THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE LAW

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOKLET

THE 

RIGHTEOUSNESS 

OF GOD THAT IS 

DIFFERENT 

FROM THE LAW

By Nyron Medina for the service of THUSIA SDA.

INTRODUCTION

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 works 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 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, will study this booklet, in Jesus’ holy Name. Amen.

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE LAW.

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

Romans 1:16, 17.

2. This Righteousness is given into all that believe. Romans 3:22.

3. It is a Righteousness that is different from the Law. Romans 3:21.

4. 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.

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.

7. 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, and “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.

8. 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.

9. 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 that 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.

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, and 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 righteousness of God by which He is 

essentially righteous but the righteousness which they can obtain only by faith in Christ.” 

Ibid, p. 77.

14. 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.

“Furthermore, 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.