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)