The Bible recognizes two kinds of righteousness--one, a human righteousness, resulting from keeping the law; the other, a divine righteousness, conditioned on faith in Christ.
For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby. But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus. (Rom. 10:3-6.)
And be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. (Phil. 3:9.)
Note carefully the contrasts in the above Scriptures. "God's righteousness" is opposed to human righteousness, and this divine righteousness conditioned on faith in Christ is put over against human righteousness that results from doing the works of the law. Certain it is, then, there are two kinds of righteousness and based upon two different principles. Let us study first
As shown by the above Scriptures, this kind belonged under the law of Moses. Now, what is it, and why is it called "the righteousness of man"? Under the law man had no Savior, no atoning blood. He was, therefore, shut up to the principle of works--that is, he was placed upon his own merits. What he did in obedience to God was considered by itself. His obedience did not relate to atoning blood, for the reason that such blood did not exist. What man did, then, had the significance of works, not the meaning of faith. If he did right, he was righteous. He was considered righteous because he was righteous, and hence because of his own deeds. This must be human righteousness, because it results from human effort. This was the only righteousness provided for by law, and consequently the only righteousness which the Jews knew. They were "ignorant of God's righteousness." Hence, they zealously sought to "establish their own." That man could possess a righteousness that did not result from his own deeds, the Jews could not imagine. And here we find
Being ignorant of a righteousness of God bestowed on man and knowing only a righteousness that came from doing deeds of law, the Jews rejected Christ. There is no greater enemy of Christ than human righteousness considered as a means of salvation. And no handicap is more difficult to overcome than ignorance of divine righteousness. Here Paul lays the foundation of the rejection by the Jews of Christ:
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling; even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense: and he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (Rom. 9:30-33.)
According to Paul, then, the fundamental blunder of the Jews was holding on to human while rejecting divine righteousness. Saturated with the doctrine of justification by works, they had no place for the doctrine of righteousness by faith in Christ. (Indeed, it seems to be difficult even at the present time for many to grasp the idea of a righteousness that does not depend upon human effort. To them a righteousness not based on good deeds seems impossible and unreal.) Even after some Jews became Christians they were constantly trying to mix human with divine righteousness. This was the occasion of the meeting of the apostles and elders recorded in the fifteenth chapter of Acts. The books of Romans and Galatians were written to prevent the corruption of Christianity by the introduction of the doctrine of salvation by human righteousness. The Galatians fell from grace, not by living ungodly, but, like the Jews, by trying to merit justification through their good works. They wanted to merit unmerited favor!
But if the Jews would accept nothing but human righteousness, they were consistent in their rejection of Christ. They did not attempt the ridiculous thing of accepting Christ and then try to be justified by their own works--that is, they did not accept God's righteousness and then attempt justification upon the principle of human righteousness. They did not take the conditions of salvation whereby one rejects human righteousness as a means of justification and accepts the righteousness of God and make of them works of righteousness! A more unreasonable thing would scarcely be attempted by man. The conditions whereby one accepts Christ signify a one-hundred-per-cent rejection of the doctrine of justification by works. And until one learns that by his own good deeds he cannot meet God's approval, he has no business trying to accept Christ. The law was given to show man that human righteousness cannot save and to hold to justification by works is to go back to the law, at least in spirit.
Human righteousness, the only kind known to the Jews and the only kind known to many now, is a righteousness resulting from doing the deeds of law. This righteousness cannot save. The Jews who rejected divine righteousness, therefore, were lost. Let us turn now to a study of
By "righteousness of God" is not meant an attribute of God. The law revealed the fact that God is righteous, but it did not, except by prophecy, reveal the "righteousness of God." This is known and realized "apart from the law." After carefully proving that man could not by his own righteousness attain to justification, Paul introduces the subject of the "righteousness of God."
But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:21-23.)
From this passage it is learned the "righteousness of God" did not come through law. Paul reminds the Jews, however, that it is no innovation, since it was witnessed by the law and the prophets. We learn also that this divine righteousness is based on faith in Christ, and the reason for it Paul asserts to be the universal sinfulness of man. "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." This universal sinfulness of man is that which makes necessary the salvation of man by grace.
For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. (Rom. 11:32.)
Human righteousness cannot fit man to stand in the presence of God. He cannot make for himself a "wedding garment" that God will accept. Mercy, then, is the great need of man. The law gave him a chance to save himself, and he utterly failed. Being disobedient, man must have mercy--grace; and grace having come, man is offered, upon the condition of faith in Christ, a divine righteousness, a righteousness that comes from God and one that God, therefore, will accept.
In the discussion of the subject we are naturally led again to the consideration of the atonement made by Christ. Christ crucified is man's all in all. He kept the law perfectly, and then, bearing man's iniquities, died on the cross. This death was on man's behalf. Not for himself, but for sinful man, was he "lifted up." This fact is significant here. It means that when man goes to God for mercy he must go pleading the blood of Christ; and when God bestows pardon, he does so out of regard for the atonement made for man by "his only begotten Son," "whom he set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." To man, thus believing in Christ, thus trusting in the blood of Christ, God imputes righteousness.
Attention has already been called to the importance of the principle of imputation under Christ. Just as the disobedience of Adam is imputed to the whole human race, so is the obedience of Christ imputed to those who have faith in him. We die, not because of personal sins, but because of our fleshly relationship to him who represented the whole race. Just so we live--not because of personal, subjective, righteousness, but because of faith in Christ. That is, Adam's sin becomes the sin of all mankind--"for that all sinned." And the obedience of Christ becomes the righteousness of the believer. The believer does not have to depend upon his own imperfect obedience. He pleads the obedience of Christ. Christ is his righteousness.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. (1 Cor. 1:30.)
So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous. (Rom. 5:l8, 19.)
The blessing contemplated through the obedience of Christ is not simply a physical resurrection from the grave. This is proved by verse 21, which makes it spiritual:
That, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Only those related to Adam by the flesh die as a result of his sin. Just so only those related to Christ through faith live as a result of his obedience. This is Paul's subject in Romans, the fourth chapter.
And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works. (Rom. 4:3-6.)
Just as Abraham was reckoned righteous, not because of his works, but because of his faith in God, so the sinner is reckoned righteous because of his faith in Christ. To be reckoned righteous is to be justified. To be justified is to be considered not guilty. The merit of the blood of Christ is set to the credit of the believer.
How much better than to depend upon human righteousness! The obedience of Christ is perfect, while the obedience of man is imperfect. The obedience of Christ "unto death" is meritorious, while the obedience of man is not. By the grace of God I can claim his righteousness as my own. I know God will accept that. Gladly, then, will I surrender any claim to the approval of God because of my own goodness. Like Paul, I can look upon my righteousness as refuse that I may gain Christ.
Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. (Phil. 3:8, 9.)
This righteousness of God, in contrast to the righteousness of man, which was by the law, is the subject of the Roman letter; and this righteousness is what makes the gospel the power of God unto salvation.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith. (Rom. 1:16, 17.)
The facts are these: The gospel is God's power to save. It saves the believer, Jew or Greek. This it does because it reveals a "righteousness of God." This agrees with what Paul says in the fourth chapter--namely, that righteousness is reckoned to the believer in Christ. This is the righteousness through which grace reigns unto eternal life. (Rom. 5:21.)
It is important to note just here the condition of this divine righteousness. Since it is a blessing bestowed by God and coming from God, it cannot be based upon works. It would then not be grace, but debt. It is for "him that worketh not." It is reckoned "apart from works." This is so because works would be an inappropriate means. Works point to man. This would imply human righteousness, not divine righteousness. Remember, divine righteousness is based, not upon a thousand works of man, but upon "one act of righteousness" performed by Christ on the cross. The condition, then, must look to Christ. It must mean reliance upon what Christ did for man. It must signify trust in the blood of Christ. The word that means all this is "faith" in the sense of trust or reliance. Hence, over and over faith is named as the condition by which man possesses this "righteousness of God." (See Rom. 1:16, 17; 3:22; 4:4, 5; 9:30-32; 10:4, 6; Phil. 3:9.)
Seeing this righteousness is received by faith and not by works, it can be understood how that it can become the possession of the "ungodly." Human righteousness, evidently, is for the righteous only. But, thank God, there is a righteousness for the unrighteous.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. (Rom. 4:5.)
Repentance does not make one righteous. It is rather an acknowledgment of sin. Nor does faith make one righteous. It is rather a confession of a lack of righteousness. But to the believer in Christ a divine righteousness can be reckoned--that is, because of the merits of the blood of Christ, in which is located the faith of man, God can and does declare the guilty to be innocent. This justified man is not subjectively righteous. He is so only because of the power of God that can forgive sins. He is simply declared not guilty. Declaring the unrighteous to be righteous is simply saving the lost, quickening the dead. The saved cannot be saved, nor can the living be quickened--that is, the "righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" is not for the godly, but for the "ungodly." The "ungodly" has nothing in himself to plead, but he can trustingly plead the blood of Christ; and because of this faith God reckons unto him righteousness. As the poet has so beautifully and Scripturally expressed it:
My hope is based on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
What a wonderful revelation the gospel makes! A righteousness for the ungodly! The ungodly instinctively shuns the presence of God, as did Adam after his sin in Eden; and if man had to go before God with nothing better than his own imperfect righteousness, who could be able to stand? Not one sinner could be saved! But he does not have to appear before God unclothed. A "righteousness of God" is offered him. This is perfect righteousness, because it is a divine one. God will recognize this, because it is a gift from himself.
This divine righteousness should be the theme of every gospel sermon. There is no gospel without it; for, as Paul says, the gospel saves because it reveals this "righteousness of God." The sinner should be encouraged to forsake human righteousness and to accept a divine one instead. The Jews were lost because they were ignorant of God's righteousness. The knowledge of it is, therefore, saving knowledge. Paul calls it "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
While this contrast of divine and human righteousness is before us, it is a good time to say that the difference between these two kinds of righteousness is the basis of the conflict between law and works and grace and faith. Law demands works, and works result in human righteousness. Grace calls for faith, and faith accepts the divine righteousness. Hence, if salvation, or righteousness that saves, is by the law, Christ died in vain.
I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought. (Gal. 2:21)
For if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. (Gal. 3:21.)
But there was a righteousness that belonged to law. Paul knew of "the righteousness which is of the law." (Rom. 10:5.) But this came by works that excluded the atonement of Christ. This, as we have seen, was the righteousness sought by the Jews.
But Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. (Rom. 9:31, 32.)
Here we see the Jews seeking a righteousness that excluded the one that saves. The one sought by them came by works, while the one that saves comes by faith in Christ. Faith is reckoned for righteousness. Faith and works, as principals of justification, are, for a good reason, opposed. Works mean reliance upon human righteousness; faith, reliance upon divine righteousness.
It can be seen, therefore, that a false doctrine of justification is as effective an enemy of Christ as irreligion. If the Jews, like the Gentiles, had not been seeking righteousness, they would have, no doubt, accepted the divine righteousness as did the Gentiles. The Gentiles knew they were ungodly and in need of a Savior. They, therefore, accepted him. But the Jews, "following after a law of righteousness" that could not save, rejected Christ.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith. (Rom. 1:16, 17.)