The word righteousness is used in at least three ways in the New Testament.  It is used to denote right living (1 John 2:29; 3:7).  It is used to denote God’s character (Romans 3:25).  Finally, it is used to denote the justification that God imputes (Romans 9:30-33).  This is the righteousness I am concerned with in this blog for tonight.

Romans 9:30-33 (ESV)
³⁰  What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹  but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. ³²  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³  as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

This passage brings us back to the core teaching of Paul in this epistle and tells us exactly why the majority of Jews are left outside of favor with God.  Being in a covenant relationship with God today has nothing to do with ethnicity.  It has to do with faith in Jesus Christ.

We know from Romans one that the Gentiles previously had no interest in the things of God.  However, when they heard the gospel, and accepted it, they attained righteousness, that is, the justification imputed to an individual when he believes and obeys the gospel (Romans 1:16).  The book of Acts gives us an example of this happening.

Acts 13:45-48 (ESV)
⁴⁵  But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. ⁴⁶  And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷  For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” ⁴⁸  And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

This is exactly what Paul describes in Romans 9.  The Gentiles heard the Word of God, believed it, and pursued the righteousness that it offered.  The result was their justification.  The Jews, on the other hand, who were the ones who originally pursued righteousness, did not achieve it because, as Paul said, they tried to attain it by works.

It is critical that we realize that the works Paul refers to in ver. 32 are works of the law, which, for all practical purposes, speak of sinless living since that is what the law required.  So, the Jews were trying to earn their salvation as opposed to being saved by simple faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus, instead of becoming their Savior, became a stumbling stone.

To summarize Paul’s teaching here, the Gentiles were saved because they accepted Jesus by faith, while the Jews remain unjustified because they rejected Christ.  The core teaching is that none of us can earn our salvation by the meritorious work of sinless living.  Why?  Because when we sin, even once, we can no longer save ourselves, but must rely on God’s mercy and grace.  And, since we all have sinned (Romans 3:23), without God’s grace, we are hopelessly lost.

Let us learn, as Paul once indicated, to put our confidence in Christ and not the flesh (Philippians 3:3)

As you wind down for the night, think about these things