As believers we should be thankful to God not only for given us the Holy Ghost freely, but also the things that have accrued to us through Christ freely [1 Cor 2:6-13]. It is crucial that we KNOW these things. The place of UNDERSTANDING and KNOWLEDGE in the life of the believer cannot be over-emphasized. Several scriptures underscore the importance of accurate knowledge, while warning against gullibility and a believer accepting everything he hears. This could be the difference between a believer that is living a good Christian life and one who is not. It could also be the difference between one who is able to withstand the storms of life and stand stable, and the one who cannot [Mt 7:24-27]. The place of understanding righteousness for every believer cannot be overemphasized. The believers for whom Christ died can live their lives differently because of this understanding.
In Romans 10:1-4, Paul expressed a strong desire for the salvation of the Jews of his day. Paul’s concern for the Jews should be emulated and has application for us today. He was not deceived or repelled by their religion, or felt they were fine because they had a religion, and because of that, by comparison to others, they seemed better. He saw them as they truly were – unsaved. This stimulated a strong desire within him to see them saved. Paul in Rom 10:2, testified that the Israelite had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. No one was better placed than Paul to make that conclusion having also labored under the same misconception, [Php 3:4-8]. There is certainly nothing wrong with zeal [Gal 4:18, Rom 12:11], but the problem was that their zeal was anchored on inaccurate knowledge. It was that ignorance that stood as a stumbling block to their salvation: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, going about to establish their own and did not submit to the righteousness of God Rom.” Rom 10:3. This is one of the most important verses in the book of Romans. They were not saved because they were ignorant of God’s standard, and approach to obtaining righteousness, and instead defined their own standard, thereby rejecting God’s standard!
To be righteous means to be good enough. Generally humans see righteousness as a thing to be desired. Some also quickly conclude on self-evaluation that they are not righteous and even cite Romans 3:10 to support that stance of the fact that they are simply not good enough. We see this sense of unrighteousness displayed by different people in scripture. Righteousness makes all the difference; unrighteousness always shrinks back from God. It always holds back. Because of that sense of unrighteousness, every contact with divinity or angels brought a sense of awareness of unworthiness, inadequacies, failures, un-cleanliness, and self consciousness e.g. Peter in Luke 5:1-8; Samson’s Father in Judges 13:1-23; Prophet Isaiah’s response in Isaiah 6:1-5 showed how unrighteous he saw himself. Scriptures are also replete with these declarations of unrighteousness when measured against God’s standard e.g Job 4:17-19, Job 15:14-16, Job 14:4, 25:4-6 [ Angels, the heavens, moon, and stars deemed impure, not to even talk of Man. How then can we meet God’s standard of righteousness?
The Jews using their own standard of the law tried to make an effort to attain to righteousness. But Is 64:6 sums up the futility of those efforts: “Our righteous acts are as filthy rags before God” i.e. in Man at the very best of his best moments, cannot match up with God’s righteousness. Rom 10:4 sums it up: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone that believeth”.
We see in Rom 10:1-10, a contrast between two types of righteousness – [1] RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF THE LAW; and [2] GOD’s RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH. In line with this, it is important to note that Paul in the book of Romans saw salvation and righteousness as synonymous, such that they could are used interchangeably in Romans 10. The righteousness which is of the Law is kind of righteousness most of us are familiar with – consists of doing good works; or on the principles of works as described by Moses. It was one which depended on doing or refraining from doing some things.[Rom 10:5]. In contrast, he described the RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS BY FAITH as excluding [the humanly impossible] works [of bringing Christ from the grave or from heaven], but obtained simply by faith! “The righteousness which is of faith – if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and if you would believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved Rom 10:9. With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness i.e. the righteousness which is of Faith Rom 10:10; Rom 3:20-23. This approach compared to Moses’ method is unbelievable! The people of Israel thought they could keep the myriad of commands encompassing, over 600 contained in the law. However, none of their generations could ever keep it [John 7:19. How pathetically amusing to think we can keep it today?
So we see this contrast, that which of the law required WORKING UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; while that which is of faith requires BELIEVING unto righteousness. Some have tagged this as ‘easy-believism’, but BELIEVING is exactly what the Bible teaches. This also raises the question, “what do we believe?” Jesus gave a response which addresses this issue in John 6: 28-29., when asked what was to be done to do the works of God. He stated that the work of God was to believe on Him. The primary thing we need to do is to believe the works Jesus did – His finished work of redemption. That was why the Holy Ghost fell on the believers in the house of Cornelius and got them saved [Acts 10:44] – because they believed. By simply hearing and believing the message of Christ’s finished work and without an altar call! It is in sharp contrast to the age we live in where all manner of things are preached from the pulpit, [e.g finance, management, etc,] and after words an altar call is made. What message has the man heard that he is believing in?! Without a man hearing the gospel – the work of Christ on his behalf; that He bore our shame; suffered the punishment for our sins, and that His death was the satisfaction for our sins, such a man cannot be saved![Is 53:6, Jn 1:29, 1Jn 2:1-2]
It is not about WORKING yourself unto righteousness. By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified/righteous before God [Rom 3:20]. The righteousness of faith is independent of the works of the law; and it is the principle which even the Law and the Prophets prophesied about [Rom 3:21, Jer 23:6, 33:16. The transfiguration of Jesus backs up the superiority of this approach where Moses and Elijah where not allowed to be on the same pedestal as Jesus and which humanity was warned to focus on Him alone [Mt 17]!
A man is declared not on the basis of what he did, but what he believed. Rom 3:22 incorporates all men, just as Rom 3:23. Everybody can believe and be saved/declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. If every time Romans 3:23 and he surrounding verses 22, and 24 are explained we would be a church that understood righteousness. The point being made there is – whether a man has good works or not, he has sinned and fallen short [Rom 3:23], and therefore needs to BELIEVE [Rom 3:22,24] to receive God’s righteousness. As many as have believed are therefore righteous.
The fact is that we became righteous when we became born again. They are not independent. To be righteous is to be born again, and to be born again is to be righteous. A lack of understanding of this reality will keep us in bondage, while an understanding of it would revolutionize our view of God and our lifestyle. We would have boldness and confidence in our contact with God. There will be no sense of inferiority to the thought that other believers have a special relationship and link with God. The problem of sin-consciousness would be banished, and in its place Righteousness-consciousness If we come to understand the righteousness of God, we will have a better appreciation and practical relationship with God!
Pastor Jide Lawal