceremonial laws, salvation wouldn’t be any easier. You’d still be under the law and condemned by it. Romans 2 and 3 make that clear.

Romans 2:14 says Gentiles who don’t have the law still do things in the law by nature. That can’t be about ceremonial laws.

Gentiles weren’t shaving their beards a certain way or wearing special clothes. Paul’s talking about basic things like don’t kill, don’t steal—things even pagans knew were wrong.

Romans 2:21–22 shows Paul using moral laws like “don’t steal” and “don’t commit adultery” to prove Israel’s guilt.

These are the same laws that people that believe in salvation by faith plus works say are the fruit of true faith.

But Paul says these laws don’t justify anyone. So if you’re not justified by “don’t steal,” then you’re not justified by faith plus works either.

Paul’s argument is simple: the law shows sin, but it doesn’t save. Not stealing, not committing adultery, or loving your neighbour are good things, but they don’t justify you. Only faith in Jesus Christ does. That’s the gospel of grace. That’s what Paul taught. And that’s what rightly dividing God’s word helps us to see.

Paul says in Romans 3:27,

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 

If only ceremonial laws are removed, then you can still boast in your moral behaviour. That ruins Paul’s point.

Romans 4:2 says if Abraham was justified by works, he could boast—but not before God. Abraham didn’t have Israel’s law. He was justified by faith alone in Genesis 15. God told him something, he believed it, and that was it.

Even Gentiles who didn’t have the law had a conscience. Romans 2:14 says they did things in the law by nature. That’s not about tassels or feast days—it’s about basic right and wrong. God gave them a conscience, and that’s how they knew what was good. But even that didn’t justify them.

Romans 1 says people didn’t thank or glorify God. That’s a good thing that they should’ve done, but they didn’t. Paul’s whole argument is that no one, Jew or Gentile, is justified by works. Not ceremonial, not moral, not anything. Only faith in Christ’s finished work saves.

James talks about helping the poor and showing love. That’s all good stuff, but James wasn’t dealing with the same issue Paul was.

Paul’s explaining how sinners can be made right before God. James is talking to believers who claim to follow Jesus but don’t live it out. James didn’t know the mystery yet—Christ hadn’t revealed it.

That’s not to knock James or make him any less important in scripture. His words are true and just as vital as Paul’s, but in their context. It’s a different context to Paul, a different audience under a different dispensation.

But Paul’s gospel is different. It’s grace through faith, without works.

Romans 3:28,

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

In the next episode Paul answers a logical question. Do we then make void the law through faith? Until then may God richly bless you all.