Definition of Righteousness: In a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due.

The above is somewhat of a deficient meaning of what I would desire to explain here, but it is about as good as one can get from man’s understanding of the term. However it covers the general concept of righteousness, or what I also consider to be what is also called - justification - by faith - that is, that justification which pertains to a believer’s renewed conscience in Christ.

Because of the ingrained propensity of the fallen fleshly nature to trust in our works and services as being meritorious in the sight of God - even when God has dealt with us in such a way as at one or more times, to cause us to rejoice in His free salvation and grace in His Son, we yet possess the fleshly proclivity to trust in and revert to the principle of looking to the flesh (to ourselves) in order to accomplish the work of sanctification within ourselves. But it is Jesus, by His indwelling Spirit, not ourselves that accomplishes this work. It is a vain delusion in the children of God to ever come to the place where they think they can keep the righteousness of the Law by their own free volition or we might say, bare option. This is a principle that plagued several of the apostolic churches, and greatly prevails in the religious world to the present day.

The carnal, or fleshly mind, or principle that guides the depraved state of the flesh of mankind is at enmity (against the nature of His Spirit that dwells within those who have been born of His Spirit, and tasted of His goodness toward them) The apostle in presenting these great truths here to the Romans (and also to us also if we are blessed with them to receive and somewhat understand the true meaning of these principles of law (condemnation, because we are yet sinful in the flesh, and in our flesh dwells no good thing; thus those who are after (or who follow after, or are led by the principles of condemnation in the flesh, cannot please God. Why? Because it is not God’s will that any flesh should glory in the flesh in His presence; but in Jesus Who is made unto them wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. That is, He is made unto them ALL things in their salvation. Notice that the Apostle says that Christ was not only made (past tense) but that He IS made - that is, that He is presently and constantly BEING made all these things unto His children through their daily experience of His great salvation working in them; because it is God that works in them, not only to will (that is, to give them a will corresponding with His revealed Will for them), but also to DO (give them POWER to perform His Will for them in their lives.) As the poet truly said:

And as the Apostle had previously said in Romans 7 (in explaining the principles of this same law of sin and death that works in a child of God:

“..For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not..”

The preceding blessings do not only embrace the legal work that Christ performed for them while OUT OF them; but also those things which He is presently performing for them WITHIN them by His Holy Spirit. The legal work of election and redemption was in the eternal Mind of God, and was executed by His Son in Time. They are (ordinarily) called by His grace to the real knowledge of this truth in the Gospel. All this work was embraced, and therefore secured in God’s Will for them while they had not yet their fleshly existence upon the earth:

“..The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was…. “..30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men..” Prov 8:22…31.

“.. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross..” Phil 2:6-8.

“.. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same..” Heb 2:14.

It is the daily, fervent desire of every spiritually renewed child of God to be holy; But this power they cannot find in their flesh. They find that their flesh is dead (powerless) to perform RIGHTEOUSNESS because of remaining sin that is daily found and thus condemned in their fleshly nature: They sin, and the soul that sins shall die. When sin has thus conceived and finished its work, it brings forth death. James 1:15.

“…God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh..”Rom 8:3.

So many of God’s children lie for so long in this condemned condition, finding little deliverance, that they become so deadened in this state that they become “..blind, and cannot see afar off, and forget they were once purged from their old sins..” to walk in the newness of the Life in Christ. These have never been brought to the place where they have been made to realize that “they are dead (powerless in the flesh) but their Life is hid with Christ in God..”(It is hid from view of their fleshly faculties) and therefore they cannot reach forth and partake of them at their pleasure and option of the flesh, because it is dead (powerless) in that respect, and It is not until God is pleased in Christ to appear without the presence of (their) sin unto salvation for them in their experience, then they shall appear again with Him in glory. Heb 9:29. They have never fully realized that they “are dead to the dominion and power of remaining sin in their members as a condemning instrument; because they have not fully realized that they are ‘not under the Law. But under the grace of Christ.

It is only being made to walk after “the principles “of the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ-Jesus that we are delivered from this ‘law of sin and death’. We are thus saved by His Life working in us. Both Death and Life work in the saints of God unto His declarative glory. Jesus has the keys of death AND hell. Rev 1:18, and He thus exercises this power and authority in His people. But in order to walk after the Spirit, we must alway (every hour of every day - greek) be delivered unto death. In these things we experience in our body both life and death - as Jesus did:

“.. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh..” “.. So then death worketh in us, but life in you..: 2 Cor 4:11-12.

The Apostle is here applying this principle to himself as a minister to the Corinthians, but I think it will also apply generally, as this life and death works in different ways in the children of God.

“..For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ…” 2 Cor 1:5.

“..For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life..” Rom 5:10. Because He lives. The saints also live, and shall always live in Him. The Greek word translated “alway” (gavr - greek) in the KJV which is a conjuction, and actually means “ to ever live EVERY hour of EVERY day for the rest of our allotted time (here in the body.”) A notable (and glorious) use of a similar word (hJmevra - hay-mer'-ah - G ) was used by Jesus when He was speaking to His disciples just after having announcing to them their “great” commission to go forth INTO (not UNTO, as Arminians teach) all the world and PREACH the gospel - (not OFFER the gospel, as Arminians also teach) - Then Jesus added the forgoing precious words in order to further strengthen and fortify their spirit and their trust in His faithfulness and power toward, over and in them always and forever, even to the end of that Age, and therefore to the end of their particular or specific commission to “preach the gospel of Christ to every creature of His Gospel Grace.”:

“.And Lo. I am with you (from this very moment onward) ALWAY, (end of days,) hay-mer'-ah even to the end of the world (aion - Age.)

“..of the civil day, or the space of twenty four hours (thus including the night)

hay-mer'-ah - Eastern usage of this term differs from our western usage. Any part of a day is counted as a whole day, hence the expression "three days and three nights" does not mean literally three whole days, but at least one whole day plus part of two other days. of the last day of the Age - which in the Apostle’s case would be at the end of that present Age, or the Apostolic Age, and would thus also signify the end of their special ministry of the Gospel as was given them by Christ.

Jesus is now an exalted prince and Savior both for and to His people Israel: For them when He suffered in His flesh; and now TO them as He applies the work of sanctification to them by His Spirit. They even now receive the benefits of His atonement and intercession for them, and stand in hope of the glory of God:

“.. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW received the atonement…” Rom 5:11.

“…We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body..” Rom 8:23.

These things can be viewed both literally, historically and experimentally. Literally and historically, as Christ legally performed and finished this work for them on the Tree, and daily, or experimentally as Christ works in them, “both to will, and to do of His good pleasure” in delivering them from their dead body of sin and death, because the keys of death (caused by indwelling sin) and the grave (the place of condemnation unto death) are in His Hands - or in His power and authority. (Rom 7 , Phil, Rev 1:18.)

His children walk by faith, and not by sight; because they are saved by hope: but that hope is not presently seen, or fully realized; For what a man sees or that which has already materialized, is no longer hope; because if so, why or what is he yet hoping for? Rom 8:23. Notice that the Apostle says that we are not only GOING (future tense) to be saved (delivered) by this hope; but that we are ALREADY (present tense) saved and being saved by this very hope. It is the impartation of His Life in us that gives us hope and more hope. Hope is similar to His grace in this respect; He gives “grace for grace - in order that He may yet give more grace: “And of His fulness we have received, and grace for grace (cavriß - khar'-ece )) ..”

However, It is amazing how little regard and appreciation is given for the grace of God in Christ as it stands in the Eternal Mind of God; when one’s concept of divine grace is only applied as it stands in the affections of the creature. Here is a typical example, which seems to miss the true source and origin of Divine Grace concerning the children of God:

“grace - That which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech good will, loving-kindness, favour Of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues what is due to grace the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace the token or proof of grace, benefit a gift of grace benefit, bounty thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward .”

This definition very well speaks of the grace of God -(or rather of the SPIRIT of grace that abides in the renewed children of God - but notice - it nowhere attributes, or even speaks (if little) of Divine Grace as being considered as OUT of us; that is, regardless of ANY present (OR PAST) circumstance and spiritual condition that we may have experienced. How can a child of God possess these characteristics of grace, if they have received so little understanding of the Basic source and nature of WHY they have actually received such knowledge to be truly considered a “gracious” person by others around.

In what may be called God’s perceptive (precept) Will for us, He says:

“..We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain..” 2 Cor:6. (Vain - kenovß) - empty, vain, devoid of truth , which result in nothing, vain, fruitless, without effect vain of no purpose.

Now, it would truly be a contradiction in the Word of God to think that the grace of God toward His children could ever actually fail to accomplish His desired work in and upon them. (because this would deny the power of God to accomplish His determinate will, as ALL of God’s Will is always done or accomplished, AND IT ALWAYS PROSPERS IN THE purpose of God IN THE THING whereto He sends it;

“..For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it SHALL ACCOMPLISH that which I PLEASE, and it SHALL PROSPER in THE THING whereto I SENT (past tense) it…”

However, also consider this: Creatures do not always know or comprehend the true or specific purpose of God in His individual dealings with His children. Sometimes He sovereignly deals with them in what seems a negative way to them in order to teach them a lesson in His Grace and Purpose for them. Listen to the psalmist on the lessons he learned about God’s dealing with him in his disobedience to the revealed will of God, and that was manifest in David’s renewed mind:

“.. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. 68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes..” Psa 119:67-68.

David also said that if he ascended up to heaven, or even made his bed in hell -which he sometimes did -(the place of the grave, or death where Davis found himself in a lifeless and deadened state because of his open commission of sin) , nevertheless God’s Spirit was still present there, and God’s Hand was yet leading him and upholding him in His mercy and faithfulness.

David cried out in this condemned and lifeless condition, and in his quilt and misery God extracted from him the poor sinner’s only prayer when in such a condition:

“..Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom..”

Don’t forget, however, that David was still “A man after the Lord’s Own heart; and therefore a lively and bright type (and also as a sinner, like Adam, an anti-type) and a picture of the suffering of The Lord Jesus when and as He suffered vicariously for the transgressions of His people. Amazing Grace!! - For as sin has abounded (In the very same place) unto death through Adam’s transgression, so Grace has much more abounded unto Life in Christ through the sufferings and expiation of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. (Rom 5:15)

Through disobedience to God’s manifest will for His children’s conduct, David several times got into serious trouble of conscience (and perhaps body also,) and thereby suffered severe chastisement at the hand of God’s judgment - not only as upon himself personally; but also as several judgments came upon the whole land of Israel through his transgression and as a representative leader of Israel after the flesh. Therefore, David thereby brought reproach upon the name of God through his open transgressions. There are several cases of David’s rebellion and disobedience to the preceptive or revealed will of God as shown throughout the prophetical oracles and as every bible student well knows; and what was written beforehand, was written for our present learning, or “were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might also have hope in Jesus’ mercy..” which has been revealed upon the worst of the sinners of God’s elect, “And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Rom 15:4, Rom 9:23-24.

All of the suffering of the saints, (as it did to the Apostles) turns to them for a testimony of the grace of God to them, and a counter testimony against those who may be their enemies and persecutors. (Luke 21:13..)

“..Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. .” is David’s question (and answer) concerning God’s care over him - Psa 119:7-8.

However, the opposite to these truths of God is usually taught to a large extent throughout Christendom, by failing to believe and understand the Will of God in Christ, the general analogy of faith, along with the surrounding context of such passages of Scripture.

God did not make the world for the creature’s glory; He made it for Himself, and His Own Glory:

“..Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for THY PLEASURE they ARE and WERE created..” Rev 4:11.

“..For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:.” Col 1:16. Eph 3:9, Paul here named all things in existence in the universe and beyond.

“…Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth (is believing) in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth (is living) and believeth (is believing) in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world...” John 11:24-27.

OAB