Psalms 11:7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
The Lord loves righteousness. How can the Lord love man? We have just seen the state man finds himself within. He is not righteous, he cannot approach God.
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
We are without hope in our natural state. We cannot be what God requires.
Matthew 3: 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Paul uses these words from Isaiah to show man’s estate. Cast out from God with no hope in himself. We are then introduced to our salvation in Romans 3:21.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
But now, what has occurred that Paul can say but now? Man has fallen, sin has prevailed, but now. Righteousness has been manifested. The righteousness that the law the prophets spoke of has now been manifested. The righteousness that God requires has come. This righteousness did not manifest before now; it is now manifested. Paul is speaking of that righteousness that came by the obedience unto death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is the but now; it was the coming of Christ. The law and prophets foretold of His coming. They witnessed that righteousness that would come by His blood. We are now introduced to the solution to the condemnation of man. This solution was spoken of in times past but did not exist until now. It is the solution to the problem we saw in Ephesians 2:12 above.
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.