Justification in God’s sight is only possible through faith; it is not possible from works or following the law.
Paul says it again: every single person who is justified before God is justified by faith in Jesus. Jesus does the work, not us: For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law (v 28). This means no matter how many laws we keep it will never be enough to justify us in God’s sight. Justification before God comes only one way, and that is by believing in the finished work of Jesus on the cross (John 3:14-15). Jesus’s shed blood on the cross is the blood of the “mercy seat” that atones for our sins before God (Romans 3:25).
This is the core of Paul’s message about faith alone in Jesus the Messiah. Paul has never been to Rome nor spoken to most of the recipients of his letter, but they have apparently come to faith in Jesus through the teachings of his former ministry companions and fellow Jews, Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:18). Paul writes to these Gentile believers in Rome whose faith is “being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8) because the teaching they have received from Paul’s allies is being slandered and undermined. Priscilla and Aquila are now leaders in the (primarily Gentile) Roman church, facilitating a church group in their home (Romans 16:3-5)
Over and over Paul states and restates his central thesis:
1) justification before God comes by grace alone, apart from the law, and righteousness before God is something we receive as a free gift, and
2) righteousness can be lived out in everyday life in only one way, and that is the same way it is received in the first place: by faith—faith that following God’s ways are for our best.
The theme statement in Romans 1:16–17 continues throughout the entire letter. Righteousness comes through the power of the gospel, and a person who lives righteously does so by faith, from beginning to end.
What are works of the Law? They are simply keeping the religious rules. We as humans are rule makers and rule followers (particularly when it applies to others, not so much for ourselves). But rule-keeping cannot justify us before God because each of us is sinful; we all break the rules (v 23).
It is often said that there are many mountains to God. But the Bible teaches that there are NO mountains to God. That is why God came down to earth. He was born as a human, and died in our place, that we might be reunited with Him. He bore the sins of the world (Colossians 2:14). Therefore, we can be justified in His sight simply by believing (John 3:14-15; Romans 8:1-3). This is amazingly good news.
If then we are justified by faith, there is no reason to try to add anything. Justification by faith is received as a gift. It is completely apart from works of the law.
Biblical Text
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law
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