Righteousness According to Christ’s Efforts

If our righteousness is primarily positional righteousness – we can all breathe a sigh of relief. This means that our right-standing with God has everything to do with the good works of Jesus and not our own works.

The Bible says in Romans 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfiled in us. I like the way The Message translation puts it: And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. Our righteousness is all about ceasing from our own efforts to discern what is right, wrong, good or bad and then trying to live according to that knowledge. Our righteousness is simply embracing what God is doing in us.

The Wuest translation of Romans 8:4 puts it this way: that the righteous requirement of the law may be brought to completion in us who, not as dominated by the sinful nature are ordering our behavior but as dominated by the Spirit. It is simply a matter of whom, or what, is in control: the nature of man or the nature of God. We attempt to order our behaviour when we seek to establish the difference between right and wrong (typically by asking someone else) and then trying to live according to that knowledge in our own effort.

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,* who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-5 nkjv

We can either read this text as an obligation or a promise. We could read this text as a warning to ensure that as Christians we don’t live according to the flesh. We tend to think of the word “flesh” as denoting sexual sin more than anything. Other than that, we often think of carnal behaviour, sinful behaviour, in relation to “the flesh”.

Notice how Paul doesn’t reel-off a list of rules that need to be kept. Paul does not say, “Jesus died on the cross so that you must be forgiven. Now you must make an effort to keep the rules – here are the rules…” There is no mention of specific rules because righteousness is a state of being. Paul often contrasts two states of being in the Bible: believer and unbeliever; sinful nature and divine nature; love and fear; flesh and spirit. Walking according to the spirit is therefore a promise – not an obligation.

When you believe you are the righteousness of God in Christ – there is no need for you to discern the difference between good and evil. The Bible says that if you believe you are right with God through Christ – the Holy Spirit orders your steps. As a child of God you are led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). If you are led by the Holy Spirit – you are not under law (Galatians 5:18). I like the way The Living Bible renders Galatians 5:18 - When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you need no longer force yourself to obey Jewish laws.

I am inclined to use the word readiness to describe righteousness in Christ. The reason for this is that when a believer has been made righteous before God, he is then in a condition whereby God is ready move in his life.

We will continue this study in the next blog entry entitled: Righteousness by Faith.