22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
22 even the righteousness of God,
Paul made it clear that he referred to God’s righteousness, not man’s. He repeated the phrase “the righteousness of God” from the previous verse.
through [means] faith in Jesus Christ,
It is faith that answers the law’s accusation against man. God did what man could not do; He provided the solution for him by faith. This should cause a sigh of relief in mankind.
The object (objective genitive) of our faith is worthy and reliable of such a faith. Faith in Jesus Christ is the way we receive God’s righteousness. Faith is the means to obtain God’s righteousness through Christ. Faith is not a merit whereby we earn salvation by the execution of faith. God’s system of salvation (by faith) is the means to carry us to the object of our faith—the death of Christ for our sins on the cross.
to [relationship] all [universal] and on [direction] all [universal] who believe.
Salvation is unto all who believe because there is no difference as to the fact of their sinfulness. Justification is unto all who believe.
The emphasis on the repetition of the word “all” in this phrase shows the universal offer of God’s righteousness to anyone who believes. Belief is the distinguishing feature of those who receive God’s righteousness. The word “believe” parallels the word “faith” in the previous clause. Faith is the central mode for knowing God.
God now introduces us to His grace.
For there is no difference [distinction];
There is no special privilege to the Jew or any other group when it comes to salvation. Although men differ in the extent of sinfulness, there is no difference when it comes to God’s absolute righteous standard. God makes His salvation available to all. Everyone must come to Christ the same way—by faith.
“No difference” does not mean that everyone sinned in the same way or to the same degree. The idea is that if anyone sinned at all, he falls short of God’s standard for acceptance into heaven. There are differences between culturally moral people and those who sin with abandon, but there is no way for them to be saved eternally except by faith in God’s provision of Christ’s sacrifice for their sin. We are all in the same boat because God’s standard is perfection. The only way any of us can be acceptable to God is to accept His provision by faith.
PRINCIPLE:
All have sinned when it comes to measuring up to the standard of God’s righteousness.
APPLICATION:
If one person stands on the highest mountain on earth, Mount Everest, and another person stands on the prairies of western Canada; it makes no difference who is closest to the closest star. There is a vast difference from both perspectives. All of us come short of God’s glory—the standard of who and what He is.
The only way we can come to God on God’s terms is by faith:
Eph 2:8-9, 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
