THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS DIFFERENT FROM THE LAW.

The Righteousness of God is in the Gospel, and it is what makes the Gospel works. Romans 1:16,17.

This Righteousness is given into all that believe. 

Romans 3:22.

It is a Righteousness that is different from the Law. 

Romans 3:21.

We must be found in the Truths or Faith of Jesus Christ, in the Judgment, having this Righteousness of God by Faith . Philippians 3:9.

5. But what is the Righteousness of God? It is YHWH Himself. Jeremiah 23:5,6.

Martin Luther tells us the problem he had about the phrase “… the righteousness of God …” that kept him from being converted. He says:

“I had indeed been captivated with an extraordinary ardor for understanding Paul in the epistles to the Romans. But up till then it was not the cold blood about the heart, but a single word in Chapter 1[:17], “In it the righteousness of God is revealed,” that had stood in my way. For I hated that word “righteousness of God,” which, according to the use and custom of all the teachers, I had been taught to understand philosophically regarding the formal or active righteousness, as they called it with which God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner. Though I live as monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, “As if, indeed, it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the Law of the Decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath!” Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience.” Edited by John Dillenberger, Martin Luther: Selections from his Writings, pp. 10-11.

Then Luther tells us the differences in interpretation about the “Righteousness of God” that brought about his conversion. “At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the Righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’” There I began to understand that the Righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the Righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteousness shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon I ran through the scriptures from memory. I also found in other terms an analogy as, the work of God, that is, what God does in us, the power of God, with which he makes us strong, the wisdom of God, with which he makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God. And I extolled by sweetest word with a love as great as the hatred with which I had before hated the word “Righteousness of God.” Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise. Later I read Augustine’s The Spirit and the Letter, where contrary to hope I found that he, too, interpreted God’s righteousness in a similar way, as the righteousness with which God clothes us when he justifies us. Although this was heretofore said imperfectly and he did not explain all things concerning imputation clearly, it nevertheless was pleasing that God’s righteousness with which we are Justified was taught.” Ibid, pp. 11-12.

Later, in Luther’s article “Two kinds of Righteousness”, he explains what the term “the Righteousness of God” meant. “The first is alien righteousness, that is the righteousness of another, instilled from without. This is the Righteousness of Christ by which he justifies though faith, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 1[:30]: “Whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”” Ibid, p. 86.

“Just as a bridegroom possesses all that is his bride’s and she all that is his—for the two have all things in common because they are one flesh—so Christ and the church are one spirit … Therefore everything which Christ has is ours, graciously bestowed on us unworthy men out of God’s sheer mercy, although we have rather deserved wrath and condemnation, and hell also.” Ibid, p. 87.

“Through faith in Christ, therefore Christ’s righteousness becomes our righteousness and all that he has becomes ours; rather, he himself becomes ours. Therefore the apostle calls it “the Righteousness of God” in Romans 1.” Ibid, p. 87.

Luther further explains about this new understanding of the Righteousness of God.

“This is an infinite righteousness, and one that swallows up all sins in a moment, for it is impossible that sin should exist in Christ. On the contrary, he who trusts in Christ exists in Christ; he is one with Christ, having the same righteousness as he. It is therefore impossible the sin should remain in him. This righteousness is primary; it is the basis, the cause, the source of all our own actual righteousness. For this is the righteousness given in place of the original righteousness lost in Adam. It accomplishes the same as that original righteousness would have accomplished; rather, it accomplishes more. It is in this sense that we are to understand the prayer in Psalm 30 [Ps. 31:1]: “In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge, let me never be put to shame; in thy righteousness deliver me!” It does not say “in my” but “in thy righteousness,” that is, in the righteousness of Christ my God which becomes ours through faith and by the grace and mercy of God. In many passages of the Psalter, faith is called “the work of the Lord,” “confession,” “power of God,” “mercy,” “truth,” “righteousness.” All these are names for faith in Christ, rather, for the righteousness which is in Christ. The Apostle therefore dares to say in Gal. 2 [:20], “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.” He further states in Eph. 3 [:14 –17]: “I bow my knees before the father … that … he may grant … that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith.” Therefore this alien righteousness, instilled in us without our works by grace alone - while the Father, to be sure, inwardly draws us to Christ - is set opposite original sin …” Ibid, pp. 87-88.

Here is a chart showing the different concepts of righteousness as Luther believed before conversion and after conversion.

The Wrong Concept The Right Concept 

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF b. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS

OF GOD OF GOD

FORMAL ACTIVE A GIFT OF GOD

RIGHTEOUSNESS

PASSIVE

GOD IS RIGHTEOUS RIGHTEOUSNESS

AND PUNISHES

THE WORK OF GOD 

WHAT GOD DOES IN US

THE POWER OF GOD 

THE WISDOM OF GOD

THE STRENGHT OF

GOD 

THE SALVATION OF

GOD

THE GLORY OF GOD

ALIEN 

RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS

OF CHRIST

EVERYTHING CHRIST

HAS IS OURS

AN INFINITE 

RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS

OF CHRIST MY GOD

RIGHTEOUSNESS 

INSTILLED IN US

11. From what is seen in the new view of Luther that caused his conversion, the Righteousness of God is not the fact that “God is righteous and punishes” , as he once believed, or Christ’s personal obedience to the Law, as some teach; but, coming out of the darkness of Romanism, Luther saw the Righteousness of God as “infinite righteousness”, as “Christ Himself”, and this implies not Christ humanity or His doing and dying, but His divine nature. Here is Luther again:

a. “Thus the soul is cleansed from all her sins by virtue

of her dowry, i.e., for the sake of her faith. She is made free and unfettered, and endowed with the eternal righteousness of Christ, her bridegroom.” 

Luther, quoted in, William M. Landeen, Martin 

Luther’s Religious Thought, p. 143.

b. “If I keep the conviction that only Christ is my Right- teousness and Holiness, no monk will ever beguile me …” Ibid, p. 143

c. “Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness …” Ibid, p.144.

d. Now the name of God is mercy, truth, righteousness, strength, wisdom …” Luther in excerpts from his works called, Luther as Interpreter of Scripture, p. 29.

12. Though Luther’s thoughts are not fully clear on the “Righteousness of God”, one can see the divinity of Christ implied in his statements on the Righteousness of God. But one is certainly not seeing Christ’s obedience to the Law of God.

a. “But you will never see the name of the Lord more clearly than you do in Christ. There you will see how good, pleasant, faithful, righteous and true God

is, since He did not spare His own Son (Romans 8:32). Through Christ He will draw you to Himself. Without this righteousness it is impossible for the heart to be pure.” Ibid, p. 30.

b. “But God has placed this name of His on Christ, as He foretold through Moses. This is a righteousness that is bountiful, given without cost, firm, inward, eternal, true, heavenly, divine; it does not earn, receive, or seek anything in this life. Indeed, since it is directed towards Christ and His name, which is righteousness, the results is that the righteousness of Christ and of the Christian are one and the same …” Ibid, p. 31.

c. “For He is the Sun of Righteousness, which again rises for us.” Ibid, p. 124.

13. Some people may think that Luther did not understand the “Righteousness of God” to mean God’s Nature of Love because of these statements that He made:

“The righteousness of God is the cause of our salvation. This righteousness, however, is not that according to which God Himself is righteous as God, but that by which we are justified by Him through faith in the gospel.” Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, p. 41.

“The Apostle therefore does not describe the righteous

ness of God by which He is essentially righteous but the righteousness which they can obtain only by faith in Christ.” Ibid, p. 77.

What Luther is denying here is the Righteousness of God as a mere attribute of God, like His justice by which He gives man his due or punishes sinners, he is not denying that it is the nature of God, His divinity or Love.

“Further more, it is clear that the righteousness of God in view here cannot be the mere attribute of divine righteousness … The traditional reformation interpretation of the righteousness of God is basically correct. It is not the attribute of God by which he renders to each his due (the active righteousness of God) …” Lee Irons, The Righteousness of God, pp. 1, 3.

15. Proof that Luther sees the Righteousness of God as divine or God’s salvific Love, can be seen in these following statements of his.

a. Luther calls it divine Righteousness.

“ … God’s righteousness is commended by His work in us … through such faith He justifies us, that is, He declares us as righteousness. This is the faith-righteousness and a truly divine righteousness, which He works (in us).” Martin Luther, Commentary On 

Romans, p. 68.

b. Luther calls the Righteousness of God everlasting and divine. 

“ … however, that true righteousness which is perfect, everlasting, and altogether divine, and which we may obtain only through faith in Christ.” Ibid, p. 69.

In understanding the Righteousness of God we see that the Jews caused God’s name (His Righteousness) to be blasphemed. (Romans 2:23, 24).

17. We see also that “the Righteousness of God” in Romans 3:5 is not merely an attribute of God, but His glory which is His nature. Roman 3:5,7.

a. “ … the righteousness of God … His glory.”

b. Parallelism is seen in Romans 3:5,7.

“ … our unrighteousness … ” Romans 3:5.

“ … my lie … Romans 3:7.

“ … commend the Righteousness of God …” Romans 3:5.

“ … more abounded … unto his glory …” Romans 3:7.

c. Thus God’s glory is His Righteousness, and this is His divinity not just an attribute. Isaiah 42:8; Psalms 48:10; Romans 3:5,7).

The Law that the righteousness of God is different to is the Law of the Ten Commandments, the physical Law. Romans 3:9 - 21.

19. Proof that the Righteousness of God is the Glory of God in Romans 3, is further seen in that it is given to us who have come short of the Glory of God (His Nature). Romans 3:22, 23.

a. Man has sinned which is transgression of the Law. Romans 3:23, 1 John 3:4).

b. Man through the same Faith that gives the Righteousness of God is made to keep the Law. Romans 3:28,30,31.

c. Man has come short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23.

d. He is made to glorify God by being given His Righteousness through Faith, (this is being given His Glory). Romans 3:22.

e. Abraham is given this same Righteousness of God through Faith that he may give glory to God. Romans 4:1– 11, 13, 20 - 22.

20. The following shows that what is called an attribute of 

God is a “trait” of His Divine Nature.

a. God’s Divinity (divine nature) 2 Peter 1:4. (Romans 7:14).

1. GOD IS GOD

2. GOD IS GLORY 

3. GOD IS WILL 

4. GOD IS CREATOR 

5. GOD IS LIFE 

6. GOD IS SAVIOR 

7. GOD IS ETERNAL 

8. GOD IS GRACE

9. GOD IS TRUTH 

10. GOD IS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

b. Because God is the Spiritual principles of the Law in Nature, He has these following “attributes” or “traits” of Character. (This is just a sample). 

i. Long suffering. 

ii merciful 

iii. Justice

iv. Uprightness

c. The Spiritual Law is love, God’s Nature. (Romans 13:8 - 10; 1 John 4:8,15,16).

d. Because God is love in Nature He has these active attributes or traits which are all righteous.

A most important study anyone can embark upon is a study concerning the Righteousness of God which is apart from the Law in Romans 3:21. This Righteousness of God is what makes the Gospel of Christ work to save anyone who believes in it. The Gospel is the only science or the mechanism of God to save, because the Righteousness of God is in it as the active salvific ingredient. The Gospel is the vehicle for the Righteousness of God, thus when the Gospel is explained or exegeted, it unveils or reveals the Righteousness of God that is different to the Law of God, and which satisfies one’s theological logic and motivates genuine obedience to the same Law of God.

This means, that if one has a false idea of what is the Righteousness of God, he has fallen short of the Gospel, and no Gospel, no Salvation. A study, therefore, on what is the Righteousness of God from the Bible can be nothing but highly 

rewarding. In this study we look at the false concept of the Righteousness of God as was held by the greatest of Protestant reformers, Martin Luther, before his conversion and his new discovery of the true Biblical teaching on the Righteousness of God that led to his conversion and the great Protestant reformation. We shall also look at the Roman Catholic current teaching on the subject, and that of the present Evangelical churches.

But by far the most greatest thing we shall look into is the Righteousness of God that is apart from the Law and that is testified of in the Law (the writings of Moses) and in the prophets (the rest of the writings of the First Witness). As usual, this study is written in such a way as to encourage personal thought and the formation of ideas by the conviction of the Holy Spirit unto the personal edification of the student and the development of his theological logic; it is also hoped that the false theological structures that have been built up owing to errors concerning the Righteousness of God, will be abandoned so that the Truth of the Gospel will take its place to the salvation of the individual. May the Grace of God through the Spirit of Truth be with all who, in willingness to do God’s will, study this booklet, in Jesus’ holy Name. Amen.