W hen a man comes before God for judgment, he will be pronounced righteous and accepted by God, in other words, justified, if he has fulfilled all the requirements of the law. However, as Paul demonstrated, no man is able to fulfil the law perfectly. Therefore no one can be righteous before God by his works. If man possesses no righteousness of his own, how can he ever be deemed righteous before God? The good news is God provides righteousness. Paul calls this the “righteousness of God without the law”. This righteousness is God’s righteousness: how He acts in accordance with His holy nature to put people in a right relationship with Himself. God’s righteousness is revealed in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. By His sinless life of perfect obedience and by bearing the full penalty for our sins on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made it possible for sinners to be forgiven and declared righteous by God. The phrase “righteousness of God” also means this righteousness comes from God. It is not obtained by keeping the law but given freely to men by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. We do not deserve it and can do nothing to earn it. It is a gift of God. Do you rely on the things you are doing for yourself or even for God, for your salvation? Or do you trust in the Lord Jesus and what He has done? Cease from your work and rest in the finished work of Christ. True righteousness comes, not by the law, but through faith in Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. – Philippians 3:8-9
LESSON
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
THOUGHT
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