Several weeks ago I started a series on the topic of “What is the Gospel?” You can access previous articles here. One of the difficulties in trying to explain why the gospel is such good news is that it’s important to understand the depth of the problem we have so that we will see that the Bible presents us with the only good news that will provide the solution we need. The difficulty in explaining the depth of the problem is that it is very depressing and it’s difficult wading through the bad news in order to get to the good news. So before we continue with God’s description of our predicament, maybe we should take a sneak peak at the good news God wants us to know.
Because God’s standards are so high and there is no way we can live up to them, God decided to provide us with the righteousness we need. This is what Paul refers to in Philippians 3:9 where he says that he wants to be “found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
This is also what Paul is teaching us about in Romans 3:20ff. “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 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.”
God’s plan involves replacing our sinfulness with the righteousness of Christ. Our own goodness is not worth hanging on to. If we cling to our own righteousness, it will fall short of God’s expectations and we will end up being lost. But if we run to the Judge of the earth who has offered us His pardon, we will be given God’s righteousness as a gift, and that alone will meet God’s expectations on judgment day.
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