Series Title: The Line in the Sand
Message Title: I Walk the Line
Scripture: Romans 1:17
For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Introduction:
What is right? What does it mean to be blameless, upright, honorable, honest, good, just, decent and respectable? Should we ask a Major League Baseball player what is right? Maybe those famous baseball players Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens can tell us what is right or what is righteous [both are being investigated by Congress for taking illegal steroids to enhance their performance.]
What about this?
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like a simple radar malfunction. They didn’t have a light problem since they both could see each other. There wasn’t even a thick fog to hide one from the other.
The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first and by the time they came to their senses, it was too late. Both captains felt they were right in what they were doing, and hundreds of people died because of their egotistical actions.
A few years ago, Tom Wolfe wrote a novel about the original Mercury 7 astronauts, which later became a movie in 1983. The title of the book and movie was The Right Stuff. I recall talking to a few people about the movie, and not one of them could really tell me what ‘right’ things make up the right stuff. It sounded like a bunch of prideful, arrogant, egotistical and overconfident men trying to be famous, yet the online plot summary calls them heroes.
What is right? What is righteous? What is righteousness? And, what do they all contain, or what does a person have to do to attain any one of those?
Well, today, we’re going to take a look at righteous and sprinkled in there we may add right, righteous, justify, and justification.
First off…
What is Righteousness?
In order to understand Biblical righteousness, let’s first look at what it is not:
It’s not simply morality:
Luke 18
10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ’God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified [Gr. dikaioo, dik-ah-yo’-o] before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Apparently the Pharisee that Jesus speaks about in this parable was a morally upright man. He followed the laws as given in the Bible. He tithed and fasted twice a week! Moreover, he didn’t steal, commit adultery, or take money from people, like the tax collector. Yet, his self-perceived and self-important moral uprightness was unacceptable to God.
Neither is righteousness goodness:
Mark 10:
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ’Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’" 20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Some might say that this man was afraid that he would not inherit eternal life, so he went running to Jesus. Yet, I believe that he already believed that he was following the right recipe for eternal life, and he wanted Jesus to confirm it for him. But, Jesus doesn’t rationalize the man’s behavior as righteousness and worthy of eternal life; He instead looks into the man’s heart and reveals to the world the man’s true self.
But, still, we can use this passage to know what righteousness is not. This man seemed to be a good man. He was a good Pharisee; he was a good son, a good husband, a good friend and a good neighbor. He was good, yet Jesus tells us basically that simply being good isn’t going to be good enough.
So then, what is righteousness?
Human righteousness in the New Testament is absolute faith in and commitment to God (Matt. 3:15; Rom. 4:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). The one who in faith gives oneself to the doing of God’s will is righteous, doing righteousness, and reckoned righteous by God (Jas. 2:23). The focus of faith in God is the saving activity of God in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26).
In the Old Testament, specifically Leviticus 16 and 19, the nation of Israel maintained its right relationship with God by following certain decrees and rules as a nation. Further, individuals and their families appeared righteous before God by faithfully adhering to specific laws and decrees found in the same book of Leviticus.
However, when Jesus came, He came to abolish the Law. And, if you can’t be righteous through following the law, how can you attain righteousness? Again, human righteousness in the New Testament is absolute faith in and commitment to God (Matt. 3:15; Rom. 4:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). The one who in faith gives oneself to the doing of God’s will is righteous, doing righteousness, and reckoned righteous by God (Jas. 2:23). The focus of faith in God is the saving activity of God in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26).
This is typified in James 2, when James speaks about Abraham:
James 2
21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God’s friend.
James says that Abraham believed God. And, not only did he believe God, he pursued that belief through his actions. Not only did he have faith in God, but he put his faith in gear through his deeds.
Abraham gave himself to the doing of God’s will and was righteous, acted in righteousness, and was reckoned righteous by God, and he was called God’s friend!
That is righteousness…following God’s will in faith (with the focus of one’s faith being the saving activity of Jesus Christ) for your life. With Jesus Christ as the faith focus, our mind, attitude, and outlook begins a transformation process whereby we become more Christ-like each and every day. Now, we can see why Paul said:
(1 Corinthians 15:49) And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the beginning and its end will be made complete in heaven. In the meantime, we have the power of the gospel unto salvation expressed through the Spirit of God indwelling within us. It’s a process of maintaining, yet conforming at the same time. This ongoing process of Christian development through faith is exactly what Paul is talking about when he says in Romans 1:17:
“a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written…”
Righteousness is based on faith. It’s revealed through faith. It moves forward by faith, it matures through faith, and it ends in faith, in heaven. Faith is the Victory. Look at these words in the Hymn "Faith is the Victory," by John Yates and Ira Sankey:
Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise.
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.
Refrain
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God.
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field.
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.
Refrain
On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array.
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.
Refrain
To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in Heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.
Refrain
Can I Be Righteous?
Let’s go back to our passage,
Romans 1:17:
For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Paul tells us that in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed. Remember that the gospel is those three central historic truths: (1) Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, (2) He was buried, and (3) He rose again. So, what is the righteousness from God that is revealed? His Son, He is the righteousness for you and I. We said earlier in our description of righteousness…the one who in faith gives oneself to the doing of God’s will is righteous, doing righteousness, and reckoned righteous by God (Jas. 2:23). The focus of faith in God is the saving activity of God in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26).
The saving activity of God in Jesus Christ IS THE GOSPEL! And, while with Him as your faith focus, you willingly and humbly commit yourself to the doing of God’s will you are then considered righteous, doing righteousness, and reckoned righteous by God.
Further, Paul tells us,
“a righteousness that is by faith from first to last”
Again, righteousness has its beginning in faith and it has its ending in faith. From first to last, and not only that but the progress in between to the end is maintained by faith.
When we say doing righteousness, don’t confuse this with from faith to works, as your faith is what carries you into those works and enables those works to be like Abel’s offering and not Cain’s.
According to scripture, Abel’s sacrifice was considered a better sacrifice because it was offered by faith. And because it was offered by faith, and thereby considered a better sacrifice, Abel was commended as a righteous man.
(Hebrews 11:4) By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
That is why Paul wrapped up verse 17 of Romans 1 with,
“just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.” The righteous will live by faith, and while you’re living by faith, you are serving God by following His will for your life. You are doing righteousness, and will be reckoned righteous by God.
Some will tell you that you can’t be righteous. Well, Isaiah 64:6 speaks to a sacrifice that is offered that does not have a faith focus on Jesus Christ’s saving activity. Someone that is either still dead in their sins, or, has fell out of fellowship with God, falls under Isaiah 64:6…
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Many people will try to convince you that you cannot attain righteousness on this earth. Don’t let them fool you. The Bible doesn’t say that. It tells you what righteousness is and what is not, and, it tells you how to attain righteousness in God’s eyes.
As a matter of fact, Peter puts it in even easier terms:
2 Peter 2
7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
In verse 7 and 8 he establishes that he is talking about a righteous man, and uses the term righteous which in the Greek is dikaios. [Gr. Dikaios>> dik’-ah-yos]. Then, in verse 9, he contrasts godly men with unjust men. The word unjust is adikos [Gr. adikos, ad’-ee-kos] which is the antonym of dike [Gr. Dike, dee’-kay], which has the meaning of right, righteous, or just.
Jesus, Himself, in a verse we used earlier, Luke 18:14, said,
(Luke 18:14) "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Again that word is used, just, justified or right. In this verse it’s rendered as justified, as it is in most places in the New Testament
My point? Many people will easily consider themselves godly men or women, yet they won’t consider themselves righteous while Peter tells us right there in Scripture that they run parallel to each other.
Finally, if we can’t be righteous, why does Jesus tell us:
(Matthew 5:6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
(Matthew 5:10) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“…for they will be filled.” What does Jesus mean we will be filled with if it is not righteousness? Is there something else? No. It can only mean that those that hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled with righteousness.
Summary:
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
God never alters the robe of righteousness to fit man; He changes the man to fit the robe.
Have you been to the Divine tailor? Have you undergone His changes that allow you to wear the robe of righteousness? Can you claim our message title? “I Walk the Line”
Maybe you need to get fitted today…
