OBTAINING GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS

Obtaining God's Righteousness


In His farewell speech, Jesus instructed His disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15)

What is this gospel which was to be preached to every creature?

Paul, one of His disciples commissioned to preach this message, affirmed that the gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

How does the gospel of Christ represent the power of God to save everyone?

happy group of people Paul reveals the secret: “For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ” (Romans 1:17)  Those who believe the gospel will be saved. Those who will not believe the gospel will be condemned.

Jesus admonished us: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)  The gospel reveals the way to obtain God’s righteousness, and when we have His righteousness, we shall lack nothing!

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My Law: Do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.”  (Isaiah 51:7)

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them . . . Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." (Hebrews 10:16-17)

God’s righteousness is revealed in His Law.  Those who are righteous will have His Law in their hearts, and will thus be able to walk righteously before Him.

So how can we do the works of God? How can we obtain His righteousness?

By believing in His Son.

"Then they said to Him,'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.'" (John 6:28-29)

By believing in God’s plan of salvation centered in His Son, we will obtain the power needed to do His works. In other words, we will obtain the power to keep His Law.

Can we ever become righteous before Him by our own works?

Ten Commandments Never.

“The just [righteous] shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

If we think that our works play any role in obtaining God's righteousness, then we are adding to His gospel.  And we are warned explicitly not to add to His words.

“Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:6)

All that God requires in order to bestow upon us His righteousness is faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  His righteousness alone enables us to keep His Law.  There is no place for our own works in His gospel.

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

The keeping and understanding of these Biblical doctrines is dependent upon one thing: the indwelling of God's righteousness, which can only be obtained through faith in the saving gospel of Christ Jesus.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Any gospel that preaches that salvation is attained by combining other elements with faith is a false gospel.

praise - man with arms uplifted looking towards heaven.
The greatest news that can be proclaimed in these closing moments of Earth's history is that God's righteousness is freely available to ANYONE who believes that Jesus, as our Saviour, is able to empower us to keep His Law ALL THE TIME, when we fully surrender our lives to Him.

We do not keep the Law in order to be saved; we keep the Law because we are saved!  HalleluYAH!

When we keep God's Law by His enabling grace, we then are regarded as righteous, for His Law reflects His righteousness. This is the essence of the gospel, the best news that can be given to the perishing world in these last days.

It is no wonder that Paul could exultingly declare:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, . . . For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.' " (Romans1:16-17)