The MESSAGE of the good news message is in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. It’s there that Paul explains to us what happened to the sins that were placed upon our Savior, and the wonderful news that God is no longer imputing those sins unto the sinners. The MECHANICS of the good news message is in Romans 3:20-31. How is it that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection can accomplish justification for a wrath-worthy individual, a declared righteous of that individual. We find that the model that produces a declared righteous is divided into three different sections all working together. Having dispelled all of people’s self-defense pleas, Paul makes this startling statement in verse 20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” Verse 21” BUT NOW” has to be the biggest two letter word statement found in all of scripture. Whenever we see the “BUT NOW” in Paul’s epistles, sit up and take special notice because “BUT NOW” let’s us know that a change has taken place.
The words “BUT NOW” moves us from one situation to a different situation. In other words, at one point in time something was true. “BUT NOW” something else is true which leads us to ask the question, what is it that Paul wants us to know, is different now from what used to to be. Paul is simply saying that God’s righteousness is now being manifested apart from the principle of rule-keeping. What Jesus did for us doesn't make you measure up to God’s rightness. You have to be declared righteous and that comes by grace through the blood of Jesus and through Jesus’ faithfulness, and you are going to find out your faith has to be in those three components.
