Righteousness Through Faith
“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’” - Romans 4:1-3 (ESV)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” - Matthew 5:6 (ESV)
What does it mean to be righteous? Righteousness is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible and is often used to describe both the nature of God and the people of God. A quick Google search tells us that the word “righteous” is synonymous with words like good, excellent, virtuous, morally right, and justified. However, the biblical definition of righteousness goes a little bit deeper. Righteousness according to God does not just mean moral and virtuous living, but it also refers to a manner of living that aligns with God’s perfect standard. A person that God considers “righteous” is someone who is in right standing with God.
Righteousness is a natural goal for all believers in Christ. We all want to please God, to reach heaven at the end of our lives and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21-23). Yet so often we find ourselves attempting to attain righteousness through our own ability. We try to do all the right things by being good people, going to church, reading the Bible, even feeding the hungry or donating to those in need. While all of these things are good, even important as part of our faith (see Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 4:4, James 2:14-17), the truth is that good morals, good deeds, and religious obedience do not result in righteousness. In fact, Isaiah 64:6 describes our good deeds as “filthy rags” compared to the perfect holiness of God. The truth is that we cannot gain righteousness on our own! The righteousness that God desires can only come through faith in Jesus Christ!
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” - Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)
Let’s break these verses down a little bit. When Paul writes about the law, he is referring to God’s “rules” for moral and holy living. According to these verses, no one can gain righteousness simply by following God’s rules. The law of God was never designed to save us from sin, but it was given to us to make us aware of our sin. It shows us our need for Jesus, who is himself the “righteousness of God” that the prophets predicted would come. It does not matter who you are, the Bible is clear that we all fall short of living up to God’s law, but we are credited with righteousness by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ!
In Philippians 3, Paul describes the confidence he placed in his own righteousness before coming to faith in Christ:
“…[we] put no confidence in the flesh - though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” - Philippians 3:3-6 (ESV)
These verses show us that in many respects, Paul was a model of religious obedience:
He was circumcised - a commandment from Old Testament law to distinguish oneself as part of God’s people through a physical, outward sign.
He was an Israelite, a member of God’s chosen people.
He was a Pharisee, an expert in the law of God.
He was zealous in his persecution of the newly formed church.
He considered himself “blameless” in his obedience to God’s Old Testament law.
Despite his former religious credentials, Paul’s encounter with Jesus made him realize that his true worth was found in his relationship with Christ (for more on Paul’s transformation, see Acts 7:54-9:30). I think an important thing to remember is that Jesus is more than just a “get-out-of-jail-free” card. We were created to be with Jesus, and we are made complete through our relationship with Him! Paul goes on to tell us that nothing in life compared to knowing Jesus as his Lord:
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” - Philippians 3:7-9 (ESV)
The Bible is clear that righteousness does not come through following the law of God - even our best attempts to live according to God’s standards fail miserably! Like Abraham, we are credited with righteousness when we believe God, and like Paul, our previous track record does not give us “right standing” with God, nor does it discount our place in His kingdom. I can often relate with Paul when he describes himself as the chief among all sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15-16), but thanks be to Jesus that He came to Earth to pay the penalty for our sin! The only thing that matters is our relationship with Jesus. In Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus gives us this sobering reminder:
“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” - Matthew 7:22-23 (ESV)
With all of this in mind, how should we live our lives? When we trust in Jesus as our Savior and make Him Lord of our lives, the Bible assures us that we are saved, and that is good news! However, the day that we give our lives to Jesus is just Day One of our relationship with Him - we still have the rest of our lives to cultivate that relationship. When my wife and I married one another, we did so with the intent to live the rest of our lives together. We certainly didn’t finish our wedding ceremony and say, “That was great, but I’m not sure I want to spend any more time with you.” In the same way, we have to build and maintain our relationship with Jesus through a continuous pursuit of Him. Thankfully, God promises that we will find Him when we pursue Him wholeheartedly.
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:12-13 (ESV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” - Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Living our lives for Christ is not easy, but it is worth it! Just as Paul said in Philippians 3:8, nothing else in life can compare to “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord.” Our relationship with Jesus should be treasured above all else.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” - Matthew 13:44 (NIV)
Is your relationship with Jesus like that treasure hidden in a field? Does the worth of knowing Jesus Christ surpass all else in your life? I’m asking myself these questions, too. God has shown us both His love for us and His desire for a deeper relationship with us. We have both the responsibility and privilege of building our relationship with Him every day.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV)