October 14

and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith. — Phil 3:9 BSB

Here we see two types of righteousness laid out clearly: one of them must be ours when we stand before God—the righteousness that comes from the law and the righteousness that comes from God by faith in Christ. Remember this, though: for righteousness to count before God, it must be perfect. No person has ever been able to produce this kind of righteousness through their own obedience to the law, because no one has truly loved God “with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength,” or their neighbor as themselves. Anyone who fails to meet this standard is already cursed and condemned by the law, which declares, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them.”

The Apostle Paul recognized that he, as a fallen sinner, could never meet this perfect standard of righteousness, and therefore he was condemned by the law. He trembled in his conscience, knowing that God’s wrath was revealed against all who remained unjustified under the broken law. He realized that he would face eternal condemnation under God’s terrible judgment if he had no covering for his needy, naked soul other than his own flawed righteousness. In his desperation, he fled from his own righteousness to find justification, mercy, and peace in the righteousness of Christ. From that point forward, he determined to know nothing except “Jesus Christ and him crucified,” and Christ became everything to him. Once Paul had seen the righteousness of the Son of God, he knew he needed no other righteousness for either time or eternity. By faith, he saw the perfect words and works of the God-man, with Deity imprinted upon every thought, word, and action of Christ’s pure humanity. This union of divine and human natures gave Christ’s obedience a merit beyond anything men or angels could comprehend.

Paul saw by faith that Christ bore his sins in His own body on the cross and, through both His active and passive obedience, worked out a righteousness that was fully acceptable to God. This righteousness was one in which Paul, and all the redeemed, could stand before the great white throne without spot or blemish.

Just as a traveler caught in a violent thunderstorm seeks shelter in a nearby house, or a ship facing a hurricane races toward the safety of a harbor, so the soul, terrified by the thunders of God’s righteous law, seeks refuge in the wounded side of Jesus and hides beneath His justifying righteousness. This righteousness is called “the righteousness of God” because God the Father planned it, God the Son fulfilled it, and God the Holy Spirit applies it to the believer’s heart. It is received by faith and “through the faith of Christ” because faith sees, believes, and embraces this righteousness, giving the soul a saving interest in it.