The Very Good News: Righteousness Through Faith

The Very Good News: Righteousness Through Faith

This fall, we’ve returned to our series in the book of Romans, picking up where we left off in the spring. Over the next couple of months, we’ll walk through chapters 5 and 6—likely taking us up to Christmas—and then return again in the future for more. Romans is a deep well of truth, and rather than rushing through, we want to slow down and let God’s Word shape us.

Before diving in, it’s helpful to remember a few things about the Apostle Paul, the author of Romans. Paul wrote nearly one-quarter of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He was once a fierce persecutor—even a murderer—of Christians before being transformed by the grace of God. His life is a living testimony that no one is beyond God’s reach.

That is, in many ways, the heartbeat of Romans: there is very good news for sinners.
The Bad News Comes First

Romans 1–3 confronts us with a sobering truth: no one is righteous before God.
It doesn’t matter how religious you are, whether you grew up in the church, or how “good” you try to be—God’s standard is perfection, and we all fall short.

Paul reminds us that:

• The law cannot save us. Instead, it exposes our sin.
• Our efforts, rituals, or background are not “VIP passes” into God’s kingdom.
• All of us—whether religious or not—are in desperate need of grace.

As uncomfortable as that is to admit, there is actually freedom in recognizing it. When we understand that we are all sinners, equally in need of God’s grace, it humbles us and helps us extend forgiveness to others. None of us has it all figured out, but all of us can be rescued.

“But Now…”
In Romans 3:21, two small words mark a massive shift: “But now…”
After laying out the bad news, Paul announces the good news:

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law … the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” (Romans 3:21–22)

Righteousness—the ability to be right with God—is no longer about perfectly keeping the law. It is revealed in a person: Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, died in our place, and rose again. Through faith in Him, God declares us righteous. This is not about trying harder, being “good enough,” or tipping the scales in our favor. It is about trusting Jesus.

Justification by Faith Alone
This truth—that we are made right with God through faith, not works—was the bedrock of the Reformation and remains central to our faith today.

Martin Luther once wrestled deeply with the question of whether he could ever be good enough. When he discovered in Romans that righteousness comes by faith alone, it transformed his life and sparked a movement.

Paul himself, despite his missionary zeal and writings, acknowledged he was not righteous on his own merits. His hope was not in his past accomplishments but in Christ alone. That same truth stands for us today: our salvation is God’s work, not ours.

Why the Old Testament Still Matters
Paul also reminds us that this was not a new idea. The law and the prophets—indeed the entire Old Testament—point forward to Jesus.

• The sacrificial system foreshadowed His perfect sacrifice.
• Prophecies like Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 vividly anticipate the cross.
• Stories like Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) and the Passover all whisper His name.

As Augustine put it:
“The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed; the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.”
Far from being irrelevant, the Old Testament enriches our understanding of God’s plan and the depth of His grace. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells one unified story of redemption through Christ.

Living by Faith
So what does this mean for us today?
To be justified—declared right before God—is not the end but the beginning. The Christian response to this good news is transformation. We live by faith:

• Not to earn God’s love, but because we already have it.
• Not to prove our worth, but to grow in relationship with Him.
• Not perfectly, but faithfully, relying on His grace each step of the way.

This frees us from the exhausting question: Am I good enough?

The answer is no—but we don’t need to be. Jesus is enough.

As we continue our journey through Romans, we’ll keep coming back to this reality: the gospel is very good news. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. And it changes everything.

? What about you? Have you been trying to “be good enough” for God—or have you put your trust in Jesus alone?