Righteousness From God

Romans 4:7

"Blessed are those who lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered."

In his explanation of justification by faith alone, Paul makes an example of Abraham's faith from Genesis 15, when God said, "So shall your offspring be", and when Abraham believed the Lord and "He credited it to him as righteousness."  I think this is what God meant primarily when he promised Abraham, "I will bless you."  All other blessings flow from the blessedness of being made right with God, or righteous.

Then Paul immediately jumps to David, who said, "Blessed are those who lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered."  He does this to show how the real blessing of God isn't merely success, but begins with something deeply fundamental: forgiveness for our sin, covering them.   God covered Adam and Eve's sinfulness and shame with a garment, which came from a slaughtered animal in the garden.  (Perhaps this was the very first species that became extinct, a truly precious offering.) 

This "covering of sin" is exactly the meaning of "justification by faith alone".  We cannot undo our sins or go back to the past and relive the moment so as to preserve our innocence.  We can only pray that God will forgive us.  I believe this was the first meaning of God's promise, "I will bless you."  It was Abraham's faith in God's promises that God credited as righteousness, covering over his sinfulness.  The same was true of David, who was much worse a sinner.

Of course blessing doesn't ONLY mean forgiveness, but forgiveness of sin is the blessing that makes every other blessing possible, not to mention eternal.  So it has to be the greatest blessing.  And this is why David and Paul equate blessing with forgiveness of sins.   "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." [Ro 4:8]

I've struggled a long time to grasp the idea of "the righteousness from God" and "righteousness of God", spoken of by Paul in Romans 3:21, Phil 3:9 and numerous other places.  It is what Daniel spoke of in his prophecy [Dan 9:24], "To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness"; and Hosea in his [10:12], "For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  How is it WE can possess a righteousness that isn't earned, but comes to us from God?  How, even by faith?  The Catholics traditionally reject this and speak of stores of grace and keep many rituals to preserve or restore righteousness.  Alas, many Protestants live in the same futile doctrine, being ignorant in the main of the Bible's teaching.

So how are we "made" righteous?  It is right here in Romans 4: Our sins are "covered".  Very much as Adam and Eve were covered with skins, given them by God.  God spared not His only Son, but delivered Him up to atone for our sins. [Ro 8:32]  This is why Paul later writes [13:14 NIV], "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."

The only righteousness that can cover our sins is one that is from without, from above, from God, a righteousness that could be greater than our sin could never come from within, whence came our sin and rebellion.  It MUST come by faith alone, since it is given to us, "brought in", "rained" down upon us from heaven.

But no righteousness comes from committing jihad, or slaughtering myriad animals, or punishing our bodies, or repeating Hail-Marys, or crawling up stairs on our knees, or giving our fortunes to the poor, or living in poverty, or any amount of ancestor worship. No service that we might render to God, no offering can cover our treason and rebellion against God, no matter how slight. All such righteous works may be impressive to men, but they are "as filthy rags" to the Holy God. [Isaiah 64:6]

Yet God in heaven has given His Son, the Messiah Jesus Christ, to offer Himself as a spotless Lamb of God for our sins, to cover the sins of those who have faith in Him alone. This is not because our works aren't good enough for God.  This is because the sacrifice of Jesus is so superior as to make them completely irrelevant.  To trust in my works, or Christ plus my works, is to insult His perfect work and reject entirely in a holy, just and loving God who has given us His righteousness.  Trusting to one's works is a rejection of God and His righteousness.  That is why Paul insists we are saved by faith alone.  That is the meaning of justification by faith alone, apart from works.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.