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THE BELIEVER’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
IT is justly observed by our Lord, that “they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” Persons never value a remedy till they are aware of their disease: they must know their condemnation and misery by the Law, before they will receive with gratitude the glad tidings of the Gospel. On this account St. Paul labours through the whole preceding part of this epistle, and especially in the ten verses before the text, to prove all, both Jews and Gentiles, guilty before God; and to shew that they need a better righteousness than any which they themselves can work out. Then he introduces that righteousness which is exhibited in the Gospel, and is offered to every repenting and believing sinner.
To elucidate the subject before us, we propose to shew,
I. What is that righteousness whereby we are to be saved—
The Apostle’s description of it is as clear and comprehensive as we can possibly desire:
1. It is “the righteousness of God”—
[Twice is it called “the righteousness of God;” by which expression we are to understand that it is a righteousness provided by God for sinful man, wrought out by God himself in the midst of us, and accepted of God on our behalf.
When we were destitute of any righteousness of our own, and incapable of establishing one that should be sufficient for us, God, in his infinite mercy determined to provide one for us, that should be commensurate with the demands of law and justice, and fully adequate to our wants. For this end he sent his co-equal, co-eternal Son to fulfil the precepts of the law which we had broken, and to endure its penalties which we had incurred. The Lord Jesus came into the world and executed his high commission; and thus, as the Prophet Daniel expresses it, “brought in an everlasting righteousness [Note: Dan_9:24.].” He being “Emmanuel, God with us,” his righteousness is truly and properly the righteousness of God. This righteousness God accepts for us as though it were our own. In consideration of what Jesus suffered, he remits our punishment; and in consideration of Christ’s meritorious obedience, he bestows on us the reward of eternal life. Hence, from beginning to end, this is distinguished from the righteousness of man; seeing that it was provided by God the Father, wrought out by God the Son, and shall be accepted both by the Father and the Son on our behalf.]
2. It is a righteousness “without the law”—
[By this expression the Apostle distinguishes it from any righteousness arising from our obedience to the law; and intimates, that it is totally independent of any works of ours, past, present, or future. No works of ours can add to it in the smallest degree, or render it either more satisfactory to God, or more sufficient for us. On the contrary, if we were to attempt to unite any thing of our own with it, instead of rendering it more firm, we should utterly make it void; and instead of securing to ourselves an interest in it, we should cut off ourselves from all hope of acceptance by it [Note: Gal_5:2; Gal_5:4.]. We must not be understood to say, that this righteousness supersedes the practice of good works, (for it lays us under tenfold obligation to perform them [Note: Tit_2:11-12.]) but that it excludes all reliance on our own works, and will on no account admit a creature’s righteousness to participate the honour of justifying us before God.]
3. It is a righteousness “by faith of Jesus Christ”—
[As in the foregoing expressions this righteousness is declared to be God’s, exclusive of any works of man, so here we are told how it becomes ours. But this part of the subject will be more fully considered under the third head of our discourse; I will therefore only observe at present, that we must obtain an interest in this righteousness, not by working, but by believing in Christ. We must no more attempt to purchase it by our works, than to add to it by our works; or, if we will purchase it, we must “buy it without money and without price [Note: Isa_55:1.].”]
To confirm the Apostle’s description, we shall proceed to shew,
II. What evidence we have that this is the only justifying righteousness—
There will be no room left to doubt respecting it, if we consider, that,
1. It was “manifested” to be so by the Gospel—
[This truth had been obscurely intimated under the law; but “now” it was fully “manifested” by the Gospel. When Christ was just entering on his ministry, John Baptist pointed him out as “the Lamb of God that should take away the sins of the world [Note: Joh_1:29.].” Christ himself declared that he was about to “give his life a ransom for many [Note: Mat_20:28.],” and that they were to receive the remission of sins as purchased by his blood [Note: Mat_26:28.]. St. Peter in his very first sermon exhorted the people to believe in Christ for the remission of their sins, and declared to them that there was no other name whereby they could be saved [Note: Act_2:38; Act_4:11-12.]. St. Paul in numberless places insists upon our seeking justification solely by faith in Christ, without the smallest mixture of dependence on our own works [Note: Rom_4:3-5; Rom_4:14; Rom_5:9; Rom_5:15-18.]: and when St. Peter, through fear of the Jews, had given some reason to think that an obedience to the Mosaic ritual ought to be, or at least might be, added to the righteousness of Christ in order to render it more effectual, St. Paul reproved him publicly before all the Church, and reminded him that all, not excepting the Apostles themselves, must be justified solely by the righteousness of Christ, without any works of the law [Note: Gal_2:14-16.]. Is not this a strong confirmation of the point before us?]
2. It was “witnessed by the law and the prophets”—
[The moral law may in some sense be considered as bearing testimony to the righteousness of Christ: for though it makes no express mention of it, yet, by condemning all without exception, it “shuts men up to the faith of Christ,” and serves as “a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ [Note: Gal_3:22-24.].” The ceremonial law in all its ordinances pointed directly to Christ. It is not possible to contemplate the Paschal lamb, or the scape-goat, or indeed any of the sacrifices or ablutions, without seeing Christ prefigured by them, and confessing him to be “the end of the law for righteousness” to believing sinners [Note: Rom_10:4.].
If we consult the prophets, they are unanimous in directing us to Christ. The prophecies that preceded Moses, represent Christ as the one conqueror of the serpent [Note: Gen_3:15.], and the one source of blessedness to man [Note: Gen_12:3; Gen_15:6.]. Moses himself spake of him as the prophet, to whom all must look for instruction and salvation [Note: Act_3:22-23.]. Jeremiah calls him by name, “The Lord our righteousness [Note: Jer_23:6.]:” and Isaiah represents every child of God as saying with exultation, “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength [Note: Isa_45:24-25.].” To adduce more proofs is unnecessary, since we are assured by St. Peter, that all the prophets unite their testimonies to the same effect [Note: Act_3:24; Act_10:43.]. What stronger evidence than this can any man desire?]
But we have further to inquire,
III. How this righteousness becomes ours—
Faith is the means whereby alone we obtain an interest in it—
[This also is twice intimated in the text: nor can it be too often repeated, or too strongly insisted on. We must come to Christ as perishing sinners; and, without attempting to establish, in whole or in part, our own righteousness, we must submit to be saved by his alone [Note: Rom_10:3.]. We must be contented to have his “righteousness imputed to us without works [Note: Rom_4:6.],” and to make his obedience the one ground of our hope [Note: Rom_5:19.]. They alone who thus regard Christ, can properly be said to believe in him; and it is only when we thus believe, that “he is made of God righteousness unto us [Note: 1Co_1:30.].”]
On our believing, it is instantly put to our account—
[This righteousness is bestowed upon us freely by God himself; it is not only given “unto” us as a portion, but is put “upon” us as a garment. In this light it is spoken of by our Lord himself, who counsels us to “buy it of him that we may be clothed, and that the shame of our nakedness may not appear [Note: Rev_3:18.].” Without this, we are despoiled of our innocence, and exposed to shame, as our first parents were upon the introduction of sin: but as they were covered by the skins of their sacrifices according to the direction which God himself had given them [Note: Gen_3:7; Gen_3:21.], so are we by “putting on the Lord Jesus [Note: Rom_13:14.]:” nor, when clothed with his righteousness, can even God himself behold a spot or blemish in us [Note: Eph_5:27.]. Hence the Church rejoices with joy unspeakable [Note: Isa_61:10.], and is rendered meet for the presence of her heavenly bridegroom [Note: Rev_19:8.].]
Application—
Must not the self-righteous moralist then stand confounded before God?
[Surely it is no light matter to pour contempt on the righteousness of God, as though it were insufficient for us without “the filthy rags of our righteousness [Note: Isa_64:6.].” It is no light matter to reject the united testimony of the law and the prophets, of Christ and his Apostles. And as the guilt of such conduct is great, so is also the danger: and whosoever persists in it must irremediably perish [Note: Rom_9:30-32.].]
On the other hand, should not the self-condemning sinner receive encouragement from this subject?
[It is well to condemn ourselves, but not to despond. Twice is it declared in the text, that this righteousness is for “all” who will believe in Christ [Note: Compare Act_13:38-39. with Isa_1:18 and Rom_5:20-21.]. And is it not sufficient for all? Let all then “set to their seal that God is true.” Let them honour the righteousness of Christ by their affiance in it; and it shall be “manifested” to their consciences, no less than in the Scriptures themselves, that it is complete in itself, adequate to our necessities, and effectual for all who rely upon it.]