The Righteousness of Faith

Today’s reading: Romans 9, 10, 11, Proverbs 23

Romans 9:30-32
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not ask it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

I have a simple message in my blog today: Righteousness – the state of being made right with God – can only be attained by faith. It can never be attained by good works we do, no matter how Biblical they are. The children of Israel kept stumbling over this.

They knew the requirements of the law and tried real hard to live up to them. Yet the Bible says to violate one law is to be guilty of all. Surely the Jews would learn by their experience this was an impossible pursuit. The purpose of the law was to point us toward our need for a Savior, not make us right with God. Most of the Jews, especially the Jewish leaders, didn’t get it.

They attempted to keep everyone under their influence on the treadmill of pursuing right standing with God by their works. This just doesn’t work. It is a futile effort that only produces guilt, fear, and frustration in our lives. My son Michael recently gave me a definition of “trying” the Lord revealed to him. He said trying is making effort with the expectation of failure. Wow! That is liberating revelation.

I refuse to make effort with the expectation of failure. When it comes to serving God and walking in obedience to His Word I am not “trying” anymore. That is nothing more than works and law that produce another round of failure and frustration in my life. Instead I am committing myself to obedience by trusting Him and depending on His life and ability in me.

That’s what the Bible means when it says, “Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world” – I Jn. 4:4. When I place my trust in the Greater One Who lives in me, it produces a peace and confidence that makes my obedience easy, almost second nature. I am not “trying” to obey or live for God anymore. I am simply allowing Him to live His life through me.

This kind of righteousness – the righteousness of faith – is the only kind of righteousness that pleases God. It’s the only way to live and the only way to find true peace and produce lasting fruit in your life. Think about it.