“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (Rom 10:3, NKJV)
The character trait of righteousness means being right or righteous. It was originally spelt rightwiseness, which clearly delineates its definition. Righteousness is one of the aspects of God’s character that are eternal and unchanging, a result of his holiness. God cannot be anything but righteous in all His acts and decisions.
In strong contrast to this is man, who lost his sense for righteousness with the Fall. Isa 64:6 considered the fallen state of man and described it aptly: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Job shares this despairing view in 15:14-16: “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water!” We are thus all born into unrighteousness (Ps 51:5)! Here is Paul’s view – “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.” (Rom 7:18).
It seems to be clear – neither you nor I nor any person has any righteousness within himself. None.
Thus God states in Isa 57:12: “I will declare your righteousness and your works, for they will not profit you.”
Self-righteousness occurs when you are unaware of the real depth of your decay – “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. ” (Rev 3:17).
Not even your religious and good works have any inherent righteousness! “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’” (Rom 3:10-12). Therefore Paul later clearly spells it out: “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Gal 2:16 affirms this – “[K]nowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Self-righteousness opposes God’s grace. Any person who considers himself higher than another individual has loosened himself from the grace of God.
- Sela: It is time to come before God with a repenting heart
- Read: 2 Kings 20; Jer 21; 2 Cor 4
- Memorise: 2 Cor 4:7
