Righteousness Apart from Law

Reflections

                                                             But now the righteousness of God completely apart from law keeping is manifested. (Rom. 3:21)

 

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There are thousands of professing Christians today who believe that grace is the desire and power to do God’s will – i.e., they believe that grace is given as a POWER to keep right with God through their works. But unwittingly, they are really saying that grace puts them back under law — they are saying that we must keep right with God through works, and that grace is what enables us to do those works. That is nonsense. For what about when we sin? Then where is grace? This confusion keeps many under condemnation, fear, and guilt.

The fact is, grace is not a power to keep right with God through works. Grace is a Person in Whom we are right with God completely apart, or independent from, any works — completely apart from anything about US.

The idea that our works have no input as to our righteousness before God runs completely contrary to human thinking. We think that if all is of grace that we will feel free to sin. In reality, we use law because we are in bondage to sin — and blind to Christ. The solution is a, “repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” (II Cor. 7:10) In other words, we need a be born from above.

The grace of God is not given as some power to keep God’s law — so that we can stay right with God by OUR works. No. We are right with God solely by His grace through faith in Christ — completely apart from OUR works. That is because the grace of God is not a power, a thing, or a classification. The grace of God is a Person – Christ Jesus. He is the One who is, “full of grace and Truth.” (John 1:7) And if Christ is in us, then because He is in us, and ONLY because He is in us – we are right with God completely independent from any law-keeping.

Jesus Christ IS our righteousness. (I Cor. 1:30) There is no such thing as righteousness by works. It doesn’t exist. It is a lie; a deception. Christ alone is the righteousness of God. And He is in the believer. He is the righteousness of God APART from works.