Faith and Righteousness

Human righteousness compared with God’s righteousness

Human beings cannot by themselves achieve righteousness

Before we begin the exposition of this biblical passage I want to recap what we studied the last two weeks briefly. We have extensively went over understanding that first we should not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. At the same time we will be shamed for the Gospel at some point or another. Not everyone who hears the Gospel responds accordingly. Second, The Gospel is the power of God unto or for salvation. We are not ashamed of the Gospel because it has the power of God to lead people to Christ and ultimately salvation.

Now today we are learning that salvation brings about a life of faith and that life of faith in Jesus brings us righteousness in God’s eyes. The first thing for us to remember is that Human beings cannot by themselves achieve righteousness. Similar to the fact we cannot save ourselves from our depravity we cannot make ourselves righteous.

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The purpose here today is that we cannot by our own merit become righteous. Just as these three passages state there is no one upon this earth that is righteous and never sins. Which leads to Paul’s writing we are all sinners and fall short to the glory of God. All of our righteous deeds or works are nothing but filthy rags when compared to God. So we cannot do enough good in this life to make ourselves pleasing in the eyes of God. Then Jesus gives us a comparison to the Scribes and Pharisees unless your righteousness surpasses theirs you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Why? Because the Scribes and Pharisees obeyed the Law and tried to live the most righteous lives they could. These self righteous pharisees and scribes if their merits could get them to heaven then it would have but it cannot so Jesus said, we would have to far succeed these religious leaders in our own obedience which is impossible.

True righteousness is the result of the action of God

If a person cannot become righteous by their own merit, how do they become righteous? God has to enact upon the individual before we can be made righteous.

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Faith pleases God

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Righteousness and faith in Jesus Christ

It is God-given and not the result of human effort

; Paul is contrasting this righteousness with his own previous efforts.

See also ; ; It is apparent that faith is not regarded as another kind of “work” which earns salvation; ; ; ;

Faith is centred on Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished

“justified” means “declared righteous” in a legal sense.

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Saving faith is not mere belief, but acting on the basis of that belief

James 2:21–24 NASB95

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.