Righteousness of God by Faith

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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What does Paul mean when he speaks of possessing the righteousness of God? “That I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil. 3:8-98Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:8‑9)). What is being “made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21)?
The expression in Philippians 3:99And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9) is rather “the righteousness from God.” First of all, the sinner who believes on Him that justifies the ungodly is reckoned righteous, of God and by faith. It is not that so much righteousness is reckoned to him; rather, he himself is reckoned intrinsically righteous before God (Rom. 4). God acts righteously through the precious blood of Christ in counting him so. Christ, at God’s right hand, is the proof that God’s righteousness is manifested. His first act, when Christ met all His righteous claims as to sin and glorified Him, was to set Christ as man in heaven. His next act is to count righteous all who believe in Jesus.
But this is not all. To the believer has been communicated a new life — a life in Christ risen from the dead, the character of which is a justified life. It is a life on the other side of death and sin. Christ risen is this life; our life is “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:33For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)). Christ has been made sin for us that we might become God’s righteousness in Him, as gone on high. He is in heaven, God’s righteousness, and we become God’s righteousness, that is, the expression of it, in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).
Thus far as to what we now possess by faith. But we are journeying on to heaven to win Christ and be found in Him, not having our own righteousness (even supposing we had all that Paul could boast of in Philippians 3:4-64Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4‑6)). He throws it aside and counts it dross and dung, desiring and looking for another thing when he reaches the goal, even a righteousness which is from God by faith.
Thus you find that on the one hand he is already righteous; he is already “in Christ” by faith, while he is still, at the same time, running towards the goal, as in Philippians 3, to be “found” “in Christ” at the close and to have the righteousness which is from God at that day.
The anomalous state of the Christian, “as having nothing” in himself yet “possessing all things” in Christ, explains it.
Words of Truth, 7:160