Romans 10-0 The Righteousness of Christ is Our Righteousness#
Romans 10-0 The Righteousness of Christ is Your Righteousness
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. At this moment, we gather here again to listen to your words. May the Holy Spirit lead our brothers and sisters, granting us your revelation and supply, allowing us to know you more deeply through your word, to understand how to use the truth, and to recognize that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is our righteousness. May we hold fast to our identity without wavering, and we commit every brother and sister who seeks you into your hands. Holy Spirit, guide us in the time ahead. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
The topic we share is: The Righteousness of Christ is Your Righteousness.
Romans 10:1-11:
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down from above); 7 or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we preach: 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
The righteousness we believe in and receive is different from that of the Israelites. Paul loves the Israelites very much, as mentioned in the previous chapters. Paul wishes for the Israelites to be saved, even willing to lose everything and be rejected himself, especially hoping that his fellow countrymen can believe in Jesus Christ. Here, Paul still earnestly hopes for their salvation.
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. The desire means longing, wish, yearning. Paul particularly longs for his fellow countrymen to receive salvation; this is Paul's prayer for the salvation of the Israelites.
Although Paul has such a heart, it does not mean that the Israelites are willing to act this way. The Israelites still rejected Jesus. It does not mean that the Israelites have no hope; they still have the opportunity to be saved because the door of salvation has not been closed today. As long as they are willing to turn back, they can still be saved. The door of the gospel is open to everyone, whether Jew or Gentile.
Paul's prayer for the salvation of the Jews is something he takes very seriously. When Paul began preaching, he usually went to the synagogue first to preach the gospel to his fellow countrymen. Later, he became the apostle to the Gentiles, but he still hoped that his fellow countrymen could hear the gospel because they were confused in their faith.
In John 4, Jesus also said: "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." To emphasize again, although the Jews rejected Jesus, the undeniable fact is that salvation came from the Jews. Where did the Israelites go wrong?
Verse 2: I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Paul is not saying that what the Israelites are doing now is completely useless. They are a group of people with zeal for God, but not according to true knowledge. This means that today some brothers and sisters' service may resemble that of the Israelites, based on zeal rather than faith. Why do the Jews act out of zeal?
The Jews have learned much about God, know the statutes and commandments given by God, even the law, but they do not have true knowledge of God. This does not mean they lack knowledge in quantity, but rather in correctness, truthfulness, and completeness. Their understanding of God is fragmented, one-sided, and incomplete.
Why is the Israelites' understanding of God incomplete and incorrect? Because they are under the law, do not accept Jesus, and do not know that Jesus has fulfilled the law. The New Covenant has already come, yet they still live under the Old Testament law, and their understanding of God remains stuck in the past.
The Israelites do not understand God's righteousness. God is completely holy and just, but what is the condition of man? Sinful, unable to reach God's perfection. How can a person be accepted by God? When man cannot meet God's requirements, he must die. But God loves us, so He sent His Son to save us, providing us with complete righteousness, restoring peace in the relationship between man and God.
The Israelites do not know how God justifies and how to be accepted by Him. They have relied on their own efforts to keep the law. This is the current state of the Israelites; they do not know that the New Covenant has come, and that God has given them righteousness as a gift through Jesus. But the Israelites want to establish their own righteousness, hoping to please God through their good deeds.
We should not go to extremes. Many people say that the Bible does not mention Christmas, so why celebrate such a holiday? We do not please God through holidays; we simply use holidays to commemorate Jesus. Is there anything wrong with having a day in the year to commemorate Jesus Christ? Some people strongly oppose celebrating Christmas, believing it does not align with God's will and is not accepted by God...
They want to establish their own righteousness, saying that we should only observe the holidays mentioned in the Bible, but this is not God's intention. We do not please God through various holidays, celebrations, or rituals. It is to commemorate God's works on such days.
The Israelites want to gain God's approval through the law, so they strive to obey it, trying to be good and please God with their good deeds, creating their own way to be accepted by God. But what did Jesus say to these people?
Mark 7:6-9
6 Jesus said, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." 9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition."
When we try to please God with our actions and various worship rituals, in reality, people cannot meet God's requirements because they cannot keep all the law.
The Israelites do not know God's righteousness and want to establish their own righteousness, not realizing that God has already given the righteousness of Christ as a gift. They still want to achieve God's righteousness through their own methods, which is to reject the righteousness given by God, not believing that God has provided the best righteousness, still wanting to meet God's requirements through old ways. This is a very critical issue; they refuse to accept Jesus Christ, not knowing that Jesus Christ is God's righteousness.
When we seek God, we should not act out of zeal, like the Israelites. We should act out of faith! We should not think that through our good deeds we can say, "Lord, I have prayed for ten hours today; you should be pleased with me, right? Lord, I have shared the gospel ten times; you will listen to my prayers, right..." This is zeal for God, not faith; it is establishing our own righteousness.
Zeal comes from within a person, but faith comes from Jesus Christ. The Bible mentions a person named Elijah, who initially lived by faith. When he told King Ahab that he had sinned, and if he did not pray, it would not rain for three and a half years, it came to pass. When the time came, and he saw Ahab again, he prayed again, and rain came down. Because Elijah killed the false prophets in the country, Ahab's wife Jezebel wanted to kill Elijah...
Elijah ran away. At this time, it was not by God's faith but by his own zeal. As he walked, he came to a juniper tree and wished he could die. God used a raven to bring him bread. Later, he came to the mountain of God.
1 Kings 19:9-10
9 There he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."
Elijah said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord," but did not realize that God had done nothing and that all His prophets had been killed, leaving only him... This is a kind of zeal, feeling very important. If he died, God's work would not be able to continue...
Brothers and sisters, unconsciously, people can develop self-righteousness. Today, how many people do the same, adding their own meanings to God's words? For example, they say that only by coming to us can one be saved; otherwise, no one else can be saved. This is establishing their own righteousness, not the righteousness of Christ. They think they are correct. The Pharisees believed they were the only ones who were right.
The end of the law is Christ, for righteousness to everyone who believes in Him.
The Israelites rejected God's righteousness because they did not know that Jesus is the end of the law. Because they do not believe that Jesus fulfilled the law, they still approach God with the old ways, but Jesus Christ has ended the way for man to seek righteousness through the law. He has opened a new and living way for people.
Hebrews 10:19-20
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.
When Jesus Christ completed the work of redemption for us on the cross, God's righteousness was accomplished. Jesus Christ is the end of the law. At the end of the year, many companies summarize all the events of the year, turning a new page, not living in the past. In the new year, new goals and methods are set.
After the New Covenant came, people no longer need to achieve God's righteousness through the law. People can accept Jesus Christ, and when they accept Jesus, they possess the righteousness of Christ. God grants them the authority to become His children!
When people rely on their own efforts, they will always see how much they fall short of God's glory. Under the New Covenant, we no longer live under the power of sin, no longer live in guilt, no longer live in shame. Through Jesus Christ, you have drawn near to the Heavenly Father.
Now you are already pleasing to the Heavenly Father, not because of your good deeds, but because of the blood of Jesus, due to Jesus' obedience on the cross. We are fully accepted by the Heavenly Father. The Heavenly Father sees us just like Jesus. We are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus; Christ has given you His righteousness, which means you possess God's righteousness. The end of the law is Christ, for everyone who believes in Him to receive righteousness.
Although Christ bore all our sins on the cross, it does not mean that people will automatically be saved. What kind of person can receive such righteousness? It is those who believe in Him that receive God's righteousness. Only by believing in Jesus Christ can one receive the righteousness of Christ.
John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Some modern legalists say that God is loving and merciful to us, that God loves the world so much that regardless of whether you accept Jesus or not, you will not go to hell. How could God want you to suffer in hell? God is merciful to us; He even gave us His Son. We do not need to accept His Son to enter the kingdom of heaven; as long as we know this, Jesus has already given it. Those who come after Jesus will automatically enter the kingdom of heaven. This is a false teaching.
Christ is the fulfillment of all the law. Only Jesus has kept all the law, all the sacrificial rituals, and all the purification rites, which ultimately point to Jesus Christ. There are many rituals in the Old Testament, many types that ultimately point to Jesus Christ, which have been fulfilled through Him. This includes the five major sacrifices in Leviticus, which were ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Galatians 3:24-26
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
This tutor refers to the law. The law was our tutor before Christ came; people needed the law, but the purpose of the law is to lead people to Jesus Christ. It does not abolish the law, nor does it deny the law.
The effectiveness of the law is to lead us to Christ. If you are already in Christ, do not return to the law. The latter part of Galatians makes this very clear. We are justified by faith when we come to Christ, not by the law. "But after faith has come," this refers to the coming of Jesus Christ, which allows us to be justified by faith, and from then on, we are no longer under a tutor, but under grace.
Because we are not under the law but under grace, sin shall not have dominion over you, for Jesus Christ is your Lord. He will give you strength and supply all that you need, allowing you to live a different life. We must understand God's heart; the law can never justify a person, nor is it the way for a person to be accepted by God. The law makes people aware of sin, makes them know what they cannot do. Ultimately, it leads people to Christ so that they may be justified by faith in Christ. Therefore, when you accept Christ, you possess God's righteousness; the righteousness of Christ is your righteousness.
Hebrews 10:1-2
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
The law is a shadow of the good things to come. The good things to come refer to Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross for our sins, and the matter of our being justified by faith.
Colossians 2:16-17
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
The various rituals mentioned in the Old Testament are shadows of things to come; the substance is Christ. The law is just a shadow; Jesus Christ is the reality. It's like holding a photo of a loved one; that is just a shadow. Perhaps your beloved child has gone far away to school, and you miss them very much. Holding the child's photo is just a shadow. If the reality has returned, you can put the photo away! You can meet face to face. Jesus Christ has come; why should we cling to the shadows of the past?
Christ is the end of the law. He lived out all of God's requirements for man. The law requires behavior; Jesus had good behavior. The law requires that one must not sin; Jesus did not sin; He is without sin. Therefore, people no longer rely on the law to obtain righteousness, nor do they rely on the law to earn God's favor. Now, people look to Jesus Christ to receive all His blessings.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
This refers to what Christ did for us on the cross; the righteousness accomplished by Christ has become your righteousness.
1 Peter 1:18-19
18 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Through the sinless blood of Jesus Christ, you have been redeemed from death, from under the law, bringing you into the name of Christ. We are no longer our past selves. We are new creations. Our redemption is not based on human behavior or effort, but on the precious blood of Christ. When a person realizes their new identity, they can shed their past aimless behavior.
Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.
When Jesus fulfilled the law with His body, our sins were redeemed. From then on, we are not under the law but in Christ. We are a new creation. The relationship with the Heavenly Father is peaceful. We are the beloved children of the Heavenly Father.
Verse 5: Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
Moses points out the function of the law here. If a person can do the righteousness which is of the law, they can live by it. But who can keep all of it without breaking one? If a person cannot keep the law, they can only be condemned by the law and must die.
Galatians 3:10-11
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
If a person places themselves under the law and forsakes the righteousness of Christ, that person is certainly cursed. Because breaking one is like breaking them all. Then the curse of the law will come upon that person.
There are two ways for a person to be justified. The first way is for a person to keep all the law and never break one in their lifetime. Thus, they can be justified. Currently, it seems that apart from Jesus, everyone else has failed. The second way is through the righteousness of Christ; a person believes in the righteousness of Christ and can also be justified. Because the Lord Jesus was sinless in His life, He represents us before God. If you accept what Jesus did on the cross, you can also be justified.
6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down); 7 or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)."
If a person wants to obtain God's righteousness, they do not need to search everywhere, nor do they need to climb up to heaven to bring Jesus down. There are two interesting things here: do not say, "Who can ascend to heaven?" that is, to bring Christ down; who can descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. No one is searching for Jesus; He came down Himself to save mankind. This salvation is willingly given to people.
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we preach. 9 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
In the past, kings sought eternal life, but they could not find it. But this word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. What is this word? It is Jesus Christ, whom we are talking about now. He is the righteousness given to us by God. When you accept Jesus Christ, He becomes your righteousness, and you receive eternal life.
The gospel only requires people to believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ to receive it. Moreover, Jesus Christ is not far from you; it is very easy to obtain. If a person is willing to accept salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven, believing in their heart and confessing with their mouth, they will receive it.
Romans 4:25 Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
You must believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead. Other religions believe in dead lords, but the Jesus you believe in is not dead; He is still alive today. He is the resurrected Jesus Christ.
Let your heart and mouth be in agreement, confess that Jesus Christ is your Savior, and truly believe in your heart that He is your Savior, and you will be saved. There are no other conditions! However, some say that mere belief is not enough; good deeds must be added to be saved.
Some even shamelessly say, "I dare not say I am saved now; how can you dare to say so?" You have only believed for a few years, and you still have the nerve to say you are saved? This is a false teaching. Because the Bible clearly states that if you confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Remember, salvation is not related to a person's behavior.
Moreover, some interpret the Bible according to their own ideas, such as in James 5, where it says faith without works is dead. They say that if you believe but have no good deeds, you are still dead and not saved. In fact, this is not the meaning; James tells us that Christians need to have good deeds. This is directed at believers, not about salvation. Good deeds are the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When you correctly understand God's blessings in your life, your behavior will change. This is a matter after salvation!
Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. As for a person's behavior, the Holy Spirit will renew and change them. As long as a person is willing to be renewed, Jesus Christ will help them bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus can conquer death and overcome sin, can He not help you overcome sin?
Verse 11: For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
This also reminds us that believing in the power of Jesus Christ will never lead to shame. No matter what problems you encounter in the world, when you call on the Lord, He will guide you and lead you to be different. Those who rely on Him will not be put to shame because Jesus has already overcome the world. We can also overcome all things through His strength.
John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."
This is God's will. If you want to be saved, come to Christ to receive His living water. Do not rely on your own efforts to be saved; go to Jesus to receive His living water, to receive His righteousness! If you lack love, go receive Jesus' love; if you have no strength, go to Him to receive it. By faith, you believe in Him, and you will not be put to shame!
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
When you accept the Lord Jesus, you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. The Heavenly Father sees you just like Jesus. Just as the Heavenly Father loves Jesus, He will love you in the same way!
Ephesians 4:21-24
21 If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
When we know that we have been justified by faith, we must remember our identity as new creations from the heart and live out the pattern of the new man every day, living according to the words of Christ. In this way, we can put off the old man from our former conduct. We need to put off the old because it is corruptible. We are new creations and can live out a new pattern through Christ. This pattern possesses the image of Christ, righteousness, and holiness.
Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
By listening to the word, we remind ourselves correctly every day, and the knowledge within us is gradually renewed. Every time you listen to the word, it is a process of renewal. You are not striving to become the image of the Lord; gradually, by faith, you renew yourself, and your behavior changes. You now possess the image of God, possess God's holiness, and possess true righteousness. Live these out and let the life within you shine forth.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us such truth. Let us know that the righteousness of Christ is upon us. This identity cannot be taken away by anyone and will not change. At any time, I am accepted by God, I am liked by God, and God will listen to my prayers. I will live out the blessings of the righteous and will also become a blessing to others.
I am willing to learn to rely on your words in my life. Your promises will surely be fulfilled in me, and miracles will happen in my life. I can expect good things and experience your goodness. All glory belongs to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.