March 28, 2004

RIGHTEOUSNESSES NOT EQUAL

Romans 3:21

   The gospel reveals the righteousness of God. The wrath of God is also revealed from heaven "against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:17-18). Man's unrighteousness stems from his sinful fallen nature. Whether Jew or Gentile, all are devoid of righteousness. Paul called Elymas the Jewish sorcerer and false prophet an "enemy of all righteousness" as he pictured Israel set in opposition to God's gospel.

   The law of Moses challenged Israel to attain to righteousness. But God, fully knowing that true righteousness could not be achieved by the law, gave the law to expose the full knowledge of sin and their desperate need. That Israel failed to understand this is well illustrated in Saul of Tarsus. But was there a "righteousness of the law"? Indeed so, for Paul wrote that "touching the righteousness of the law," he was blameless. Paul claimed this as his status before his conversion when he was a Pharisee. Paul now realized what the Lord meant in His sermon on the mount, "Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5:20). These Pharisees, like Saul, thought they were blameless and had achieved a "righteousness of the law," even while overlooking the weightier matters of the law, "judgment, mercy and faith" (Mt. 23:23).

   Did the Lord expose a higher righteousness in His earthly ministry? Indeed so, for in that same sermon He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these other things shall be added unto you" (Mt. 6:33).

   Only the righteousness of God will meet the demands of a holy God, and His righteousness is provided by grace and received by faith as a gift, for the "the free gift is of many offences unto righteousness." We "receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness..." By the obedience of Christ many are "made righteous" (Rom. 5:16-19). "Therefore being justified [declared righteous] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).

Ivan L. Burgener