Righteousness Without Works

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works…” (Romans 4:6)

This righteousness, which is here said to be without works, is the obedience of Jesus Christ; which is the justifying righteousness of a sinner and is so complete in itself that nothing can be added to it to make it more so. All the works of the creature since the fall are imperfect and therefore utterly unfit to be its justifying righteousness before God, either in whole or in part. It is impossible that an imperfect obedience can make the person that performs it perfectly righteous and such is the infinite purity of God’s nature and the strictness of His justice, that He can accept nothing for righteousness that is not perfectly conformed to the rule of it in His holy law. Therefore, our own obedience cannot be the whole of our righteousness before God. Nor can it be any part of it that which is wholly imperfect can be no part of perfection.

Joseph Hart, 1712-1768