Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleAttaining to Righteousness
Bible TextRomans 9:30-33
Date05-Jan-2018
Article Type Article
 

ATTAINING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS


Romans 9: 30: What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31: But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32: Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33: As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.


Righteousness is a state of moral, legal perfection equal to God and approved of by God. To enter God’s presence we must be righteous as God. This passage shows how some sinners attained this righteousness and why some sinners did not attain this righteousness.

 

Two Ways, Two Outcomes

 

The Gentile nations never had the law which God gave to Israel at Mt. Sinai. Until God sent the gospel, God never gave the Gentiles any of the advantages he gave to Israel: no revelation from God, no word from God, no promises from God. They were ungodly, sinful, spiritually dead idolaters, without God and alienated from God (Eph 2; 12)—not seeking God, not trying to be righteous before God, only spiritually dead sinners unworthy of anything but hell and condemnation.

 

     On the other hand, God gave Israel the law at Mt. Sinai, prophets and Christ even came to them first.  But Israel went to work zealously trying to attain righteousness by keeping the law by their works and refused to believe on Christ.

 

    The outcome is that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, “have attained to righteousness.”  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, “hath not attained to the law of righteousness.” (Rom 9: 30-31) The Gentiles attained to righteousness because when God sent them the gospel, they believed on Christ—“even the righteousness which is of faith.” Israel did not attain to righteousness because they sought righteousness by the works of the law and rejected Christ—“they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone.”

 

Believe Unto Righteousness

 

Christ Jesus is the righteousness of God. When God gives a sinner faith to believe on Christ then Christ becomes the end of the believer’s attempts to justify himself by his law-keeping because the believer is made righteous in Christ by Christ’s works. (Rom 8: 3-5; 10: 1-4) Christ is the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness which every sinner must have to be accepted of God. We are made righteous by God, by his Son, by his grace, through God’s gift of faith, not by our works. (Eph 2: 8-9; Rom 10: 5)

 

     May God persuade us that our law-works never make us righteous. Believe on Christ in your heart and confess him with your mouth—this is how God has chosen to freely give the righteousness of Christ to sinners like us. (Rom 10: 8-11)