Unless you receive the gift of righteousness from God, any righteousness you muster will fall short of what he requires.
If I asked, What did God give you when you became a follower of Jesus? what would you say? Stop reading, close your eyes, and think of two things he gave you at that point of conversion.
My guess is you said one of the following: salvation, forgiveness of sins, grace, mercy, eternal life. Most likely you didn’t say one of the most important things God gave you at the point of conversion. He gave you the gift of righteousness.
Scripture uses that phrase in Romans 5:17: “If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (ESV).
The gift of righteousness
Think birthday or Christmas gifts. God has given you a far greater, priceless gift, and it is the gift of righteousness.
In my early teens, my parents gave me the gift of an adult bicycle. I loved that bike and remember everything about it: the metallic-red finish, the wheels narrower than those of a kids’ bike, the ability to go much faster than on my previous bike. That bike changed and enlarged my life, setting me free to go longer distances, to go to the homes of friends farther away, to explore, to simply enjoy riding fast and going where I wanted.
In far greater ways, the gift of righteousness changes your life. It especially changes your life if you understand it.
Martin Luther tormented
For example, in the early 1500s Martin Luther was a Christian scholar who like most people of his time did not understand the gift of righteousness. He believed in foundational Christian teachings such as the Trinity, atonement through Christ’s death, and the nature of Jesus as God and man, but he understood righteousness as something you have in yourself with help from God’s grace. You try hard to be righteous, and then God in righteousness judges your words, thoughts, motives, and deeds as either righteous or not.
As a result, he was miserable, for he knew he never measured up no matter how hard he tried. So he went regularly to confession and meticulously confessed his sins, every single act of omission or neglect, every wrong motive or attitude. He would literally confess for hours. And shortly after leaving the confessional booth, he could turn around and go back in and confess more failures. He was a tormented man, obsessed with the condition of his soul, never sure of his salvation.
Luther’s awakening
Then one day as he studied Romans 1:17, he received the revelation that changed his life and eventually changed the Christian world. This verse says that in the gospel “the righteousness of God is revealed.” He had always understood the phrase “righteousness of God” in the possessive sense, meaning God’s righteousness, in particular God’s righteousness in judging sinners.
Luther’s breakthrough came when he realized that “righteousness of God” meant instead the righteousness that God gives to those who have faith, in other words, the righteousness that comes from God to those who believe. This is using the word of in the same way it is used in the phrases “the rewards of hard work” or “the benefits of healthy eating.”
In other words, Luther came to understand that righteousness is a gift given to those who have faith in Christ.
Paul discovers the gift of righteousness
The apostle Paul had a similar awakening. He had been a Pharisee entirely focused on keeping the Law of Moses so that he could be righteous. Then God revealed to him the gospel message about righteousness being a gift. As a result of that revelation, Paul writes:
“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:8–9, ESV).
The great exchange
The righteousness that God gives you is the righteousness of Jesus himself. This is one half of the Great Exchange. Our sins were credited to Jesus on the cross, and his righteousness is credited to us.
The gift of righteousness is called imputed righteousness. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to you.
Preferring self-righteousness
This sounds wonderful, but not everyone welcomes the idea, in particular those who are proud of their own supposed righteousness and therefore don’t think they need Jesus. The apostle Paul writes of his beloved countrymen:
“My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:1–4).
The same thing is happening today. People of many religions are trying to establish their own righteousness to make themselves acceptable to God apart from Jesus.
It won’t work. That’s like trying to swim from California to Japan nonstop. Some people will swim farther than others, but no one will make it there, not even close.
No one can be righteous on his own. The only way to be acceptable to God is through the gift of righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
What the gift of righteousness tells us about God
What does all this teach us about God and his ways? Remember, God designed the way of salvation long before he created the world, so the gospel reveals his desires.
It tells he wanted to relate to us on the basis of grace and mercy, not our merit. (See Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 11:32; Luke 18:9–14)
It tells of his infinite generosity. He wanted to give us an indescribable gift. (See John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:15)
It tells he is absolutely opposed to human pride and boasting. (See 1 Corinthians 1:29–31; Ephesians 2:8–9) He knows he alone is worthy of all glory, and he will not give his rightful glory to another. (See Isaiah 48:11)
It tells he himself wanted to be our righteousness. (See Jeremiah 23:6)
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Be good, do the right thing, and God will approve of you and welcome you into heaven, regardless of what you believe about Jesus.
God’s way: Acknowledge you can never be good enough for God, no matter how religious or moral you try to be. Just as you can’t swim nonstop from California to Japan, you can’t be holy enough for a perfectly holy God of impeccable justice who promises to one day judge you for everything you’ve ever thought, said, and done. Rely on Jesus alone to give you the gift of his righteousness.
Life principle: Confidence in our relationship with God comes from understanding the gift of righteousness. “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)