God reveals his plan for salvation throughout Scripture. It is a key theme in the letter to the Romans. In Romans 3:21, the apostle Paul emphasizes two important points about being "made right" with God through Jesus Christ:
It does not rely on following Old Testament laws and regulations.
It was "attested by the Law and the Prophets" (Romans 3:21; see also 1:2).
God always intended to save the world through Jesus. The Old Testament prepared people for this important moment in salvation history. Paul often returns to this theme of scriptural continuity (the idea that the message and actions of God in the Bible are consistent and connected throughout all of Scripture). This is especially true of Romans 9–11. There, Paul explains how God's relationship with Israel fits into this ongoing plan.
Paul wants to help us understand the changes in God's single plan for salvation. This plan unfolds in parts. Now that the final part in Christ has arrived, the earlier part has ended. The law of Moses no longer rules God's people. Paul often stresses that our new relationship with God is separate from the law of Moses (see 6:14; 7:4–6; 10:4).
A similar idea appears in John 1:17 and Hebrews 10:1. Paul's focus in Romans on God's plan helps us understand the Bible's story in a way that respects all parts of this plan.
Passages for Further Study
Matthew 1:21–23; Luke 1:46–55, 67–79; Acts 4:10–12; 10:34–43; 13:23–41; Romans 1:3–5, 16–17; 3:21–26; 5:6–11; 8:1–4; 10:5–13; 11:26–27; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Galatians 2:14–21; 3:5–14; Ephesians 1:3–14; Colossians 1:15–22; 1 Timothy 2:3–6; 2 Timothy 1:9–10; Hebrews 9:27–28