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Righteousness
There are many truths in the Bible we sometimes struggle
with, the subject of righteousness in one of them. I myself have had problems
with understanding biblical righteousness. I must say, that I have not found a
better explanation on this subject, than the one I found in William MacDonald
Bible Commentary. The first time the word is found is in Romans 1:17, where Mr.
MacDonald pauses to give his thoughts on this word. The following is from his
commentary:
1:17 Since
the word righteousness occurs here for the first time in the Letter, we
will pause to consider its meaning. The word is used in several different ways
in the New Testament, but we shall consider only three uses.
First, it
is used to describe the characteristic of God by which He always does what is
right, just, proper, and consistent with all His other attributes. When we say
that God is righteous, we mean that there is no wrong, dishonesty, or
unfairness in Him.
Second, the
righteousness of God can refer to His method of justifying ungodly sinner. He
can do this and still be righteous because Jesus as the sinless Substitute has
satisfied all the claims of divine justice.
Finally,
the righteousness of God refers to the perfect standing, which God provides for
those who believe on His Son (2 Cor. 5:21). Those who are not in themselves
righteous are treated as if they were righteous because God sees them in all
the perfection of Christ. Righteousness is imputed to their account.
Which is
the meaning in verse 17? While it could be any of the three, the righteousness
of God seems to refer especially to His way of justifying sinners by faith.
The
righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel. First the gospel tells us that
God's righteousness demands that sins be punished, and the penalty is eternal
death. But then we hear that God's love provided what His righteousness
demanded. He sent His Son to die as a Substitute for sinners, paying the
penalty in full. Now because His righteous claims have been fully satisfied,
God can righteously save all those who avail themselves of the work of Christ.
God's
righteousness is revealed from faith to faith. The expressing from
faith to faith may mean: (1) from God's faithfulness to our faith; (2) from
one degree of faith to another; or (3) by faith from start to finish. The last
is the probable meaning. God's righteousness is not imputed on the basis o
works or made available to those who seek to earn or deserve it. It is revealed
on the principle of faith alone. This is in perfect agreement with the divine decree
in Habakkuk 2:4. "The just shall live by faith," which may also be
understood to mean "The justified-by-faith ones shall live."
In the
first seventeen verses of Romans, Paul has introduced his subject and stated
briefly some of the principal points. He mow addresses the third main question,
"Why do men need the gospel? The answer, in brief, is because they are lost
without it. But this raises four subsidiary questions: (1) Are the heathen who
have never heard the gospel lost? (1:18-32); (2) Are the self-righteous
moralists, whether Jews or Gentiles Lost? (2:1-16); (3) Are God"s ancient
earthly people, the Jews lost? (2:17 - 3:8): (4) Are all men lost? (3:9-20).
I will stop
here, if you want the answers to the questions above read the following:
The Universal Need for the Gospel (Romans 1:18 - 3:20).
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