They Knew Only One Way Until Jesus
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Apr 2, 2023
- 2 min read
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 3:22)
Every preacher, teacher, or writer has subjects about which they are passionate. Those topics seem to come up naturally for them regardless of what else they may be speaking or writing about. For Paul, two of his main items for discussion were the law and righteousness.
The law included the Ten Commandments, but it also outlined 613 rules and regulations the Jewish people had to follow. It prescribed how and when they were to worship, when they could take their donkey to get a drink, what they could wear, eat, and even how men were to cut their hair.
The purpose of the law was to point the Jewish people to the need for a Savior, but most of the Jewish people who accepted Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection still believed they needed to follow the law. After all, their entire lives had been consumed with learning and practicing the law. But they didn’t understand that the law could never justify them. When they received Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they became justified, meaning declared clean and innocent by God Almighty.
Romans 3:22 was a synopsis of many of Paul’s letters. He wanted Jewish believers to know that they were righteous because of their faith in Jesus, not because they followed the Old Testament law. That’s why he often wrote about righteousness and justification by faith. The Greek word for faith is pistis. It means trust, belief, confidence, and being fully persuaded. God declared them righteous when they expressed faith in Jesus Christ. It didn’t matter if they were Jews who followed the law precisely or if they were Gentiles who didn’t. The Jews and Gentiles of the first century and every race of people today are justified by one thing only: the blood of Jesus!
Practical Application
Jewish believers, like all Christians, had to renew their minds. They were taught one thing their entire lives, but Jesus changed it all. What have you been taught that needs to adjust to God’s Word instead of tradition?
