God is the God of both the Jew and gentile because He is sovereign over all. He is creator. Therefore those who are under the Law, Jews, are shown their unrighteousness by the Law so that every mouth may be closed—so that people will know that they cannot boast in their works. No one can be justified by the Law, by works, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.

So, God revealed His own righteousness apart from the Law. He is the one to be glorified. He revealed His righteousness in the Christ. If we are justified, Jew and gentile alike, we are justified through faith. Christ was displayed publicly as a propitiation to show the righteousness of God—so that God would be revealed as the just (the only righteous one) and the justifier (the only one who can save by His works) of everyone who has faith in Jesus alone for their salvation.

Notice Paul’s wording, here. The rule of faith does not nullify the Law. The Law is not done away with because of faith; it is rather established by the rule of faith. It is true that, if we are in Christ, we are no longer under the Law. The Law is nonetheless established in us by faith. In fact, Paul here explicitly claims that our boasting is excluded by the Law of faith rather than the Law of works. The difference has to do with our motivation. If we are trying to gain God’s favor by keeping the Law or be good in order to have good standing, our law is a law of works. It encourages boasting, which is contra to the purpose of God. If we instinctively keep the Law for conscience’s sake and we are people of character because our hearts have first been changed, our law is a law of faith, which excludes boasting because we are made a humble people. By faith, then, the Law of God is established because His people seek to keep it sincerely and humbly—recognizing God alone as the one who is righteous, glorious, and boasting in Him alone. The Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) testified about this truth, according to Paul.

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