The Righteousness of God Without the Law • Deshen Daily

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets (Rom. 3:21 KJV)

The book of Romans teaches us about a kind of righteousness called the “righteousness of God” which has been given as a gift to the believer in Christ. This righteousness is without the law, that is, it is obtained without obeying the rules of the law to be right.

When God chose Israel, He gave them the Law to keep. The Jew then had to become righteous by “doing right,” that is, obeying what the law says. When they followed the rules and prescriptions of the Law, they were right in God’s eyes. This is the righteousness which is of the law ( Rom. 10:5). It is securing a right standing with God and earning a moral rightness by doing what is right as prescribed by the Law. The problem with this spiritual system was that the Law was impossible to perfectly obey and was therefore often broken with dire consequences.

God has moved into a new and glorious era of righteousness called the “righteousness of God without the law.” As this sentence implies, it is right standing before God, and right being with the very nature of God, without ever keeping any rules. The Jew had to obey the laws to be right. The believer in Christ does not have to follow any rules to be right. This righteousness is given as a gift when we believe in Christ! It is a righteousness by faith, without the law!

MEDITATE

Can you think of a verse in the law or prophets that is a witness to the righteousness of God without the law? ( e.g Habakkuk 2:4). Declare that “ I have obtained the gift of righteousness by faith in Christ and I am a display of God’s rightness in my being and my character!”