The Scriptures describe how nothing we do can satisfy the perfection of God's holiness, and all our efforts are like filthy rags in God's face.
Even though Christ has purchased our redemption and provided us with God's righteousness by faith, yet in men's heart there always arises that pride which says we must establish our own righteousness by our own good deeds.
Paul addressed this moral failure in Romans 10, by describing his own kinfolks, the Jewish people, as trying very hard to be righteous by keeping the law. They are very zealous, but very uninformed.
Paul says that they are ignorant of God's righteousness. They have not assessed it accurately, and seen it as entirely unattainable by their own labors. So they go about to establish their own righteousness, which is a futility.
Paul then says that, in doing this, they have not submitted themselves to God's righteousness. They are, in fact, in rebellion against the perfect righteousness of God.
Our refusal to abandon our own efforts at righteousness is rebellion against God's righteousness! We refuse to let go of our own puny efforts, and receive God's righteousness by faith. Thus we have not bowed the knee before God, confessing our miserable lostness, and throwing ourselves upon His mercy.
In fact, Christ kept all the law in the place of His people, and thereby ends the law for righteousness. He is the only perfect Man to keep that law, and thereby obtain a righteousness with which to clothe miserable sinners who come to Him in simple faith, trusting in Him to forgive and save them.
God offers to us, by faith, Christ's robe of righteousness for our filthy rags! Yet lost men reject His offer. |
