Romans 3:22, commentary and pictures

God's righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and upon all who believe, with no difference or distinction among them. It is His own righteousness alone — His righteous character and love — presented as a free gift to the wholly unworthy who have nothing of their own to bring but what is tainted and polluted with sin. It is not gained by human works, merit, goodness, or strenuous efforts to make oneself holy, for by deeds of the law no one is justified because by the law is the knowledge of sin. It is received by living faith laying hold wholly upon the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour, so that the guilt of sin is charged to Christ's account and His righteousness is imputed to every repenting, trusting sinner, and Christ Himself becomes the believer's righteousness. This gift does not do away with the law but places it in its correct light and glorifies it, and when the sinner is clothed with it power is imparted so that righteousness controls conduct, is practiced in daily life, and bears fruit in peace, joy, and assurance.

Righteousness Through Faith Alone

The righteousness of God comes by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, with no difference, no distinction among them. This coming of righteousness through justifying faith is the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, and this imputed righteousness is the justification for which Paul contends. It is the righteousness of God apart from the law yet witnessed, attested, confirmed and made known by the law and the prophets. By deeds of the law no flesh is justified or made right, because by the law is the knowledge of sin and its work is to give knowledge of sin.

That righteousness is Jesus Christ's alone — His righteousness, His righteous character, His love — presented as a free gift to the sinner if he will accept it by faith. It is given to all who believe though they are wholly unworthy, and offered to every sinner Christ is drawing, no matter how great, who looks to the cross of Calvary. Man has nothing of his own to bring to God, for all he has is tainted and corrupted and polluted with sin and utterly repulsive to a pure and holy God, and only through the righteous character of Jesus Christ can man come near to God.

It is not gained by human works, merit, goodness, strenuous efforts to make oneself holy, or purchased through indulgences. Human efforts cannot free people from sin's condemnation or break its power, and the question of how a person can be right before God points to the need for a righteousness beyond human achievement. Sinners are saved by repentance toward God and faith in Christ, and true religion means depending entirely and wholly on Christ's righteousness, mercy, suffering and death.

It is received by living faith laying hold wholly and entirely upon the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour, not by meeting conditions in order to come and not by any virtue or work of one's own. Sinners have none and can make none however hard they work, for men have no righteousness of their own and cannot make a single virtue in themselves. God draws and invites sinners without condition to come, and as the sinner comes and views Christ lifted upon the cross of Calvary he sees that he is a sinner because God's law has been transgressed and that Christ died because the law was transgressed. He looks to Christ's righteousness as the only thing that can cleanse him from sins and transgressions.

Through justifying faith the guilt of human sin is charged to Christ's account and His own righteousness is imputed to every repenting, trusting, believing sinner, so that Christ Himself is the believer's righteousness. This imputed righteousness is the justification for which Paul contends, and walking humbly with God is not having one's own righteousness but having the righteousness of Christ which He imputes to every trusting, believing Christian. Christ is held up as the only source of strength, kindling ardent faith, hope, and joy in the heart that Christ is his righteousness.

The offense against the law cannot cease until the penitent sinner lays hold by faith of Christ's righteousness and accepts it to be freed from all blemish. That righteousness is the antidote for all sin. The sinner casts himself just as he is, with his defective life, into the scale against the death and intercession of the Son of God in the other scale, and on that ground claims pardon. A person may take hold of Christ's righteousness without first blotting out personal sins or making a suitable repentance, for salvation is simple.

God's law exposes people as sinners but provides no escape from its condemnation. People cannot earn pardon or meet the law's perfect claims through their own strength or righteousness. They receive forgiveness and strength to obey only through faith in Christ, relying wholly on the promised Saviour's merits to be accepted by God. A person's own righteousness cannot recommend them to God, and the righteousness of God comes as pardon through Jesus, who died a shameful death because of human sins.

It is received by those who believe through feeling that they are sinners, realizing the sinfulness of sin, sincerely repenting before God, feeling that without Christ's pardoning blood they must perish, casting themselves in wretchedness wholly upon Christ's mercy, yielding their own will and way, and pleading for Jesus to control their will and actions; in that position they can receive and appreciate pardon and the forgiveness of sin. Sinners receive pardon by depending wholly on Christ's mercy and relying on His suffering and death, recognizing their sin and yielding their will to Him. Even young children who may die at any age must understand this plan of salvation and be adopted into God's family.

This righteousness in no way does away with the law or detracts from its dignity, but places the law in its correct light and glorifies it through the light reflected from the cross of Calvary. The law is complete and full in the great plan of salvation only as presented in the light shining from the crucified and risen Saviour, which can only be spiritually discerned. The righteousness of Christ is the central point presented in connection with the law. God for Christ's sake looks upon as righteous only those who have respect unto His commandments, and those who obey God's law are given assurance that they are His sons and daughters, members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, because through faith in Christ they have returned to their loyalty, with obedience bringing the blessing.

Transformed Life and Proclamation

Being clothed with Christ's righteousness imparts power and strength so that Christ works with and by the believer, who works the works of righteousness and does not want to sin. Though mistakes and errors may still occur, the one thus clothed hates the sins that caused the suffering of the Son of God, knowing them as transgression of God's law. That righteousness must become one's own, must control conduct and be practiced in daily life, for without it God's law cannot be kept.

Practiced rather than held as theory, this righteousness bears fruit in peace, courage, joy and harmony. When known it also brings hope and peace and assurance of God's love in the soul, as precious light for hungry, starving souls in ignorance of it, with full and abundant blessing for each person who asks if it is for them. He who practices this righteousness has eternal life made sure, as by a life insurance policy fastened securely to divine principles of right, with loyalty to God's principles binding the believer to everlasting right as the way of righteousness and truth.

No strength of human intellect saves; every power of being must labor in God's service, sanctified day by day, with conscience molded and upheld daily by the Lord's power. So sanctified, the believer represents Christ and does not drift to follow those who do not keep God's law. Yielding the will to the Holy Spirit's guidance and opening the heart to welcome the lowly Jesus brings relief of mind and blessed assurance through this righteousness and breaks the spell of error, and looking to the crucified Redeemer brings peace and joy.

This righteousness by faith comes through Christ crucified for sins, Christ risen from the dead, and Christ ascended into heaven to be Advocate and Intercessor before God, with the wisdom and power of God for the conversion of souls and bringing them back to loyalty. Closely connected with it is the office work of the Holy Spirit as Christ's representative, sent forth with divine power and gifts for men. The Spirit works upon hearts and shines distinct rays upon the pathway to convict of this righteousness and of judgment to come, impressing hearts with the solemn realities of the judgment, and hardening the heart and refusing this light leaves guilt that will convict in the day of judgment, as with Capernaum.

This righteousness is ignored by a rule-bound spirit that leads to ruling, pressuring, and harshly treating others. Such coercive conduct is contrary to Christ's righteousness by faith and misrepresents God, failing to represent His justice, tenderness, and love.

Every soul must have a genuine experience in this righteousness. With the entire sacrifice made in behalf of man, it is a great and glorious precious truth that speaks to the heart, calls for wholehearted response, and is the message for this time to be proclaimed to the world and received with gratitude as precious light and knowledge. Paul made preaching this righteousness his object, compelled by burning zeal in his heart and speaking with assurance from his own faith, and the Holy Spirit accompanied his words with convincing power. Those who faithfully communicate and diffuse it grow clearer and clearer in light because God works with them and raises up many to become laborers together with God, while failure to share it leaves many to go into the grave in error.