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.

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