Faith-Righteousness
by Ted Nelson
Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, was given special insight into our identity in Jesus. He was dealing with people who had no knowledge of the Law. God did not want them under law. He did not want them to try to mix law and grace. Therefore, He sent them a man who had lived by the letter of the law, yet still needed Jesus.
Paul, more than anyone, knew the futility of works righteousness. Repeatedly, he spoke of who we are in Christ. All that we have and all we would do, would be the result of the finished work of the Lord Jesus. Remember, he was sent to people who had no hope in the law. And when the Judaizers came and tried to mix law with faith, he continually confirmed that Christ in us was the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). We need not hope in the law.
We need not hope in any of our good works. But we must confidently hope in Christ Jesus, our one and only hope of glory. Paul knew the secret of God’s power was faith righteousness, a message that still confuses the carnal minded.
Faith righteousness is a message that is only understood by revelation, yet a message that is essential to every believer’s victory. Without the absolute confidence of right standing before God, there cannot be an absolute assurance of the promises. And it is by these promises that we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).
Paul knew works righteousness did not bring freedom, but bondage. It actually produced bondage. He also knew that faith righteousness was the only way to know Jesus. It is the only way to fellowship or share in what was accomplished in His sufferings. And it is the only way to know the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10). People who never enter into faith righteousness never get real freedom from the flesh and the various sins that work in the flesh.
Paul discounted all his works, all his qualifications and all his personal accomplishments that he might “...be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Philippians 3:9) Faith righteousness places Jesus at the very center of all that we are, all we have and all we can do in God. It acknowledges the vanity of our own attempts at righteousness and depends on Jesus’ righteousness to be manifest in every area of life.
Faith righteousness is the heart of the message of the cross, because on that cross an exchange took place. In that exchange, God “...made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) It is this message of the cross that will liberate us from sin and deliver us from the works of the flesh.
If we do not believe in righteousness by exchange, there is nothing left but works righteousness. By the works of the law or flesh, no man has ever been justified (Romans 8:3). Works righteousness is a life of legalism that leaves out the grace of God which works in us to deliver us from sin. It places man and his performance at the center.
In Lenski’s commentary on Romans, he talks about the realm of law and the realm of works. The Bible often speaks of law and works. When speaking of law, it is not limited to the Old Covenant law. It could be any realm of law. Anything we do to earn something from God, anything we do apart from faith, anything we do to make us righteous, is in the realm of law, works and flesh. It is also sin (Romans 14:23). It is sin because it rejects the work of Jesus.
The term “flesh” is much like the term “law.” When the Bible speaks of the flesh, it is not talking about this body. It is talking about a realm where we are trying to be made righteous by our own abilities. It is the performance oriented life. People who try to relate to God on the basis of works of law are following to ways of the flesh.
It was essential that we be delivered from law in order to be delivered from the flesh. Romans 7:5 says, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions (passions) of sins, WHICH WERE BY THE LAW, did work in our members...” Law or works causes passion to arise in the members. Until we are free from works, we cannot conquer sin.
In the exchange, we died to the law by the body of Christ (Romans 7:4). Remember, when Christ died, we died. Now that we are delivered from the law (the realm of law), we are able to serve God in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
In other words, we are no longer doing the best we can and hoping that will be acceptable to God. We are believing that we are righteous because of Jesus and trusting the Spirit of God to change us and empower us to live in righteous living. Being in the Spirit is not when we are in a “trance like mystical” state of mind. It is when we are dependent on the Spirit to empower us for righteousness, thereby delivering us from the realm of the flesh.
When we try to serve God in oldness of letter, whether it is the Old Covenant or the New Covenant turned to law, sin will revive. “For I was alive without the law once: BUT WHEN THE COMMANDMENT CAME, SIN REVIVED...” Romans 7:9. Sin comes back to life in a heart that has no room for faith righteousness. Sin thrives where man tries to operate in his own ability. Even if we are able to conquer a problem by the sheer power of our will, we become self righteous. One way or another, sin revives.
Romans 6:14 states that the very reason we are free from sin is because we are no longer under law, but under grace. Grace is God’s ability working in us. Works and law frustrate the grace of God (Galatians 2:21). The word “frustrate” means to set aside or nullify, make void, disesteem and neutralize. When we enter the realm of works, God’s power to free us from sin is nullified. Therefore, sin will always dominate the man who lives in the realm of works.
Many people have debated exactly what Romans 7 is referring to. Is it Paul before he got saved, or after he got saved? Personally, I believe it describes the plight of any person who departs from faith and grace and enters the realm of works. Likewise, when Paul talked about falling from grace in Galatians 5:4, he was not discussing whether or not the person would go to Heaven. He was discussing leaving the realm of grace (God’s ability) and entering back into our own ability.
Christ is of no effect in the life of the person bound to works. We must accept our righteousness in Jesus. This is totally contrary to all the natural aspects of man. We all look at our own failures and shortcomings and say, “How can I call myself righteous? I have all kinds of problems and sins!” Yet we will never really be free from those sins until we receive His righteousness.
Receiving that righteousness starts with believing. If Jesus’ mission was accomplished, and it was, YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST. If you believe that, you will not be able to live any kind of life you choose. If you believe it, you will confess it, thank God for it and live in step with the Spirit of Christ.
The power of righteousness comes alive in the person who believes he is righteous in Jesus. That person has a righteousness conscience. The person, on the other hand, who is operating law has a consciousness of sin. What we have awareness of grows in our life. Accordingly, the person aware of sin falls into more sin, the person aware of righteousness grows in a life of righteousness.
After explaining the exchange, Romans 5:12 gives this example: Sin entered the world through one man. Few people have trouble with this. We all know that we are sinners because of Adam. In him, we all became sinners. We were born with a sin nature. Now, before you got saved, I am sure you did some good things, but those good things did not make you righteous. You were still a sinner. It was your nature to sin. Despite your efforts, you always went back to sin--SIN WAS YOUR NATURE. Keep in mind, doing good occasionally did not make you have a righteous nature.
Because of the sin of Adam, the sentence of death was passed upon all men. You did nothing to receive the ability to die; you were born with that ability. Likewise, in Jesus, by His life we receive the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). Being born a natural birth guarantees us a sin nature, but being born a spiritual birth guarantees us a righteous nature by the gift of righteousness. Just as sin passed the judgment of death on all men, righteousness passes the life of God unto all men. The word for “life” in the original language is the word “zoe,” which according to the Biblio-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek, is the quality of life of the one who gives it. Because we have Jesus’ righteousness, we get to participate in the zoe life of God. This life makes available to us, all that God has and is. And more importantly, it is a product of Jesus’ righteousness.
Romans 5:10 says it this way, “...being reconciled (exchanged) we shall be saved by His life (zoe).” The word “saved” means more than born again. It means healed, delivered, protected, made whole, made well, etc. The reason we have this complete salvation is that we receive His zoe. We receive His Zoe because we receive His righteousness. We receive His righteousness because of the exchange. Accordingly, it is all ours by faith.
You are righteous because you were born of God. Being righteous does not mean you never sin. It means you have a righteous nature. It is now natural for you to live a righteous life. Even though you may fall, you are not a sinner. As the Psalmist said, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” (Psalms 37:24) Proverbs says it like this, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16)
When you had a sin nature, you did some good works occasionally. But those good works could not change your unrighteous nature to become righteous. Likewise, now that you have a righteous nature, when you fall, that cannot change your righteous nature to make you unrighteous. We were born into unrighteousness. Our works did not effect that state of being. Likewise, we are born into righteousness, our works will not effect that state of being.
This is not a permit to sin. A righteous heart hates sin. A righteous heart wants to please God. A righteous heart loves righteousness. And the heart is made righteous only by faith (Romans 5:1, 10:10).
There is a fear in us that this belief will somehow make it possible for men to get by with things. Some could try to use this as a license to sin. Paul, Peter and John warned against and dealt with these same fears. There were groups in the early church that tried to abuse freedom. The Apostles dealt with the issue without abandoning this truth.
To abandon faith righteousness is to abandon the finished work of Jesus. Regardless of how sincere the motive, a departure from faith righteousness is a departure from truth.
by Ted Nelson
Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, was given special insight into our identity in Jesus. He was dealing with people who had no knowledge of the Law. God did not want them under law. He did not want them to try to mix law and grace. Therefore, He sent them a man who had lived by the letter of the law, yet still needed Jesus.
Paul, more than anyone, knew the futility of works righteousness. Repeatedly, he spoke of who we are in Christ. All that we have and all we would do, would be the result of the finished work of the Lord Jesus. Remember, he was sent to people who had no hope in the law. And when the Judaizers came and tried to mix law with faith, he continually confirmed that Christ in us was the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). We need not hope in the law.
We need not hope in any of our good works. But we must confidently hope in Christ Jesus, our one and only hope of glory. Paul knew the secret of God’s power was faith righteousness, a message that still confuses the carnal minded.
Faith righteousness is a message that is only understood by revelation, yet a message that is essential to every believer’s victory. Without the absolute confidence of right standing before God, there cannot be an absolute assurance of the promises. And it is by these promises that we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).
Paul knew works righteousness did not bring freedom, but bondage. It actually produced bondage. He also knew that faith righteousness was the only way to know Jesus. It is the only way to fellowship or share in what was accomplished in His sufferings. And it is the only way to know the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10). People who never enter into faith righteousness never get real freedom from the flesh and the various sins that work in the flesh.
Paul discounted all his works, all his qualifications and all his personal accomplishments that he might “...be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Philippians 3:9) Faith righteousness places Jesus at the very center of all that we are, all we have and all we can do in God. It acknowledges the vanity of our own attempts at righteousness and depends on Jesus’ righteousness to be manifest in every area of life.
Faith righteousness is the heart of the message of the cross, because on that cross an exchange took place. In that exchange, God “...made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) It is this message of the cross that will liberate us from sin and deliver us from the works of the flesh.
If we do not believe in righteousness by exchange, there is nothing left but works righteousness. By the works of the law or flesh, no man has ever been justified (Romans 8:3). Works righteousness is a life of legalism that leaves out the grace of God which works in us to deliver us from sin. It places man and his performance at the center.
In Lenski’s commentary on Romans, he talks about the realm of law and the realm of works. The Bible often speaks of law and works. When speaking of law, it is not limited to the Old Covenant law. It could be any realm of law. Anything we do to earn something from God, anything we do apart from faith, anything we do to make us righteous, is in the realm of law, works and flesh. It is also sin (Romans 14:23). It is sin because it rejects the work of Jesus.
The term “flesh” is much like the term “law.” When the Bible speaks of the flesh, it is not talking about this body. It is talking about a realm where we are trying to be made righteous by our own abilities. It is the performance oriented life. People who try to relate to God on the basis of works of law are following to ways of the flesh.
It was essential that we be delivered from law in order to be delivered from the flesh. Romans 7:5 says, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions (passions) of sins, WHICH WERE BY THE LAW, did work in our members...” Law or works causes passion to arise in the members. Until we are free from works, we cannot conquer sin.
In the exchange, we died to the law by the body of Christ (Romans 7:4). Remember, when Christ died, we died. Now that we are delivered from the law (the realm of law), we are able to serve God in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
In other words, we are no longer doing the best we can and hoping that will be acceptable to God. We are believing that we are righteous because of Jesus and trusting the Spirit of God to change us and empower us to live in righteous living. Being in the Spirit is not when we are in a “trance like mystical” state of mind. It is when we are dependent on the Spirit to empower us for righteousness, thereby delivering us from the realm of the flesh.
When we try to serve God in oldness of letter, whether it is the Old Covenant or the New Covenant turned to law, sin will revive. “For I was alive without the law once: BUT WHEN THE COMMANDMENT CAME, SIN REVIVED...” Romans 7:9. Sin comes back to life in a heart that has no room for faith righteousness. Sin thrives where man tries to operate in his own ability. Even if we are able to conquer a problem by the sheer power of our will, we become self righteous. One way or another, sin revives.
Romans 6:14 states that the very reason we are free from sin is because we are no longer under law, but under grace. Grace is God’s ability working in us. Works and law frustrate the grace of God (Galatians 2:21). The word “frustrate” means to set aside or nullify, make void, disesteem and neutralize. When we enter the realm of works, God’s power to free us from sin is nullified. Therefore, sin will always dominate the man who lives in the realm of works.
Many people have debated exactly what Romans 7 is referring to. Is it Paul before he got saved, or after he got saved? Personally, I believe it describes the plight of any person who departs from faith and grace and enters the realm of works. Likewise, when Paul talked about falling from grace in Galatians 5:4, he was not discussing whether or not the person would go to Heaven. He was discussing leaving the realm of grace (God’s ability) and entering back into our own ability.
Christ is of no effect in the life of the person bound to works. We must accept our righteousness in Jesus. This is totally contrary to all the natural aspects of man. We all look at our own failures and shortcomings and say, “How can I call myself righteous? I have all kinds of problems and sins!” Yet we will never really be free from those sins until we receive His righteousness.
Receiving that righteousness starts with believing. If Jesus’ mission was accomplished, and it was, YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST. If you believe that, you will not be able to live any kind of life you choose. If you believe it, you will confess it, thank God for it and live in step with the Spirit of Christ.
The power of righteousness comes alive in the person who believes he is righteous in Jesus. That person has a righteousness conscience. The person, on the other hand, who is operating law has a consciousness of sin. What we have awareness of grows in our life. Accordingly, the person aware of sin falls into more sin, the person aware of righteousness grows in a life of righteousness.
After explaining the exchange, Romans 5:12 gives this example: Sin entered the world through one man. Few people have trouble with this. We all know that we are sinners because of Adam. In him, we all became sinners. We were born with a sin nature. Now, before you got saved, I am sure you did some good things, but those good things did not make you righteous. You were still a sinner. It was your nature to sin. Despite your efforts, you always went back to sin--SIN WAS YOUR NATURE. Keep in mind, doing good occasionally did not make you have a righteous nature.
Because of the sin of Adam, the sentence of death was passed upon all men. You did nothing to receive the ability to die; you were born with that ability. Likewise, in Jesus, by His life we receive the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). Being born a natural birth guarantees us a sin nature, but being born a spiritual birth guarantees us a righteous nature by the gift of righteousness. Just as sin passed the judgment of death on all men, righteousness passes the life of God unto all men. The word for “life” in the original language is the word “zoe,” which according to the Biblio-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek, is the quality of life of the one who gives it. Because we have Jesus’ righteousness, we get to participate in the zoe life of God. This life makes available to us, all that God has and is. And more importantly, it is a product of Jesus’ righteousness.
Romans 5:10 says it this way, “...being reconciled (exchanged) we shall be saved by His life (zoe).” The word “saved” means more than born again. It means healed, delivered, protected, made whole, made well, etc. The reason we have this complete salvation is that we receive His zoe. We receive His Zoe because we receive His righteousness. We receive His righteousness because of the exchange. Accordingly, it is all ours by faith.
You are righteous because you were born of God. Being righteous does not mean you never sin. It means you have a righteous nature. It is now natural for you to live a righteous life. Even though you may fall, you are not a sinner. As the Psalmist said, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” (Psalms 37:24) Proverbs says it like this, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16)
When you had a sin nature, you did some good works occasionally. But those good works could not change your unrighteous nature to become righteous. Likewise, now that you have a righteous nature, when you fall, that cannot change your righteous nature to make you unrighteous. We were born into unrighteousness. Our works did not effect that state of being. Likewise, we are born into righteousness, our works will not effect that state of being.
This is not a permit to sin. A righteous heart hates sin. A righteous heart wants to please God. A righteous heart loves righteousness. And the heart is made righteous only by faith (Romans 5:1, 10:10).
There is a fear in us that this belief will somehow make it possible for men to get by with things. Some could try to use this as a license to sin. Paul, Peter and John warned against and dealt with these same fears. There were groups in the early church that tried to abuse freedom. The Apostles dealt with the issue without abandoning this truth.
To abandon faith righteousness is to abandon the finished work of Jesus. Regardless of how sincere the motive, a departure from faith righteousness is a departure from truth.
