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To Keep the Law is to Break the Law

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There are two paths to righteousness. The first path is called Works, and it is the basis of every religion ever invented. The second path is called Grace and it is the invention of heaven.

These two paths run in different directions. One goes up and the other down. And you can only walk on one path at a time:

If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. (Romans 11:6)

Which path are you on?

The Way of Works

The Way of Works is signposted by rules and regulations. “Do this, and you will be acceptable. Don’t do that, and you will be holy.”

It’s a path that appeals to our flesh. “If I keep God’s commandments, I will be righteous.”

It is a path that leads to death.

Sadly, many well-intentioned people are walking the Way of Works and they do not know they are going the wrong way. They honor the Ten Commandments and consider themselves moral and law-abiding people. They do not know that they are falling short even on their best days.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Romans 8:7)

The irony is that someone who tries to keep the law is actually breaking the law. By trusting in themselves and their law-keeping abilities, they are elevating themselves above God. They are breaking the first commandment. “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

Paul spends much of Romans talking about people who tried to do the works of law. He talks about religious types who “pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law” (Rom. 9:31).

Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. (Romans 9:32)

It’s easy to dismiss Paul’s warnings as if they were written for other people. But millions of people are walking the Way of Works, and they are wretched and lost. This includes well-meaning churchgoers who think that God will accept them if they stop sinning, read their Bible every day, and serve faithfully. The problem is not what they are doing, but why they are doing it.

If you believe God will accept, bless, save, or sanctify you because of the things you do, you are going the wrong way. You are pursuing a righteousness based on the law, and you will never attain your goal.

The remedy is to get off the Way of Works, stop trusting in the law, and put your faith in God’s grace.

The Way of Grace

The law is holy, righteous, and good, but it has no power to make you holy, righteous, and good. The purpose of the law is to reveal the futility of relying on your flesh so that you might put your trust in Jesus. On the cross, God condemned sin in the body of Christ…

so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

Note that the law is fulfilled in us, not by us, as we allow Jesus the Righteous One to reveal his righteous life through us.

When we walk in step with the Spirit, we keep the law without any conscious effort. Conversely, when we try to keep the law in our own strength, we fall short. The problem is not the law, which is good, but our flesh, which is weak.

Do you see the paradox? Those who try to keep the law can never succeed (see Romans 7), while those who trust in Jesus can never fail (Romans 8).

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)

Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law. His cross is the exclamation mark that marks the end of the Way of Works.

The only road sign you need

The Way of Works has many road signs, but the Way of Grace has just one – the cross. When you come to the cross, you will either walk past it, believing you can make yourself righteous, or you will turn around and say, “I am done with works. I need grace.”

If you are working to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God, stop. See the cross. See the God who justifies the ungodly on account of grace (Rom. 4:5).

If you believe you must confess sins and keep short accounts with God, stop. See the cross. Your sins are there (Rom. 4:7–8, 11:26–27).

If you believe you must keep the commands to prove you are holy, stop. See the cross. Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law for all who trust in him.

—

If you liked this, you will love my new verse-by-verse commentary on Romans. In next week’s post, I will tell you how you can get The Grace Bible: Romans a month before it hits the shelves.

To Keep the Law is to Break the Law

by

There are two paths to righteousness. The first path is called Works, and it is the basis of every religion ever invented. The second path is called Grace and it is the invention of heaven.

These two paths run in different directions. One goes up and the other down. And you can only walk on one path at a time:

If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. (Romans 11:6)

Which path are you on?

The Way of Works

The Way of Works is signposted by rules and regulations. “Do this, and you will be acceptable. Don’t do that, and you will be holy.”

It’s a path that appeals to our flesh. “If I keep God’s commandments, I will be righteous.”

It is a path that leads to death.

Sadly, many well-intentioned people are walking the Way of Works and they do not know they are going the wrong way. They honor the Ten Commandments and consider themselves moral and law-abiding people. They do not know that they are falling short even on their best days.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Romans 8:7)

The irony is that someone who tries to keep the law is actually breaking the law. By trusting in themselves and their law-keeping abilities, they are elevating themselves above God. They are breaking the first commandment. “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

Paul spends much of Romans talking about people who tried to do the works of law. He talks about religious types who “pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law” (Rom. 9:31).

Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. (Romans 9:32)

It’s easy to dismiss Paul’s warnings as if they were written for other people. But millions of people are walking the Way of Works, and they are wretched and lost. This includes well-meaning churchgoers who think that God will accept them if they stop sinning, read their Bible every day, and serve faithfully. The problem is not what they are doing, but why they are doing it.

If you believe God will accept, bless, save, or sanctify you because of the things you do, you are going the wrong way. You are pursuing a righteousness based on the law, and you will never attain your goal.

The remedy is to get off the Way of Works, stop trusting in the law, and put your faith in God’s grace.

The Way of Grace

The law is holy, righteous, and good, but it has no power to make you holy, righteous, and good. The purpose of the law is to reveal the futility of relying on your flesh so that you might put your trust in Jesus. On the cross, God condemned sin in the body of Christ…

so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

Note that the law is fulfilled in us, not by us, as we allow Jesus the Righteous One to reveal his righteous life through us.

When we walk in step with the Spirit, we keep the law without any conscious effort. Conversely, when we try to keep the law in our own strength, we fall short. The problem is not the law, which is good, but our flesh, which is weak.

Do you see the paradox? Those who try to keep the law can never succeed (see Romans 7), while those who trust in Jesus can never fail (Romans 8).

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)

Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law. His cross is the exclamation mark that marks the end of the Way of Works.

The only road sign you need

The Way of Works has many road signs, but the Way of Grace has just one – the cross. When you come to the cross, you will either walk past it, believing you can make yourself righteous, or you will turn around and say, “I am done with works. I need grace.”

If you are working to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God, stop. See the cross. See the God who justifies the ungodly on account of grace (Rom. 4:5).

If you believe you must confess sins and keep short accounts with God, stop. See the cross. Your sins are there (Rom. 4:7–8, 11:26–27).

If you believe you must keep the commands to prove you are holy, stop. See the cross. Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law for all who trust in him.

—

If you liked this, you will love my new verse-by-verse commentary on Romans. In next week’s post, I will tell you how you can get The Grace Bible: Romans a month before it hits the shelves.

To Keep the Law is to Break the Law

by

There are two paths to righteousness. The first path is called Works, and it is the basis of every religion ever invented. The second path is called Grace and it is the invention of heaven.

These two paths run in different directions. One goes up and the other down. And you can only walk on one path at a time:

If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. (Romans 11:6)

Which path are you on?

The Way of Works

The Way of Works is signposted by rules and regulations. “Do this, and you will be acceptable. Don’t do that, and you will be holy.”

It’s a path that appeals to our flesh. “If I keep God’s commandments, I will be righteous.”

It is a path that leads to death.

Sadly, many well-intentioned people are walking the Way of Works and they do not know they are going the wrong way. They honor the Ten Commandments and consider themselves moral and law-abiding people. They do not know that they are falling short even on their best days.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Romans 8:7)

The irony is that someone who tries to keep the law is actually breaking the law. By trusting in themselves and their law-keeping abilities, they are elevating themselves above God. They are breaking the first commandment. “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

Paul spends much of Romans talking about people who tried to do the works of law. He talks about religious types who “pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law” (Rom. 9:31).

Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. (Romans 9:32)

It’s easy to dismiss Paul’s warnings as if they were written for other people. But millions of people are walking the Way of Works, and they are wretched and lost. This includes well-meaning churchgoers who think that God will accept them if they stop sinning, read their Bible every day, and serve faithfully. The problem is not what they are doing, but why they are doing it.

If you believe God will accept, bless, save, or sanctify you because of the things you do, you are going the wrong way. You are pursuing a righteousness based on the law, and you will never attain your goal.

The remedy is to get off the Way of Works, stop trusting in the law, and put your faith in God’s grace.

The Way of Grace

The law is holy, righteous, and good, but it has no power to make you holy, righteous, and good. The purpose of the law is to reveal the futility of relying on your flesh so that you might put your trust in Jesus. On the cross, God condemned sin in the body of Christ…

so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

Note that the law is fulfilled in us, not by us, as we allow Jesus the Righteous One to reveal his righteous life through us.

When we walk in step with the Spirit, we keep the law without any conscious effort. Conversely, when we try to keep the law in our own strength, we fall short. The problem is not the law, which is good, but our flesh, which is weak.

Do you see the paradox? Those who try to keep the law can never succeed (see Romans 7), while those who trust in Jesus can never fail (Romans 8).

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)

Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law. His cross is the exclamation mark that marks the end of the Way of Works.

The only road sign you need

The Way of Works has many road signs, but the Way of Grace has just one – the cross. When you come to the cross, you will either walk past it, believing you can make yourself righteous, or you will turn around and say, “I am done with works. I need grace.”

If you are working to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God, stop. See the cross. See the God who justifies the ungodly on account of grace (Rom. 4:5).

If you believe you must confess sins and keep short accounts with God, stop. See the cross. Your sins are there (Rom. 4:7–8, 11:26–27).

If you believe you must keep the commands to prove you are holy, stop. See the cross. Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law for all who trust in him.

—

If you liked this, you will love my new verse-by-verse commentary on Romans. In next week’s post, I will tell you how you can get The Grace Bible: Romans a month before it hits the shelves.

To Keep the Law is to Break the Law

by

There are two paths to righteousness. The first path is called Works, and it is the basis of every religion ever invented. The second path is called Grace and it is the invention of heaven.

These two paths run in different directions. One goes up and the other down. And you can only walk on one path at a time:

If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. (Romans 11:6)

Which path are you on?

The Way of Works

The Way of Works is signposted by rules and regulations. “Do this, and you will be acceptable. Don’t do that, and you will be holy.”

It’s a path that appeals to our flesh. “If I keep God’s commandments, I will be righteous.”

It is a path that leads to death.

Sadly, many well-intentioned people are walking the Way of Works and they do not know they are going the wrong way. They honor the Ten Commandments and consider themselves moral and law-abiding people. They do not know that they are falling short even on their best days.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Romans 8:7)

The irony is that someone who tries to keep the law is actually breaking the law. By trusting in themselves and their law-keeping abilities, they are elevating themselves above God. They are breaking the first commandment. “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

Paul spends much of Romans talking about people who tried to do the works of law. He talks about religious types who “pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law” (Rom. 9:31).

Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. (Romans 9:32)

It’s easy to dismiss Paul’s warnings as if they were written for other people. But millions of people are walking the Way of Works, and they are wretched and lost. This includes well-meaning churchgoers who think that God will accept them if they stop sinning, read their Bible every day, and serve faithfully. The problem is not what they are doing, but why they are doing it.

If you believe God will accept, bless, save, or sanctify you because of the things you do, you are going the wrong way. You are pursuing a righteousness based on the law, and you will never attain your goal.

The remedy is to get off the Way of Works, stop trusting in the law, and put your faith in God’s grace.

The Way of Grace

The law is holy, righteous, and good, but it has no power to make you holy, righteous, and good. The purpose of the law is to reveal the futility of relying on your flesh so that you might put your trust in Jesus. On the cross, God condemned sin in the body of Christ…

so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

Note that the law is fulfilled in us, not by us, as we allow Jesus the Righteous One to reveal his righteous life through us.

When we walk in step with the Spirit, we keep the law without any conscious effort. Conversely, when we try to keep the law in our own strength, we fall short. The problem is not the law, which is good, but our flesh, which is weak.

Do you see the paradox? Those who try to keep the law can never succeed (see Romans 7), while those who trust in Jesus can never fail (Romans 8).

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)

Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law. His cross is the exclamation mark that marks the end of the Way of Works.

The only road sign you need

The Way of Works has many road signs, but the Way of Grace has just one – the cross. When you come to the cross, you will either walk past it, believing you can make yourself righteous, or you will turn around and say, “I am done with works. I need grace.”

If you are working to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God, stop. See the cross. See the God who justifies the ungodly on account of grace (Rom. 4:5).

If you believe you must confess sins and keep short accounts with God, stop. See the cross. Your sins are there (Rom. 4:7–8, 11:26–27).

If you believe you must keep the commands to prove you are holy, stop. See the cross. Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law for all who trust in him.

—

If you liked this, you will love my new verse-by-verse commentary on Romans. In next week’s post, I will tell you how you can get The Grace Bible: Romans a month before it hits the shelves.

To Keep the Law is to Break the Law

by

There are two paths to righteousness. The first path is called Works, and it is the basis of every religion ever invented. The second path is called Grace and it is the invention of heaven.

These two paths run in different directions. One goes up and the other down. And you can only walk on one path at a time:

If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. (Romans 11:6)

Which path are you on?

The Way of Works

The Way of Works is signposted by rules and regulations. “Do this, and you will be acceptable. Don’t do that, and you will be holy.”

It’s a path that appeals to our flesh. “If I keep God’s commandments, I will be righteous.”

It is a path that leads to death.

Sadly, many well-intentioned people are walking the Way of Works and they do not know they are going the wrong way. They honor the Ten Commandments and consider themselves moral and law-abiding people. They do not know that they are falling short even on their best days.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Romans 8:7)

The irony is that someone who tries to keep the law is actually breaking the law. By trusting in themselves and their law-keeping abilities, they are elevating themselves above God. They are breaking the first commandment. “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

Paul spends much of Romans talking about people who tried to do the works of law. He talks about religious types who “pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law” (Rom. 9:31).

Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. (Romans 9:32)

It’s easy to dismiss Paul’s warnings as if they were written for other people. But millions of people are walking the Way of Works, and they are wretched and lost. This includes well-meaning churchgoers who think that God will accept them if they stop sinning, read their Bible every day, and serve faithfully. The problem is not what they are doing, but why they are doing it.

If you believe God will accept, bless, save, or sanctify you because of the things you do, you are going the wrong way. You are pursuing a righteousness based on the law, and you will never attain your goal.

The remedy is to get off the Way of Works, stop trusting in the law, and put your faith in God’s grace.

The Way of Grace

The law is holy, righteous, and good, but it has no power to make you holy, righteous, and good. The purpose of the law is to reveal the futility of relying on your flesh so that you might put your trust in Jesus. On the cross, God condemned sin in the body of Christ…

so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

Note that the law is fulfilled in us, not by us, as we allow Jesus the Righteous One to reveal his righteous life through us.

When we walk in step with the Spirit, we keep the law without any conscious effort. Conversely, when we try to keep the law in our own strength, we fall short. The problem is not the law, which is good, but our flesh, which is weak.

Do you see the paradox? Those who try to keep the law can never succeed (see Romans 7), while those who trust in Jesus can never fail (Romans 8).

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)

Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law. His cross is the exclamation mark that marks the end of the Way of Works.

The only road sign you need

The Way of Works has many road signs, but the Way of Grace has just one – the cross. When you come to the cross, you will either walk past it, believing you can make yourself righteous, or you will turn around and say, “I am done with works. I need grace.”

If you are working to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God, stop. See the cross. See the God who justifies the ungodly on account of grace (Rom. 4:5).

If you believe you must confess sins and keep short accounts with God, stop. See the cross. Your sins are there (Rom. 4:7–8, 11:26–27).

If you believe you must keep the commands to prove you are holy, stop. See the cross. Christ is the end or fulfillment of the law for all who trust in him.

—

If you liked this, you will love my new verse-by-verse commentary on Romans. In next week’s post, I will tell you how you can get The Grace Bible: Romans a month before it hits the shelves.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

What is the Righteousness of God?

by

For the past six months I have been writing a book on Romans. At times, I have felt like I was in the house of Gaius listening to Paul dictate his letter.

Imagine what that would have been like. Imagine hearing Romans for the very first time.

I can see Paul pacing the room and preaching like a man on fire. I see Tertius, the scribe, recording Paul’s words as fast. Seated around the room and listening intently are Paul’s Jewish friends, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (see Rom. 16:21–23).

And I wonder how they reacted when Paul got to this bit:

Paul (dictating): “For I am not ashamed of the gospel… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Rom. 1:16–17)

Lucius: “What? I’m sorry to interrupt Paul, but are you saying the gospel reveals God’s righteousness? Like it was a secret? Do I need to remind you that we Jews have been praising God’s righteousness for centuries?”

Jason: “We sing songs about it. (Sings) ‘Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens’” (Ps. 71:19).

Paul: “Let me ask you – how do you know that God is righteous?”

Lucius: “The Law of Moses shows us God’s standard of righteousness and how he expects us to live.”

Paul: “How is that working out for you?”

Lucius: “Not well. We Jews have never been able to keep the law. In truth, the law is better at revealing our unrighteousness.”

Paul: “Uh-huh. The law reveals one kind of righteousness, but it’s not the kind that God has. The law condemns sinners, but God justifies sinners. So let me ask you again: how do you know that God is righteous?”

Jason: “Well… er… we just know.”

Paul: “How do you know that God is good and not bad? How do you know that he is faithful and not unfaithful?”

Sosipater: “Because of the promises God made to Abraham and the patriarchs.”

Jason: “Yes, those!

Paul: “What promises?”

Sosipater: “Oh, there were lots. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring.”

Jason: “He promised to send a Messiah to deliver us.”

Lucius: “And he promised to forgive our sins and give us new hearts.”

Paul: “So these promises hinted at the righteousness of God?”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Yes!”

Paul: “Don’t you see? All those wonderful promises have been fulfilled through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel of God reveals, and this is news – good news.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: (Looking thoughtful) Hmm.

Paul: “Lucius, you said the law reveals our unrighteousness, and I agree. The law inflames sin and condemns us (Rom. 7:8–13). For this reason, I maintain that ‘the law does not demonstrate the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21).”

Lucius: “Whew.”

Paul: “But here’s the best part: ‘Our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness’ (Rom. 3:25).

Lucius: “Say, what now?”

Paul: “If we were good and righteous, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). That’s the bad news. The good news is that God loves us, and he keeps his promises. He has a plan for saving us and restoring creation. You might say that our unrighteousness provides him with an opportunity to reveal his righteousness.”

Jason: “And that’s why the Messiah came.”

Paul: “Yes! ‘The cross demonstrates the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:25–26). It displays God’s justice (toward sin) and his mercy (toward sinners). This is why I preach Christ crucified. The cross may be foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews, but if you can receive it, it reveals the righteousness of God.”

Lucius/Jason/Sosipater: “Hallelujah!”

Paul: “The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness, and if you can receive it by faith, you will be enveloped in the righteousness of God, made new, and adopted into his family.”

Sosipater: “You should definitely put this in your letter.”

Paul: “Oh, I plan to.”

—

There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible (2 Tim. 2:14). The wrong way will leave you confused and condemned over your imperfect performance, while the right way will cause you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is why it is critical to use study Bibles and commentataries that strengthen your faith by revealing Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of God’s grace.

In my free ebook, Which Study Bibles are Grace Based?, I list scriptures you can use to test whether your study Bible or commentary is preaching law, grace, or a mixture of the two.

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