The Righteousness of God.doc

The Righteousness of God Introduction In the New Testament, the righteousness of God is an attribute of all three members of the Trinity and refers to His “integrity” and “virtue.” It refers to God’s perfect integrity in that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to His own perfect standards and what He promises to men. It is all that God is, all that He commands, all that He demands, all that He approves, and all that He provides through Christ. The righteousness of God refers to the Trinity’s perfect integrity in that their character is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. It refers to the Trinity’s perfect virtue in that their character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and their conduct is conformed perfectly to their own perfect standards and what they have promised to men. Regardless of the dispensation in which they live, sinners receive the righteousness of God as a gift through faith in the Lord. This gift is received at the moment of conversion at justification. In Old Testament dispensations this would involve communicating the Word of God to the unregenerate who in turn respond by exercising faith in Yahweh, the God of Israel who the New Testament identifies as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. During the First Advent of Jesus Christ, the church age and the seventieth week, sinners receive the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The imputation of divine righteousness results in the Father declaring the sinners justified. Therefore, all those sinners who respond to the Word of God in Old Testament dispensations and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ during the First Advent, the church age and the seventieth week will receive the imputation of divine righteousness. This results in God the Father declaring them justified. God wants His righteousness exemplified in the church age believer’s life. In fact, in every dispensation, God wants all those who have been declared justified by Him through faith to exemplify His righteousness. So in the New Testament epistles, we see the New Testament writers exhorting church age believers to experience and exemplify the righteousness of Jesus Christ after their conversion by appropriating the teaching of the Word of God that they have been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ (See Romans 6). The New Testament Scriptures teach that the righteousness of God will be manifested in the believer’s life when they fulfill their obligations to love both God and men, or in other words by doing right to both God and men. Chapter One: Vocabulary Classical Usage of Dikaiosune In classical Greek and the Septuagint, the noun dikaiosune was a general term for “virtue” and “integrity” of character. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines “integrity”: (1) Soundness of and adherence to moral principle and character; uprightness; honesty (2) The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished (3) A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines “virtue”: (1) Moral excellence; goodness; righteousness (2) Conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness, rectitude. In classical Greek, the noun dikaiosune had two basic meanings: (1) Righteousness as seen from the legal or political standpoint (2) Righteousness from the ethical, religious and moral perspective. The noun dikaiosune is one of the many derivations from dike and represents an abstract concept in classical Greek, although a concrete act underlies the abstraction. The –sune suffix indicates an abstraction. This helps us to understand why a term not found in Homer or Hesiod occurs frequently as a virtue in the post-epic period. We can also see the link between this construction and the development of the Greek sense of law. The very close connection between legal, ethical and religious terminology results from the central position occupied in early Greek thinking by dike as right not merely in the legal, but also the political, the ethical and above all the religious sense. It denotes the quality of the righteous man (dikaiosune dikastike being righteousness according to the law), but, on the other hand, it is in itself the standard which a judge is required to uphold, and which it must be his aim constantly to restore. This it is impartial justice, described by Aristotle as hos ho nomos, as the law. Rhet. 1, 9p, 1366b, 9 ff It is one of the four cardinal virtues, along with phronesis (prudence), sophrosune (temperance) and andreia (fortitude). Dikaiosune occurs: (1) For the civil virtue of observance of law and fulfillment of duty as early as the fifth century. (2) As a general term for virtue (3) Linked with hosiotes as part of virtue in general (4) In mysticism. The close connection between the legal view and general ethics is plain in the definition of Aristotle: esti de dikaiosune men arete di’hen ta auton hekastoi echousi kai hos ho nomos. Rhet. I, 0, p. 1366b, 9 ff. Aristotle is referring to the thought of the judge allotting to each what is his due. Solon’s legislation had a considerable influence on the development of the term with its conception of iustitia distributiva. Herodotus used it in telling the story of Solon whose laws saved Athens. The legislation of Solon greatly influenced the development of the meaning of dikaiosune. Herodotus first used the word as a legal term. Those who adjusted to the justice of Solon’s laws were said to possess dikaiosune or civil virtue. It referred to the justice of the person in authority or the judge in a court of law. Plato used the word in this sense, therefore, dikaiosune meant “adjustment to the law,” and that is the sense in which “righteousness” is a correct translation, but “justice” is equally accurate. The legal influence continues even when ethics broadens the term. For alongside the view of dikaiosune as civil virtue there always lies the use of dikaiosune as a basic legislative principle, e.g., justice, the observance of law and judicial procedure. Although they possessed an erroneous concept of the character and nature of God, Philo and Josephus both use the word in the same sense for adjustment to the justice of God. These two writers adopt for the most part the Hellenistic understanding. Dikaiosune is rare in Josephus. There is only one reference to the dikaiosune of God in the sense of judicial retribution. In relation to man, the word denotes right conduct in the sense of virtue. Josephus maintains a strongly religious definition of the law, viewing the virtues, of which dikaiosune is first, as parts of eusebeia. The conjoining of eusebeia and dikaiosune is very common in the writings of Josephus. In these lists dikaiosune is always arete, and it usually denotes civil virtue in social life. The linking of eusebeia shows that dikaiosune is referred for the most part to man, though a certain imprecision attaches to it in view of Old Testament influences and reminiscences and the effects of Pharisaism. It can be used as a synonym for observance of the commandments. There is only one passage in Philo which deals expressly with the righteousness of God. Deus. Imm., 79 In relation to righteousness Philo has a far more developed ethical conception than Josephus. Philo refers to it as a virtue and comes into being within man when the soul is functioning properly. He has a many more lists of virtues than Josephus and dikaiosune is always numbered among these virtues. Dikaiosune in the Septuagint Dikaiosune appears 336 times in the Septuagint where it functions as the equivalent of the Hebrew tsedhaqah and tsedeq as well as other words. The Greek word absorbs the Hebraic understanding into New Testament usage. It appears quite extensively in the LXX as one would imagine. God, instead of Solon, becomes the norm and believers, instead of the citizens of Attica, are called the dikaiosune when they observe the will of God, that is, when they have adjusted to the justice of God! The word used of an attribute of God. Harold Stigers has the following comment on the noun ṣeḏā·qā(h) and its cognates ṣedeq and ṣaddîq, he writes “The masculine ṣedeq occurs 118 times, the feminine ṣĕ dāqâ 156 times. The two forms do not differ in meaning, as far as we can prove (Snaith, ibid., p. 72). The earliest usages of ṣedeq or ṣĕdāqâ (except Gen 15:6; 18:19; 30:33, sĕdāqâ) occur in relation to the functions of judges. All of their deliverances or decisions are to be according to the truth and without partiality (Lev 19:15). It is applied similarly to weights and measures (Lev 19:36). Commercial fraud and deception are not allowed. In both these usages is seen the basic sense of ‘not deviating from the standard.’ The word describes three aspects of personal relationships: ethical, forensic, and theocratic. The ethical aspect involves the conduct of men with one another. It is held by some (Achtemeier, The Gospel of Righteousness, pp. 68–70) that righteousness is the quality of relationships between individuals. What follows from this view, however, is that righteousness is a matter of current norms. Actually, righteousness is exhibited only through conformity to standards set out in the word of God. The man who is righteous tries to preserve the peace and prosperity of the community by fulfilling the commands of God in regard to others. In the supreme sense the righteous man (ṣaddîq) is one who serves God (Mal 3:18). Specifically, he, like Job, delivers the poor and orphan, helps the blind along the way, supports the weak and is a father (provider) to the poor (Job 29:12–15). This was the righteous ‘clothing’ of Job’s life. To return the poor man’s pledged coat before sundown so that it may serve as his night clothes is righteousness (Deut 24:13), the purpose in this case being the man’s comfort. But the ‘righteousness’ consisted in obedience to God’s law and conformity to God’s nature, having mercy for the needy and helpless. Among other righteousnesses of Job were his care for the traveler (Job 31:31–32), eschewing wealth for its own sake (31:24–25), thus not victimizing himself or others in its pursuit. Nor did he squeeze out of his servants the last ounce of effort (31:13) having their limits of strength and comfort in mind. Job’s long oath of innocence was a declaration of righteousness as the three friends recognized (32:1). The ṣaddîq gives freely (Ps 37:21), without regard for gain. The presence of this kind of people is the exaltation of the nation (Prov 14:34), and the memory of the righteous man is a blessing. When men follow God, righteousness is said to dwell in the city (Isa 1:21). But when sin rules, it becomes a harlot. To rule on behalf of the wicked for a price is perversion of righteousness, for it takes away the righteousness (decency, Godlikeness) of the righteous (Isa 5:23). David was (more) righteous than Saul because he refused to slay Saul when unprotected (I Sam 24:7), although God seemingly had given Saul into his hands. The source of all this righteous conduct is the bestowal of God’s judgments (or laws) and righteousness on his people (Ps 72:1–2). The above discussion elucidates the message of the prophets, whose cry for righteousness rang throughout the land. Amos cried for justice in the gates (5:15, 24) that is, that right institutions be rightly administered. All who function in public areas are to be righteous in all they do—not for all they do. Beautiful singing will not persuade God to accept corrupt religious practice (Amos 5:23–24). Jeremiah declares that justice and righteousness together means to deliver the weak, to do no violence to them, nor to shed innocent blood. This righteousness will preserve the city (Jer 22:14). Whether by nations or individuals, righteous conduct can only be secured by plowing up fallow ground, sowing in righteousness, and reaping in mercy, i.e. making a new base for righteousness (Hos 10:12). All must become new persons whose actions are governed by the law of God. Righteous conduct issues from a new heart (Ezk 36:25–27). Habakkuk puts it another way: the just shall live by his faith (Hab 2:4). Isaiah (32:15–17) couples righteousness with the work of the Spirit, all resulting in peace and therefore eternal, assured quietness. It is possible that this thought lies behind the figure in Ps 85:10 [H 11], ‘Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.’ Because there has been reconciliation between man and God, peace comes to bless his way. Isaiah apparently refers to the state of these people: ‘thy people shall all be righteous.’ True ethics derive from imparted righteousness. The forensic aspect of ṣedeq applies to the equality of all, rich and poor, before the law. The righteous one, the ṣaddîq, is not to be put to death (Ex 23:7) for the law does not condemn him. The man who has the position of right (the righteousness of the righteous, ṣidĕqat ṣaddîq) in litigation must not be turned aside, (Isa 5:23). It should be emphasized that in Israel’s law the judge was not considering a man’s innocence with regard to breaking a human law, but a man’s righteousness in regard to God’s law. Today a man may transgress a statute but be innocent before God. In the ot law, to be innocent and to be righteous were one and the same. The maintenance of righteousness is frequently expressed by the Hiphil stem. This construction refers to making righteous or to declaring righteous. The comparative status of right is expressed by Judah in comparison to Tamar (Gen 38:26), i.e. she was within her rights to act as she did, Judah was not. But this is not a total approbation of her actions. A just or true claim is a “righteousness” (Ps 17:1; 18:20 [H 21]), always opposing the lie (Ps 37:6). In terms of an individual involved in litigation, to be righteous means to be free from guilt in relation to any infraction of law (Gen 30:33). One is righteous who is declared to be right (Ex 23:7; Deut 25:1). Such is Job’s affirmation (Job 19:7) (cf. The Argument of the Book of Job Unfolded, W. H. Greeves [New York: 1891], p. 188. It is the duty of judge and king to maintain righteousness in the community; Ex 23:7–8; I Chr 18:14; Prov 16:12). Noah, Daniel, and Job were righteous (Ezk 14:14, 20). Good conduct by an individual establishes a claim on the Lord of deliverance from calamitous judgment. Similarly, Gen 15:6 teaches that Abraham received Isaac as his heir because his trust in God’s promises was accounted as righteousness. ṣedeq is used attributively when applied to God himself as to his character. The Lord is the just judge (II Chr 12:6; Ps 11:7; Jer 12:1; Lam 1:18) even to the utmost degree as the judge of all the earth (Deut 32:4; Ps 119:137; Isa 5:16). Therefore, his standards, his judgments set out in his word are righteous (Ps 119:144, 160, 172). Being everlasting, they are the confidence of his people and will not fail. God’s hate of sin and love of righteousness (Psa 45:7 [H 8]) express his essential righteousness. Therefore, righteousness and judgment are the habitation (“foundation” NASB, NIV) of God’s throne, i.e. they always characterize his actions (Ps 97:2). Corollary to the forensic aspect of God’s righteousness is the concept of salvation as vindication (cf. Isa 1:27; 46:13, in which tĕšûʿâ “salvation” occurs in parallelism with ṣĕdāqâ. The salvation of God appears in this righteousness, for God delivers his people (Isa 51:lff.). God is characterized as right in delivering his people (Ps 85:9–11 [H 10–11]; 97:2). Cyrus is summoned to deliver God’s people and is therefore termed righteous (Isa 42:6; 45:13). Because God is always righteous, his saving action is properly signified by his righteous right hand (Isa 41:10). His saving righteousness is expressed with judgment, fidelity, and love (Ps 36:6–7 [H 7–8]) and with power (Ps 71:19). Those who experience this deliverance celebrate it in song (Ps 40; 10 [H 11]; 71:15–16). The covenant or theocratic aspect involves the nation of Israel. The covenant requires obedience to God by the nation and is the way of his people (Ps 1:1–6; Deut 6:25), a way of righteousness. God is righteous, under the covenant, when he delivers his people from trouble (Ps 31:1 [H 2]), their enemies (Ps 5:8 [H 9]), the wicked (Ps 37:6) and when he is vindicating Israel before her foes or executing vengeance on them (Jer 11:20). It is appropriate that Israel be assured of ultimate victory over her foes (Isa 54:14–17). In this last event the Lord is both righteous and the savior (Isa 45:21). Yet God is just to deliver the national sanctuary to the sword of Israel’s enemies on account of her sins. God’s judgment is just and Israel’s evil conduct can in no way be justified i.e. considered righteous. But the righteous ones remember the covenant to do it, and God’s promise to them is their restoration (Isa 51:1–8). For Israel to look to her maker involved repentance and reform. On the basis of this new righteousness came a deliverance. Israel in exile was far from righteousness (Isa 46:12) but God would bring her back according to his own righteousness (Isa 46:13). Rather than finding here a meaning of deliverance, salvation or triumph for ṣĕdāqâ as some do, it is better to find God’s solution of the problem of justification for the sinner in the teaching of Isa 53 where the suffering servant justifies sinners by bearing their sin. This same forensic meaning of justification of the ungodly is a real precursor of Rom 3:26. So Israel’s restoration to the land of promise is righteousness (Isa 46:12–13) and it is in righteousness that the Lord raises up Cyrus to restore Israel to the land (45:13). Such righteousness will be set out before all the world, for God will help Israel. In this fulfillment of the covenant God is declared righteous (Isa 54:14), and Israel’s status is that of being righteous, ṣaddîq. The root presents a development or variety of usage. 1. The abstract meaning of conformity to some standard (Gen 15:6), Abraham measuring up to the requirement of trust. 2. As a descriptive characteristic of God (Deut 32:4), as just and righteous, the standard being his own will and nature as the supreme being. The illustration of the potter and the clay, (Isa 45:9–12) points to the appropriateness of the divine decision. 3. ṣĕdāqâ or ṣedeq when applied to God mean righteousness, his characteristics then becoming the ultimate standard of human conduct. 4.The visitation of punishment on moral infractions is an example of righteousness, as were God’s judgments on Pharaoh for refusing to release the Israelites (Ex 9:27). To judge sin is, one may say, a divine necessity for a righteous God 5. God shows his righteousness in vindicating the deserving among his people (Gen 18:25). Although that righteousness may require punishment, it is followed by mercy on repentance. 6. The work of justification is seen when David pleads for forgiveness (Ps 51:14 [H 16]), calling on God to bestow deliverance without regard to merit to fulfill his obligation to his own standards. Implicit in this justification is the substitutionary sacrifice for sin sincerely offered as noted in Ps 51:16–19 [H 18–21]. These verses are no later addendum to the Psalm. They give the ot parallel to Rom 3:26. 7. The word describes the righteous standing of God’s heirs to salvation, with no charge to be laid against them (Isa 54:17), this righteousness, actually possessed by Messiah (Jer 23:6), is bestowed by him, thus pointing toward the nt doctrine of Christ our righteousness. The righteousness of God’s heirs of salvation is the righteousness of the Messiah attributed to them by God through faith in the redemptive work of Messiah in which God declares them righteous only because of the grace provided through that redemptive work. 8. Finally in post-exilic times the root develops to mean benevolence, alms-giving etc. as acts of a godly man (cf. Ps 112:9). There are different concepts of the meaning of this root. G. Schrenk cites Diestel and Kautzsch as working out “thoroughly the idea of the consistent and normative action of God (God himself being the norm rather than standing under it)” (TDNT, II, p. 195). Schrenk himself, however, declares that “ṣĕ dāqâ implies relationship. A man is righteous when he meets certain claims which another has on him in virtue of relationship” (ibid.). He does not attempt to prove this concept of relationship, but he bases much on the idea that ‘Deutero-Isaiah’ always uses the image of a legal dispute whereby God defends the people under covenant to him much as an ancient eastern suzerain promised to do in a suzerainty treaty. This covenant concept is so paramount in Schrenk that he can say: ‘This linking of right and salvation is most deeply grounded in the covenant concept. ṣĕdāqâ is the execution of covenant faithfulness and the covenant promises. God’s righteousness as His judicial reign means that in covenant faithfulness to His people He vindicates and saves them’ (ibid.). By this emphasis on the covenant, God’s righteousness becomes fidelity to promises and there is no eternal justice of God to be satisfied by a substitute. Indeed, rescue of the covenant people from trouble is both righteousness, salvation, and victory. Snaith writes from a similar viewpoint. He holds that ‘the eighth century prophets use the word ṣedeq-ṣĕdāqâ (righteousness) in an ethical sense. …Second Isaiah thought of ṣedeq more from the point of view of that which actually is established in this world. It is that which triumphs and prospers’ (op. cit. p. 87). In a note (p. 89) he argues that only in the very late passages of Isa 26:19 (Trito Isaiah, third century) and Dan 12:2 (which he holds is Maccabean) is there any teaching of a “resurrection life beyond the grave.” Therefore (since the other verses on resurrection are retranslated and their teaching denied) he says that righteousness, i.e. salvation, for the Israelite “must involve the blessings of honor from men and general prosperity.” The biblical declaration of the personal righteousness of the living God is thus evaporated by critical theory.” ‭ ‬Stigers,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬G.‭ (‬1999‭)‬.‭ ‬1879‭ ‬צָדֵק.‭ (‬R.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Harris,‭ ‬G.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Archer Jr.,‭ & ‬B.‭ ‬K.‭ ‬Waltke,‭ ‬Eds.‭)‬Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.‭ ‬Chicago:‭ ‬Moody Press. Dikaiosune is also used of the divine righteousness, which is imputed to every believer at the moment of conversion. The word was used of Old Testament believers who fulfilled their obligations to love both God and men. It is also used of the integrity of the Messiah’s millennial reign upon planet earth. In later Judaism righteousness became primarily a human activity, a human virtue alongside other virtues. To practice “justice” was defined as “being merciful,” “giving alms,” or “praying” (cf. Matt. 6:2). Righteousness also came to mean “the fulfillment of legal obligations.” The concept of righteousness as a relationship was replaced by a legal ideal. The Law was held to be a collection of judicial ordinances; God was believed to be the Supreme Judge who would evaluate “righteousness” in terms of a man’s deeds (i.e., “keeping the Law” and “doing righteousness”). On the basis of God’s judgment, He would either vindicate or condemn the man. Thus in Judaism “salvation” totally depended upon man’s ability to do deeds or works of righteousness and to keep the Law. It depended upon human power rather than faith or dependence upon God’s power or ability to save. New Testament Usage of Dikaiosune The term dikaiosune appears 92 times and is used to describe following in the New Testament: (1) Mosaic Law (2) Old Testament Scriptures (3) Adherence to the Mosaic Law by Old Testament saints (4) Adherence to man-made traditions by the Jews in the OT (5) Perfect adherence to the Mosaic Law by Christ (6) Adherence to the Law through faith in Christ (7) Impeccability of Christ (8) Human good (moral degeneracy) (9) Relative human righteousness (10) Attribute of God (11) Imputed righteousness (12) Integrity of Christ (13) Experiential righteousness, i.e., experiential sanctification (14) Living spiritually (15) Principle of the integrity of God (16) Production of divine good through the obedience to the Word of God (17) Justification (18) Rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of Christ (19) Word of God (20) The Gospel Message of salvation through faith in Christ (21) Christian integrity (22) Establishment integrity (23) Self-righteous arrogance (24) Execution of the incarnation plan for Christ (25) Execution of the plan of God by the church age believer (26) Execution of the plan of God for the OT believer. Louw and Nida list the following New Testament meanings: (1) The act of doing what God requires – ‘righteousness, doing what God requires, doing what is right’. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains 88.13 (2) To cause someone to be in a proper or right relation with someone else – ‘to put right with, to cause to be in a right relationship with’. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains 34.46 (3) Observances or practices required by one’s religion – ‘religious observances, religious requirements’. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains 53.4 (4) To give to those in need as an act of mercy – ‘acts of charity, alms, giving to the needy’ Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains 57.111. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition: (1) the quality, state, or practice of judicial responsibility with focus on fairness, justice, equitableness, fairness. (2) quality or state of juridical correctness with focus on redemptive action, righteousness (3) the quality or characteristic of upright behavior, uprightness, righteousness. Pages 247-248 In the Septuagint, the noun dikaiosune was used primarily to denote an attribute of God and to describe His relationship to both Israel and the Gentiles. In the Greek New Testament, the noun dikaiosune was used primarily to denote an attribute of God and also refers to the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed to the person who accepts Him as their Savior. In the New Testament, the noun dikaiosune often refers to the “righteousness” of God or in other words, His “integrity” and “virtue.” Thus, the word refers to the Father’s perfect integrity in that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to His own perfect standards and what He promises to men. It is all that God is, all that He commands, all that He demands, all that He approves, and all that He provides through Christ. Dikaiosune refers to the Trinity’s perfect integrity in that their character is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. The noun refers to the Trinity’s perfect virtue in that their character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and their conduct is conformed perfectly to their own perfect standards and what they have promised to men. The word thus denotes an attribute of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The word is also used in relation to the believer experiencing the righteousness of Jesus Christ after conversion by appropriating the teaching of the Word of God that they have been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ (See Romans 6). The noun dikaiosune, “righteousness” also referred to fulfilling one’s obligations to love both God and men, doing right to both God and men. Dikaiosune in Romans Dikaiosune appears 34 times in the book of Romans alone. In Romans 1:17, the noun dikaiosune means, “righteousness” and refers to the righteousness of Christ since Paul writes that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God and in Romans 1:3-4 he writes that the gospel message centers upon the Person of Christ. Romans 1:16 For I am never ashamed of the gospel for it is as an eternal spiritual truth God’s power resulting in deliverance for the benefit of everyone who as an eternal spiritual truth believe, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. 17 For by means of it, the righteousness originating from God is as an eternal spiritual truth revealed from faith to faith. Just as it stands written for all of eternity, “But the righteous shall choose for himself to live by means of faith.” (Author’s translation) Romans 1:1 Paul, a slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel originating from God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning His Son, who was born as a descendant of David with respect to His human nature. 4 The One demonstrated as the Son of God by means of divine power with respect to a nature characterized by holiness because of the resurrection from the dead ones, Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Author’s translation) The righteousness of Christ refers to the character of Christ having perfect integrity in the sense that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to the will of God, which is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. The righteousness of Christ refers to the character of Christ having perfect virtue in the sense that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and His conduct is conformed perfectly to the will of God. In Romans 3:5, the noun dikaiosune means, “righteousness” and is used to describe God as indicated by the articular genitive form of the noun theos, which modifies it. Romans 3:5 But, if-and let us assume that it’s true for the sake of argument our unrighteousness does cause God’s righteousness to be made conspicuous. What then is the conclusion that we are forced to? Is God unrighteous, while inevitably exercising His righteous indignation? (I am speaking according to human viewpoint.) No! (Author’s translation) The word appears again in Romans 3:21. Romans 3:21 But now, independently of seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law, the righteousness originating from God is being manifested at the present time while simultaneously being attested to by the Law and the Prophets. (Author’s translation) In this passage, the noun dikaiosune is an attribute of God and means that God is perfect “integrity” in the sense that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to His own perfect standards and what He promises to men. It also indicates that God’s character is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. The word means that God is perfect “virtue” in the sense that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and His conduct is conformed perfectly to His own perfect standards and what He has promised to men. Dikaiosune is found in Romans 3:22 where it refers to an attribute of God referring to His perfect integrity and virtue. Romans 3:22 Namely, the righteousness originating from God through faith in Jesus who is the Christ for the benefit of each and every person who does believe for there is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely no distinction. (Author’s translation) The noun appears in Romans 3:25 where it again refers to God’s attribute of righteousness. Romans 3:25 Whom God the Father offered publicly as a propitiatory gift through faith by means of His blood in order to demonstrate His righteousness because of the deliberate and temporary suspension of judgment of the sins, which have taken place in the past on the basis of the tolerance originating from the character and nature of God the Father. (Author’s translation) This passage teaches us that the offering of His Son Jesus Christ publicly at the Cross of Calvary as a propitiatory gift to sinful mankind by means of His Son’s spiritual death on the Cross demonstrated the Father’s righteousness in the sense that it manifested His perfect virtue and integrity. It demonstrated His perfect virtue and integrity since God perfectly adhered to His own perfect holy standards expressed in His Law, which demanded that sin be judged. Also, it demonstrated His perfect virtue and integrity in the sense that it fulfilled the promises of a Savior that He made to the human race that are recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures who would provide salvation through His sacrificial death. The noun dikaiosune also refers to the fact that God always does right by man or treats Him fairly. Thus, the offering of His Son Jesus Christ publicly at the Cross of Calvary as a propitiatory gift to sinful mankind demonstrated the Father’s righteousness since although He is holy and man is a sinner, He has been gracious to man by withholding judgment and providing them salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Sinful mankind has been tolerated by a holy God and treated graciously by Him meaning better than they deserve. The spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary demonstrated God’s righteousness in that it manifested God’s conformity to His own perfect standards that sin must be judged and thus it manifested His hatred of sin. Also, the spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary demonstrated God’s righteousness in that it manifested God keeps His promises to mankind that He would provide them salvation through a Savior. Lastly, it demonstrated the righteousness of God in that it manifested God always does right by mankind even when mankind is antagonistic to God. Therefore, the offering of His Son Jesus Christ as a propitiatory gift to sinful mankind by means of His Son’s spiritual death on the Cross was in keeping with the Father’s righteousness, His holy character. It demonstrated His love for sinners and hatred of sin. The noun dikaiosune is also found in Romans 3:26. Romans 3:26 Correspondingly, in relation to the demonstration of His righteousness during this present distinct period of history, that He Himself is, as an eternal spiritual truth, inherently righteous, even while justifying anyone by means of faith in Jesus. (Author’s translation) In Romans 3:26, Paul is saying that the righteousness of the Father that was manifested through His Son’s spiritual death on the Cross is now being manifested in human history during the church age through the communication of the gospel. Dikaiosune appears in Romans 4:3. Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham had absolute confidence in (the Son of) God. Consequently, for his benefit, it was credited and regarded as righteousness.” (Author’s translation) In this passage, the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which was imputed to Abraham the moment he exercised faith in the Lord to deliver on His promises. The noun appears again in Romans 4:5. Romans 4:5 On the other hand, for the benefit of the one who does not work hard but does exercise absolute confidence in the One who, as an eternal spiritual truth, justifies the ungodly, his faith is, as an eternal spiritual truth, credited and regarded as righteousness. (Author’s translation) In Romans 4:5, the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which is imputed to the sinner the moment they exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Dikaiosune is found in Romans 4:6 where it refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which is imputed or credited to the sinner the moment they exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Romans 4:6 In fact, in the same way, David also describes the blessing that produces a happiness in the person that is divine in quality for the benefit of whom God (the Father) as an eternal spiritual truth credits (divine) righteousness independently of meritorious actions. (Author’s translation) We see the word again in Romans 4:9. Romans 4:9 Then is, as an eternal spiritual truth, this blessing that produces a happiness that is divine in quality upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? For we contend, “Faith was credited and regarded as righteousness for the benefit of Abraham.” (Author’s translation) In Romans 4:9, the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which is imputed to the sinner the moment they exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Thus, the word refers to the God’s perfect integrity in that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to His own perfect standards and what He promises to men. Dikaiosune refers to the Father’s perfect integrity in that His character is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. The noun refers to the Father’s perfect virtue in that His character is perfect moral excellence and goodness. The noun dikaiosune appears twice in Romans 4:11. Romans 4:11 In fact, he had undergone the distinguishing mark, namely, circumcision as confirmation of the righteousness, that is by means of faith, which he had when uncircumcised in order that he himself might, as an eternal spiritual truth, be the spiritual father over each and every person who does believe while uncircumcised so that righteousness might be credited to them for their benefit. (Author’s translation) In both instances, the word refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which is imputed or credited to the sinner the moment they exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Again, the word refers to the Father’s perfect integrity in that His character is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. The noun refers to the Father’s perfect virtue in that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and His conduct is conformed perfectly to His own perfect standards and what He has promised to men. The noun dikaiosune also refers to the fact that God always does right by man or treats man fairly. This same meaning of the word is found again in Romans 4:13. Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his Descendant that he himself, as an eternal spiritual truth, would inherit the earth was, as an eternal spiritual truth, never by means of obedience to the (Mosaic) Law but rather by means of the righteousness produced by faith. (Author’s translation) It refers again to the imputation of divine righteousness in Romans 4:22. Romans 4:22 Therefore, for this very reason, “for his benefit it was credited and regarded as righteousness.” (Author’s translation) In Romans 5:17, the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which was imputed to the sinner the moment they exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. The moment a sinner trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior, God the Father imputes His righteousness to the sinner so that Jesus Christ becomes the believer’s righteousness. Romans 5:17 For if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that by means of the transgression committed by the one, spiritual death reigned as king through this one. Of course, we know this is true. Then, how much more those who do receive His transcendent grace, specifically, the gracious gift, which is His righteousness, will, as a certainty, reign as kings by means of life through the One, who is Jesus, who is the Christ. (Author’s translation) In Romans 5:21, the noun dikaiosune refers once again to the righteousness of Christ in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which was imputed to the sinner the moment they exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Romans 5:21 In order that just as, the sin nature reigned as king in the realm of spiritual death in the same way, also grace would reign as king through righteousness resulting in eternal life through Jesus, who is the Christ, who is our Lord. The moment a sinner trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior, God the Father imputes His righteousness to the sinner so that Jesus Christ becomes the believer’s righteousness. It is Christ’s righteousness since it was His obedience to the Father’s will in dying substitutionary spiritual death for all of sinful mankind that propitiated the Father’s holiness that demanded that sin and sinners bear the full brunt of His righteous indignation. Paul’s statements in Romans 5:17-18 clearly that dikaiosune in Romans 5:21 is a reference to Christ’s righteousness that is imputed to the sinner when the sinner exercises faith in Him as their Savior. Romans 5:17 For if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that by means of the transgression committed by the one, spiritual death reigned as king through this one. Of course, we know this is true. Then, how much more those who do receive His transcendent grace, specifically, the gracious gift, which is His righteousness, will, as a certainty, reign as kings by means of life through the One, who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 18 Therefore, as previously stated, just as through the one who committed the transgression resulted in condemnation affecting each and every member of the human race without exception in the same way also through the One who committed the righteous act resulted in the basis for the offer of justification, which produces (eternal) life, affecting each and every member of the human race without exception. (Author’s translation) Consequently, this enabled to extend grace to the entire human race based upon the merits of Jesus Christ and His spiritual death on the Cross. This death redeemed mankind out of the slave market of sin, propitiated the Father’s holiness that required that sin and sinners be judged, fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law and reconciled the sinner to a holy God. Therefore, since Christ’s death propitiated Him, the Father was now free to impart unmerited blessings to sinners whenever they exercise faith in His Son Jesus Christ as Savior. The noun dikaiosune appears in Romans 6:13. Romans 6:12 Therefore, do not make it a habit to let the sin nature reign as king in your mortal body with the result that you habitually obey its lusts. 13 Nor, all of you place the members of your body at the disposal and benefit of the sin nature as instruments, which produce unrighteousness but rather I solemnly charge all of you to place yourselves at the disposal and benefit of God the Father as those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, alive from the dead ones and in addition your members as instruments, which produce righteousness for the benefit of God the Father and do it now! (Author’s translation) In Romans 6:13, the noun describes the actions of believers since the word functions as a genitive of product meaning that it is the “product” of the noun hoplon, “instruments” to which it stands related. Thus, the noun dikaiosune, “righteousness” as a “genitive of product” indicates that the members of the body of these Roman believers are to “produce” this righteousness. Here it refers to actions on the part of the believer, which are upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. It refers to actions on the part of the believer that reflect moral excellence, goodness, and conduct that is conformed perfectly to the will of God. In Romans 6:13, the word refers to the actions of believers are in obedience to all that God commands, all that He demands, all that He approves and all that He provides through Christ. We saw dikaiosune in Romans 6:16. Romans 6:16 Are you totally unaware concerning this fact, namely that the one whom you desire to place yourselves at the disposal of as slaves for obedience, you will be slaves for the benefit of this one whom you desire to obey, either the sin nature resulting in temporal spiritual death or obedience to the Father’s will resulting in righteousness? (Author’s translation) In this passage, the noun does not refer to the imputation of divine righteousness to the sinner the moment he trusts in Jesus Christ as his Savior since in context Paul is addressing the subject of experiencing sanctification or in other words, fellowship with God, which takes place after being declared justified. Neither does the word refer to righteousness in the “ultimate” sense in a resurrection body since Paul is addressing his readers’ volitional responsibility and obligation to obey God and the resurrection, i.e. rapture of the church will take place apart from the believer’s volition. Rather, the noun dikaiosune refers to the believer experiencing the righteousness of God, which was imputed to him by God the Father the moment he exercised faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. This interpretation is supported by the fact that Paul’s is addressing his readers’ volitional responsibility, which corresponds to “experiential righteousness” since it takes place when the believer obeys the Father’s will. Now, in Romans 6:18, the noun dikaiosune appears once again. In this passage, the word is being personified by the verb douloo, which we translated “became slaves.” It is set in contrast to the noun hamartia, which refers to the sin nature. It too is being personified but by the verb eleutheroo, which we translated, “having been set free.” These two verbs eleutheroo and douloo both appear in Romans 6:22. The former speaks again of the believer being freed from the tyranny of the sin nature and the latter speaks of the believer being enslaved to God. Romans 6:22 But now having been freed (eleutheroo) from sin and enslaved (douloo) to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. (Author’s translation) Therefore, it is quite clear from the context, that dikaiosune in Romans 6:18 is synonymous with God as indicated by the fact that douloo is personifying it and that the verb douloo is used in Romans 6:22 with reference to God. Romans 6:18 And also, because having been set free from the tyranny of the sin nature, all of you became slaves of righteousness. (Author’s translation) Paul is actually employing the figure of metonymy of effect where the righteousness of God is put for God Himself who is the source of the Christians’ righteousness since the righteousness of God was imputed to the Christian the moment he exercised faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. (Author’s translation) Next, in Romans 6:19, the articular construction of the word is “anaphoric” meaning that the word was used in verse 18 and that its meaning in that verse is being retained here in verse 19. Therefore, dikaiosune is referring to the Father. Romans 6:19 I am speaking according to your human frame of reference because of the weakness, which is your flesh. Therefore, just as all of you placed your members as slaves at the disposal of and with respect to that which is impurity and in addition with respect to that which is lawlessness resulting in further lawlessness, in the same way, now, I solemnly charge all of you to place your members as slaves at the disposal of and with respect to righteousness resulting in sanctification and do it now! (Author’s translation) Also, furthering indicating that dikaiosune is a reference to the Father who as to His nature is righteousness is that the verb paristemi is personifying the noun. Therefore, since the noun dikaiosune is synonymous for God Himself, its articular construction emphasizes that God Himself is well-known to the reader. Now, in Romans 6:20, the noun again refers to God the Father who as to His nature is righteousness since the article is again “anaphoric” meaning that it was used in verse 19 and that its meaning is retained here in verse 20. Also further indicating that dikaiosune is a reference to the Father is that the adjective eleutheros, “free” is personifying it. Again, since the Father is in view here the article indicates that God who is righteous is well-known of course to Paul’s readers. Romans 6:20 For you see, when all of you were once in a perpetual state of being slaves to the sin nature, all of you were in a perpetual state of being free with respect to righteousness. (Author’s translation) In Romans 8:10, the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which was imputed to the sinner the moment they exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Romans 8:10 However, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument Christ does, as an eternal spiritual truth, exist in all of you. Of course, He does! Then, on the one hand, the body is, as an eternal spiritual truth dead because of the sin nature while on the other hand, the Spirit is, as an eternal spiritual truth, life in all of you because of righteousness. (Author’s translation) The noun dikaiosune next appears in Romans 9:30 where it is used three times and in each instance it refers to a right standing with God or righteous status with God or we could say to be declared justified by God. Romans 9:30 Therefore, what is the conclusion that we are forced to? That the Gentiles who, customarily and characteristically do not zealously pursue righteousness obtained righteousness, in fact a righteousness, which is by means of faith as a source. (Author’s translation) This is indicated by the following: In Romans 1-8 Paul taught that God declares a sinner justified through faith in Jesus Christ, which the Gentiles adhered to as indicated by his statements in Romans 9:30-10:21. However, the Jews attempted to be declared justified by God by means of a meritorious system of works as indicated by Paul’s statements in Romans 9:30-10:21. The Gentiles attained the righteousness of God by means of faith in Christ whereas the nation of Israel did not because they pursued it by means of a meritorious system of works. Lastly, the word appears in Romans 9:31 where it again refers to a right standing with God or righteous status with God. Romans 9:31 However, even though Israel customarily and characteristically zealously pursues a legal righteousness, they never measured up to the Law. (Author’s translation) Now, in Romans 10:3, the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness that originates from God as indicated by its genitive adjunct tou theou. The context implies that dikaiosune is the righteousness of God that is offered in the gospel as a gift from the Father and is received by the sinner and is imputed to the sinner the moment the sinner exercises faith in His Son Jesus Christ, which in turn results in justification. In other words, it refers to God’s righteousness that can never be attained by the sinner through obedience to the Law but only through faith alone in Christ alone. It is the righteousness of God that is received by faith in contrast to the righteousness that is based upon obedience to the Law. With the former, the Father justifies the sinner whereas with latter, He condemns them to the lake of fire since the latter demands perfect obedience to the Law, which sinners have no capacity to do. Therefore, the noun dikaiosune in Romans 10:3 refers to God’s righteousness as indicated by the genitive adjunct tou theou. Together, they refer implicitly to God’s righteousness that is received through faith in Christ in contrast to the righteousness that is attained by obedience to the Law, which does not measure up to God’s perfect righteousness. So we can dikaiosune is a “faith-righteousness” or “gospel-righteousness” in contrast to the “Law-righteousness” or “self-righteousness” that Israel held to. Romans 10:3 Because they have in the past rejected the righteousness originating from God the Father and continue to do so up to the present moment. In fact, because they have in the past zealously sought to establish their own and continue to do so up to the present moment, they never submitted to the righteousness originating from God the Father. As was the case in Romans 10:3, the noun dikaiosune here in Romans 10:4 refers to the righteousness of God that is offered in the gospel as a gift from the Father and is received by the sinner and is imputed to the sinner the moment the sinner exercises faith in His Son Jesus Christ, which in turn results in justification. Romans 10:4 Because (faith in) Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the purpose of the Law resulting in righteousness for the benefit of each and every member of the human race to those who at any time do exercise absolute confidence (in Christ). (Author’s translation) In Romans 10:5, the noun dikaiosune refers to a right standing with God or righteous status with God. Romans 10:5 Because Moses writes concerning this particular righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as constituting a source of justification): “The person who obeys them will cause himself to live by means of them.” (Author’s translation) In Romans 10:6 the noun dikaiosune refers to the righteousness of God that is offered in the gospel as a gift from the Father and is received by the sinner and is imputed to the sinner the moment the sinner exercises faith in His Son Jesus Christ, which in turn results in justification. This is indicated by the prepositional phrase ek pisteos, “based on faith,” which follow its. It refers to God’s righteousness that can never be attained by the sinner through obedience to the Law but only through faith alone in Christ alone. It is the righteousness of God that is received by faith in contrast to the righteousness that is based upon obedience to the Law. With the former, the Father justifies the sinner whereas with latter, He condemns them to the lake of fire since the latter demands perfect obedience to the Law, which sinners have no capacity to do. So we can dikaiosune is a “faith-righteousness” or “gospel-righteousness” in contrast to the “Law-righteousness” or “self-righteousness” that Israel held to. In Romans 10:6, the word is being personified as indicated by Paul’s use of lego, “speaks” rather than graphe, “writes.” The latter would emphasize that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ is based on the authority of Old Testament Scripture whereas the former personifies this type of righteousness. “Personification” is the ascribing of human characteristics or actions to inanimate objects or ideas or to animals. Paul is ascribing the human actions of speaking to the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ. Romans 10:6 However, the righteousness originating from and based on faith speaks in the following manner: “Do not think in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” This does imply bringing Christ down. (Author’s translation) Lastly, the noun dikaiosune in Romans 10:10 refers to God’s righteousness that is received as a gift by the sinner through imputation as a result of faith in Christ in contrast to the righteousness that is attained by obedience to the Law, which does not measure up to God’s perfect righteousness. The word is referring to the doctrine of justification since justification of the sinner takes place when the Father declares the sinner justified as a result of imputing His Son’s righteousness to the sinner the moment the sinner exercises faith in His Son Jesus Christ as Savior. Romans 10:10 For you see, with the heart, one, as an eternal spiritual truth, does exercise absolute confidence resulting in righteousness on other hand with the mouth, one, as an eternal spiritual truth, does acknowledge resulting in deliverance. (Author’s translation) In Romans 14:17, the noun dikaiosune means “righteousness” and refers to the believer experiencing the righteousness of God by means of fellowship with the Holy Spirit, which is indicated by the context in that Paul is addressing the proper conduct of the strong in relation to the weak. Romans 14:17 Because, God the Father’s kingdom is, as an eternal spiritual truth, by no means, characterized by food and drink but rather righteousness as well as peace and in addition joy by means of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. (Author’s translation) Chapter Two: Relative and Absolute Righteousness The Bible teaches that there are two categories of righteousness: (1) Absolute righteousness originating in the essence of God revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God and in the Person of Christ (2) Relative righteousness, which is rooted in man’s comparison of himself with other men. The Bible teaches that the entire human race both Jew and Gentile do not measure up to the righteousness of God and are therefore condemned before God but qualified for grace (Romans 1:18-3:20). God does not accept relative human righteousness but rather demands His own absolute perfect righteousness. The only way that man can acquire this absolute perfect righteousness required by God to have a relationship with Him is by means of faith alone in Christ alone. Man’s relative righteousness falls infinitely short of God’s absolute righteousness in the Person of Christ (Isa. 64:6). The righteousness of God can never be attained by anyone through human power and dynamics or by keeping the Mosaic Law but rather it is received as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ who is the righteousness of God incarnate. The works of the Law can never attain the righteousness of God (Titus 3:5). The nation of Israel sought to establish their own righteousness rather than accept by faith the righteousness of God in the Person of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:1-10). The Lord Jesus Christ manifested the righteousness of God during His First Advent, which was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament Scriptures (Romans 3:21-26). The Lord was made our Substitute in order that we might receive the imputation of God’s righteousness and live in that righteousness. The righteousness of God is received as a gift and is imputed to the unregenerate person who exercises faith alone in Christ alone. By imputed I mean that God credits to the believer the perfect integrity and virtue of Christ. Chapter Three: Faith and the Righteousness of God The Scriptures teach that the sinner receives the imputation of divine righteousness as a gift at the moment of conversion or in other words, justification. They experience this righteousness by exercising faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ through appropriating by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father. So the justified sinner appropriates the righteousness of God provided for them through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are three forms of perception: (1) Empiricism: Trusting in one’s experiences in life to make decisions. (2) Rationalism: Trusting in one’s intellect to make decisions in life. (3) Faith: Trusting in the authority of another to make decisions in life. Hebrews 11:1-3 gives a definition of faith and also a description of the nature of faith or in other words, what faith does and how it works. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (NASB95) Faith is the only system of perception that God will accept because it is compatible with His grace policy (Ephesians 2:8-9). The object of the Christian’s faith at the moment of conversion is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of his faith after conversion is the written Word of God. Faith for the Christian is trusting in the authority of the Word of God in order to govern one’s life. Faith is obedience to God’s commands and is the positive response to God’s commands and acting upon those directions. The Bible never separates faith from obedience (cf. Hebrews 11:8). Unbelief on the other hand is disobedient and is the negative response to God’s commands and as a result the failure to act upon God’s commands (Hebrews 3:12). After conversion the believer is to walk by means of faith in the Word of God (2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:20; Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 10:37-38). Just as the Christian received the Lord Jesus as his Savior by exercising faith in Him for eternal salvation, so after conversion he is to live by the same principle of faith (Compare Ephesians 2:8-9 with Colossians 2:5-7). The principle of faith operates quite simply: (1) God speaks and we hear His Word. (2) We trust His Word and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or what the consequences may be. The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best. Chapter Four: Justification and the Righteousness of God One of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith is that of the doctrine of justification. This doctrine has given assurance to believers throughout the centuries and has changed the course of human history. By way of definition, justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Consequently, God accepts that person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness. Imputation is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to someone for cursing or for blessing. There are several different imputations in Scripture. First, there is the imputation of soul life at the moment of physical birth (Genesis 2:7). There is also the imputation of Adam's original sin in the Garden of Eden to every single human being at physical birth (Romans 5:12-19). The Scriptures also teach that the Father imputed the sins of every human being-past, present and future to Jesus Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). There is also the immputation of eternal life to the sinner when he exercises faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior (John 3). Lastly, there is the imputation of divine righteousness to the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:3; Genesis 15:6). The mechanics of justification are as follows: (1) God condemns the sinner, which qualifies them to receive His grace. (2) The sinner believes in Jesus Christ as His Savior. (3) God imputes or credits Christ’s righteousness to the believer. (4) God declares that person as righteous as a result of acknowledging His Son’s righteousness in that person. Justification is God declaring a person to be righteous as a result of acknowledging or recognizing His righteousness in that person, and which righteousness He imputed to that person as a result of their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It causes no one to be righteous but rather is the recognition and declaration by God that one is righteous as He is. It is a once and for all declaration, which never changes and never can be rescinded since God is a perfect Judge who because He is immutable, always makes perfect decisions. To be justified by God through faith alone in Christ alone means that God can never condemn us for our sins. It means that a believer can never lose his salvation because of any sin since God, who is a perfect judge, rendered a perfect decision when he declared righteous the person, who exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ! Thus, Paul declares the following: Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Justification by Faith in Christ in Romans 3:21-31 The Scriptures teach that the only way that a member of the human race can ever be declared righteous by God is through receiving the gift of divine righteousness by grace through faith alone in Christ alone. In Romans 3:28, Paul teaches that justification is by means of faith in Jesus Christ, independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law. Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (NASB95) This verse presents the reason why human boasting is excluded by means of the principle of faith in Jesus Christ. Human boasting is the sinner’s arrogant self-confidence in his own merits when approaching a holy God as the means of establishing a relationship with Him. This arrogant self-confidence in approaching God on the basis of one’s own merits expresses itself through an attitude of independence from God, which is evil. To attempt to approach God independently of the means He provided through His Son is the epitome of arrogance and independence from God or the epitome of evil. Thus, boasting in oneself before God is evil since evil is independence from God (Isaiah 14:12-14). Boasting in oneself can manifest itself by attempting to perform a meritorious system of works to establish a relationship with God. It can manifest itself by thinking one has merit with God based upon one’s racial background as the Jews did. It can manifest itself in thinking that one has merit with God based upon what one possesses such as the Jews in relation to the Old Testament. Also, boasting in oneself can manifest itself by attempting to establish a relationship with God through some system of morality. The Bible rejects human righteousness since it is based upon a comparison with the morality of other human beings rather than based upon the absolute standard of God’s perfect righteousness. In Romans 3:9-20 and 23, Paul demonstrates that there is no one in the human race that has merit with God and could get into heaven or enter into a relationship with a holy God based upon his own merits. Now, in Romans 3:21-31, Paul argues that since the sinner is justified by means of faith in Jesus Christ and not through a meritorious system of works or obedience to the Law, then the sinner has no room for boasting. Therefore, the sinner is justified on the basis of the merits of Jesus Christ and the merits of His spiritual death on the Cross. In Romans 3:27-31, Paul’s argument has his Jewish countrymen in mind since the unsaved Jews presumptuously and arrogantly thought that they would enter the kingdom of heaven because of their racial background as Jews and circumcision as well as being the recipients and custodians of the Old Testament canon of Scripture. The only form of appropriate and justified form of boasting is that of boasting in the unique Person, Finished Work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sinful mankind could not produce the perfect obedience required by the Law in order to establish a relationship and fellowship with a holy God. What the Law could not do through sinful mankind, namely, save it, God the Father did through the Person and Work of His Son on the Cross (Rom 8:1-8). Religion promotes human pride and arrogance whereas Biblical Christianity rejects it. Theologically, religion is the antithesis to Biblical Christianity in that it is the ignorant, presumptuous, vain and arrogant attempt by man to gain the approbation of God by depending upon a legalistic, meritorious system of human works rather than the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Religion is sponsored by Satan and the kingdom of darkness and is his ace trump. Romans 3:28 reiterates what Paul taught in Romans 3:20-21. Paul teaches in Romans 3:20-24 that the Law required perfect obedience, which mankind has no capacity to do because they are under the dominion of the old Adamic sin nature. Thus, the human race stands condemned before a holy God, having absolutely no merit with God. As Paul points out in Romans 3:21-31, the fact that the sinner is justified on the basis of God’s grace policy and through faith in Jesus Christ totally rejects and excludes the idea that the sinner could enter into a relationship with a holy God based upon his own merits. As long as sinful man boasts in his own actions and merit, it will be impossible for him to trust in Jesus Christ whom the Father sent to redeem sinful man. The sinner can only be justified that is rightly related to God or can only be accepted by God and entered into a relationship and fellowship with God when he ceases to place confidence in his own actions, accomplishments or human merit and instead trusts in the merits of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross to be put right with God. So Paul’s statement in Romans 3:28 presents the reason why human boasting is not excluded by means of obedience to the Law but rather by the principle of faith in Jesus Christ. Paul refutes the idea that actions produced by obedience to the Law are the means by which human boasting is excluded by reiterating in Romans 3:28 what he said in Romans 3:19-24. Now, the question arises, does not God want us to be obedient to His Word? The answer is yes. However, Paul is speaking in the context of unbelievers seeking to be justified before a holy God based upon their own merits. He is not speaking in the context of believer’s obeying their heavenly Father as an expression of love for Him. We must remember that the unsaved Jews were seeking to establish a relationship as sinners with a holy God who demanded perfect obedience, which was impossible for the unsaved Jews to do since they were under the power of the sin nature. Therefore, faith in Jesus Christ is the only way an unsaved Jew or Gentile can enter into a relationship with a holy God since Jesus Christ was perfectly obedient and His spiritual death dealt with the sins of humanity. So the concept of being obedient to the Law in order to be justified by God was impossible since the Law of God demanded perfect obedience, which a sinner has no capacity to do. In fact, for the unsaved Jew to attempt to establish a relationship with a holy God through obedience to the Law was in essence attempting to enter into the kingdom of God based upon one’s own merits. This is impossible since mankind has no merit with a holy God due to the fact that man is a sinner by nature and practice. “We maintain” is the first person plural present (deponent) middle indicative form of the verb logizomai, which means, “conviction” in the sense of having a fixed or firm belief and confident assurance that is the result of a process of reasoning from the Scriptures. It means that Paul has come to the conviction that a person is justified by faith in Jesus Christ apart from the works of the Law or in other words, apart from actions that are produced by obedience to the Law. This word means that Paul was of the conviction that the sinner is justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ rather by attempting to establish a relationship with God based upon one’s own merits or through obedience to the Law as a system of merit. The word means that he came to this conviction that justification is by faith in Jesus Christ apart from actions produced by obedience to the Law as a system of merit as a result of a thorough and detailed study of the Scriptures. This conviction is not only the result of a process of studying the Scriptures and receiving direct revelation from the Lord but is also the result of even attempting himself to establish a relationship with God based upon his own merit while as a legalistic, self-righteous Pharisee. In Romans 3:28, the verb logizomai is in the first person plural form and is identified by grammarians as an “exclusive we” referring to Paul, the other apostles as well as other communicators of the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ such as Titus and Timothy and also includes Christians in general. This is not an “inclusive” or “literary we” referring to Paul and his audience but rather it is a “exclusive we” referring to himself and other communicators of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Christians in general. The reason this is the case is that in context, Paul is refuting the unsaved Jews who maintained that they were justified before God by their obedience to the Law, as well as through circumcision and their racial background. Neither is this an “editorial” or “epistolary we” meaning that Paul is referring to himself exclusively since in context Paul has been presenting the Christian doctrine of the total depravity of mankind in Romans 1:18-3:20 and another Christian doctrine of justification through faith in Jesus Christ. Both of which are in stark contrast to the teaching of the Judaizers or those unsaved Jews who maintained that you could be justified by obedience to the Law or through circumcision or one’s racial background as a biological descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Therefore, the first person plural of this verb indicates that this was the conviction or fixed firm belief of not only himself but also other communicators of the gospel and all Christians in general. “A man” is the accusative masculine singular form of the noun anthropos, which is used in a generic sense for a human being without reference to sex or racial background and is equivalent to “a person.” “Is justified” is the present passive infinitive form of the verb dikaioo, which means, “to declare or pronounce righteous.” Therefore, the verb dikaioo refers to God declaring a person as righteous as He is as a result of God imputing or crediting to that person His Son’s righteousness, the moment they exercised faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the sixth time that we have seen this word in our studies of the book of Romans (Romans 2:13; 3:4, 20, 24, 26). In every instance, the word refers to the doctrine of justification except for Romans 3:4, where it is used with God as the object. In Romans 2:13, Paul uses the word to teach his unsaved Jewish audience that only those who are always obedient to the Law will be justified before God. In Romans 3:20, he uses the word to teach that no sinner will ever be justified before God by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law as a system of merit. Then, in Romans 3:24, Paul uses the word to teach that the sinner is declared righteous by God on the basis of God’s grace policy and by means of the redemption that was accomplished by the spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The verb dikaioo is used by the apostle Paul in Romans 3:26 of God declaring anyone justified or righteous as He is as result of exercising faith in Jesus. In Romans 3:28, the word once again is used with reference to the sinner being declared justified by God as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul and his fellow communicators of the gospel of Jesus Christ were of the firm conviction that a person is justified by faith in Jesus Christ and independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law as a system of merit. “By faith” is the dative feminine singular form of the noun pistis, which refers to the non-meritorious system of perception of placing one’s “trust” or “confidence in” the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the object of faith for salvation and justification since His spiritual death on the Cross as an impeccable person redeemed sinful mankind from the slave market of sin, satisfied the demands of a holy God that human sin be judged, reconciled the entire human race to God and fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law. The object of faith is Jesus Christ on the Cross as indicated as indicated in Romans 3:22 and 26. The noun pistis functions as “dative instrumental of means” indicating that faith in Jesus Christ is “the means by which” the sinner is declared righteous by a holy God. “Apart from” is the improper preposition choris, which is employed with genitive case of the noun ergon, “works” indicating that a person is justified “independently of” or “without relation to” observance of the Law. The word is an “improper” preposition meaning that it does not form compound words with verbs as does epi and sun. When the word is used as a preposition it governs the genitive case and serves to specify the use of the “genitive of separation” or some grammarians identify as the “ablative” case. In Romans 3:28, the improper preposition choris indicates that the sinner is justified “independently of” or “without any connection to” the actions produced by obedience to the Law as a system of merit. “Works” is the genitive neuter plural form of the noun ergon, which refers to “actions” that are produced by obedience to the Old Testament Scriptures. The noun ergon is used with reference to unsaved humanity in a negative sense and in the plural form referring to “actions” that are produced by obedience to the Old Testament Scriptures, which is designated by the term nomos, “Law.” The noun ergon, “actions” functions as a “genitive” or “ablative of separation” meaning that the genitive substantive ergon is that from which the head noun pistis, “by faith” is separated. Therefore, as a “genitive of separation” the noun ergon indicates that attempting to be justified by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law is entirely “separated from” attempting to be justified by means of faith in Jesus Christ. They are totally antithetical because in the former the merit is with the subject, himself, whereas with the latter, the merit is in the object of the sinner’s faith, Jesus Christ. The sinner is never justified before God by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law since the presence of the sin nature renders man powerless to be perfectly obedient, which the Law requires. Therefore, the human race does not have the capacity to obey the Word of God perfectly, which a holy God requires in order to be accepted into a relationship and fellowship with Him. In Romans 8:3, Paul explains that God sent His Son to fulfill the requirement of the Law because obedience to the Law could not save humanity because the human race does not have the capacity to be perfectly obedient to the Law. “The Law” is the genitive masculine singular form of the noun nomos, which again does not refer to simply the Mosaic Law, i.e. the Pentateuch but rather the entire Old Testament Scriptures including the Pentateuch. This is indicated by the fact that in Romans 3:27-28, Paul is echoing his statement in Romans 3:19-23 where Paul used nomos to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures. The fact that nomos in Romans 3:19-23 referred to the Old Testament Scriptures is indicated in that in Romans 3:10-18, Paul quotes from “the Writings” and “the Prophets” and not the Mosaic Law or Pentateuch in order to illustrate that both Jew and Gentile are under the power of the old Adamic sin nature. Therefore, in context, the noun nomos, “Law” in Romans 3:27-28 refers to the entire Old Testament canon of Scripture and not the Mosaic Law exclusively. Also, the noun nomos, “Law” contains a figure of speech called “metonymy” where the Law is put for obedience to the Law. The noun nomos, “Law” functions as a “genitive of production” meaning that it “produces” the noun ergon, “actions” to which it stands related. Thus, the noun nomos, “Law” as a “genitive of production” indicates that obedience to the Old Testament Scriptures “produced” these actions. Therefore, we will translate the noun nomos, “produced by obedience to the Law.” In Romans 3:28, Paul is teaching his audience that the sinner is justified by means of faith in Jesus Christ independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law. The unsaved Jew erroneously and presumptuously and arrogantly thought that his actions produced by obedience to the Law would serve as a system of merit with God, which cause God to declare him righteous. However, the Law demanded perfect obedience, which was impossible because both Jew and Gentile are under the dominion or power of the old Adamic sin nature that manifests itself through the function of the volition resulting in the sinner producing mental, verbal and overt acts of sin (Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:1). Therefore, there is no human being that could be declared justified by God as a result of performing actions that are in obedience to the Law since the Law demanded perfect obedience, which no human being could accomplish because they are sinners by nature (Gal. 2:16). Justification by Faith in Romans 5:1-2 In Romans 5:1, Paul teaches that since the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (NASB95) “Therefore” is the “inferential” use of the conjunction oun, which denotes that what is introduced at this point is the result of an inference from Paul’s teaching that is contained in Romans 1:18-4:25. In Romans 1:18-4:24, Paul has presented his case in exhaustive detail that the sinner, whether Jew or Gentile can only be justified by means of faith in Jesus Christ and not by observing the Law or circumcision. “Having been justified” is the nominative masculine first plural aorist passive participle form of the verb dikaioo, which means, “to declare or pronounce righteous.” The first person plural form of the verb dikaioo refers exclusively to those Jews and Gentiles who have exercised absolute confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior since only those who do so are declared justified by God (Romans 3:21-26). The participle form of the verb dikaioo in Romans 5:1 is a “causal” participle since the rule of grammar states that the causal participle normally precedes the verb it modifies, which in Romans 5:1 is the verb echo, “we have.” Furthermore, the context indicates that Paul is presenting the reason why the Christian has peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. As a “causal” participle it answers the question as to “why” the believer has peace with God. The believer has peace with God “because” he has been declared justified by God through faith in Jesus Christ. The aorist tense of the verb dikaioo is a “culminative” or “consummative” aorist tense, which is used to emphasize the cessation of an act or state. This type of aorist views an event in its entirety but regarding it from the viewpoint of its existing results. Therefore, the “culminative” aorist views God the Father declaring the sinner justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ in its entirety. But regards it from the standpoint of its existing results, which is that the believer has peace with God as indicated by the statement eirenen echomen pros ton theon, “we have peace with God.” The aorist tense is extremely important to understand since it signifies that this judicial act of God in declaring the sinner justified through faith in Jesus Christ is a once and for all declaration, which never changes or can be rescinded since God is a perfect Judge who because He is immutable, always makes perfect decisions. This indicates that to believe in Jesus Christ as one’s Savior is a one shot decision since justification is a once and for all declaration! Therefore, the believer has eternal security. The passive voice means that the subject receives the action of the verb from either an expressed or unexpressed agency. Therefore, the passive voice means that the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior as the subject received the action of being declared justified by the unexpressed agency of God the Father. Although the Father is not explicitly mentioned as the agency in declaring the sinner justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, Romans 3:21-26 makes clear that He was the member of the Trinity that performed this act. This passage also makes clear that His Son Jesus Christ was the agency and His spiritual death on the Cross the means, which made this possible. “By faith” is composed of the preposition ek, “by” and the genitive feminine singular form of the noun pistis, “faith.” The noun pistis refers to the non-meritorious system of perception of placing one’s “trust” or “confidence in” the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His spiritual death on the Cross. He is the object of faith for salvation and justification since His spiritual death on the Cross as an impeccable person redeemed sinful mankind from the slave market of sin, satisfied the demands of a holy God that human sin be judged, reconciled the entire human race to God and fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law. The object of faith is Jesus Christ on the Cross as indicated as indicated in Romans 3:22 and 26. Paul omits Iesous, “Jesus” but is clearly implied from Romans 3:21-26 that the object of faith must be Jesus Christ. In Romans 5:1, the preposition ek is used with the genitive form of pistis as a marker of means constituting a source. The noun pistis as a “genitive of means” indicates that faith in Jesus Christ is “the means constituting the source by which” God the Father justifies the sinner. Paul uses ek not only because he wants to emphasize the means of justification, faith in Jesus Christ but that this means constitutes the source of justification. This preposition ek is a reminder to the Jew that justification is not only by means of faith in Jesus Christ but that it also constitutes the source of justification since the Jews erroneously believed that observing the Law or circumcision was the means constituting the source by which one was declared justified by God. In fact, in Romans 3:20, Paul uses the preposition ek with genitive form of the noun ergon, “actions, works” and states that sinful humanity will never be justified by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law (as a source of justification). Therefore, the preposition ek is a reminder to the Jew that justification is not only by means of faith in Jesus Christ but that this faith in Jesus Christ constitutes the source of justification. Justification and Deliverance from Eternal Condemnation The apostle Paul in Romans 5:9 writes that if Christ died as a substitute for sinners, how much more then, will He deliver the sinner justified by faith in Jesus Christ from the wrath of God. In this passage, Paul uses the logical argument of a fortiori. Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (NASB95) In Romans 5:9, “then” is the “emphatic inferential” use of the post-positive conjunction oun, which denotes that what is introduced at this point is the result of an inference from Paul’s teaching that is contained in Romans 5:1-8. It is introducing a summarization of Paul’s statements in Romans 5:1-8 that are the result of an inference from these verses. In Romans 5:1, Paul teaches that since the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has peace in the presence God through the Lord Jesus Christ whose spiritual death on the Cross reconciled them to God, implying that the believer now has a relationship with God. In Romans 5:2a, he teaches that because the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he also has as a permanent possession access to this gracious benefit of a relationship with God, in which he stands forever. Then, in Romans 5:2b, we noted that in addition Paul rejoiced in the confident expectation of receiving a resurrection body. Next, in Romans 5:3, Paul taught us that the confident expectation of the rapture produces endurance in the believer in times of adversity. In Romans 5:4, we noted that perseverance produces tested character and tested character produces confidence in the believer in his relationship with God, that he will be rewarded for enduring undeserved suffering and that God is conforming him into the image of His Son. Romans 5:5 teaches that the believer’s confidence in the Lord is never disappointed because God the Holy Spirit reassures the believer that he is the object of God’s love. If you recall, Romans 5:6-8 forms a single argument that demonstrates the unconditional and absolute nature of God’s love for the believer. This argument not only provides evidence for the love of God being poured out in the believer’s heart through the Holy Spirit by pointing out that the source of this love is God’s character and nature, but also, in doing so, it substantiates the absolute dependability of the believer’s confidence in the Lord. This confidence in the Lord is mentioned by Paul in Romans 5:2b and 5:5. The Holy Spirit’s work in communicating God’s love for the justified sinner is also mentioned in Romans 5:5. In Romans 5:6-8, the apostle Paul ends each verse with the verb apothnesko, “died,” which refers to the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union. He uses this verb at the end of verses six, seven and eight in order emphasize the unity of the argument presented in these verses. This verb along with the statement dikaiothentes en to haimati autou, “having been justified by His blood” in Romans 5:9 indicates that oun in Romans 5:9 is introducing a statement that is the result of an inference from Romans 5:1-8. This statement summarizes Paul’s statements in Romans 5:6-8 and refers to the fact that the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union is the basis for the believer’s justification. Romans 3:21-26 also emphasizes that our Lord’s spiritual death is the basis for the sinner’s justification. In Romans 3:25 and 5:9, the expression “His blood” depicts the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the cross, which was the payment for our sins. The expressions the “His blood,” “blood of Christ” or the “blood of Jesus” that appear in Scripture do “not” refer to the literal blood of Christ but are part of a “representative” analogy between the physical death of the animal sacrifice in the Mosaic Law and the spiritual death of Christ. Therefore, in Romans 5:9, Paul refers to the voluntary spiritual death of the impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union by reverting back to the representative analogy to haimati autou, “His blood.” This again indicates that the conjunction oun is introducing a summarization of Paul’s statements in Romans 5:1-8 that are the result of an inference from these verses that emphasize the spiritual death of Jesus Christ demonstrates God’s love for the sinner while he was an enemy of God. Therefore, the believer’s confidence in the Lord is not misplaced but is on a firm and eternal foundation. The fact that God the Father sent His Son to the Cross to die as a substitute for the believer prior to being justified by faith in Jesus Christ guarantees the believer that his confidence in the Lord is not misplaced but rather He can be depended upon. Therefore, Paul’s statements in Romans 5:6-8 and the expression dikaiothentes en to haimati autou, “having been justified by His blood” in Romans 5:9 emphasize that as an expression of His love for sinners, the Father sent His Son to the Cross to die a substitutionary spiritual death. This sets up the a fortiori or “much more” logical argument in Romans 5:9 that if God the Father sent His Son to the Cross while the justified sinner, i.e. believer in Jesus Christ was still an enemy of His, how much more then will He deliver the sinner justified by faith in His Son from God’s wrath. Christ’s substitutionary spiritual death on behalf of the believer while he was unregenerate and an enemy of God, guarantees that the believer will be blessed in the future and avoid the wrath of God. In other words, if God the Father expressed His love for the believer by sending His Son to the Cross to die as a substitute for them while they were His enemies, then He will certainly bless the believer now that he is reconciled to God. This a fortiori or “much more” logical argument is used by Paul to return to the subject of the believer’s confidence in the Lord, which he mentions in Romans 5:2b and 5. In Romans 5:2b, Paul rejoiced in the confident expectation of receiving a resurrection body and in Romans 5:5, he teaches that the believer’s confidence in the Lord is never disappointed because God the Holy Spirit reassures the believer that he is the object of God’s love. Therefore, in Romans 5:9, he is returning to the concept of the believer’s confidence in the Lord but from the perspective of the future in that since Christ died for the believer while he was an enemy of God, it follows that he will not face the wrath of God. “Much more” is composed of the dative neuter singular form of the adjective polus, “much” and the comparative adverb mallon, “more.” The adjective polus is joined with the comparative adverb mallon in order to increase or intensify its comparative force. The word is used as a positive adjective of degree and is employed with the comparative adverb mallon denoting degree, increasing the adverb’s comparative force. Mallon means “more, to a greater degree,” and denotes an increase, greater quantity, a larger measure, a higher degree. The positive adjective of degree polus functions grammatically as a “dative of measure” or “degree of difference.” This type of dative occurs when the dative substantive precedes or follows a comparative adjective or adverb as is the case in Romans 5:9 where polus precedes the comparative adverb mallon. This type of dative may be used to indicate the extent to which the comparison is true or the degree of difference that exists in the comparison. In Romans 5:9, the positive adjective of degree polus functions as a “dative of measure” indicating the extent to which the comparison between the death of Christ while the believer was an enemy of God and the believer’s deliverance from eternal condemnation now that he is reconciled to God. The adjective of degree polus and the comparative adverb mallon form the logical argument called a fortiori, which is a Latin phrase meaning “with stronger reason” and is an idiom of greater degree. A fortiori has two parts: (1) The greater (2) The lesser. What requires a greater degree of effort is used as the basis for showing what requires less effort. It is a conclusion compared with some other conclusion or recognized fact, as inferred to be even more certain or inescapable than the two conclusions it combines. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines a fortiori, “with greater reason or more convincing force-used in drawing a conclusion that is inferred to be even more certain than another.” A fortiori uses an inferential conclusion as being more conclusive than another reasoned conclusion. It is a system of argumentation or debate which takes an accepted fact and by a comparison produces an inescapable fact and confident conclusion. Therefore, in Romans 5:9, the adjective polus and the comparative adverb mallon form the principle of a fortiori. They emphasize that if God has done the most “difficult” or “greater” thing for the believer in sending His Son to die as a substitute for them while they were His enemies, how much more can God be depended upon to accomplish the “easier” thing, namely, deliver them from the wrath of God now that they are reconciled to Him. The expression pollo mallon introduces the argument that if Christ had done the “greater” work of providing the basis for the justification of sinners by dying for them as their substitute, He will certainly then perform the comparatively “lesser” or simple task of delivering them from the Lake of Fire, now that they are reconciled to Him. The “most difficult” or “greatest” problem facing God when dealing with sinful mankind was that not only did He need to fulfill the demands of His holiness that required that sin and sinners face His righteous indignation but at the same time He also needed to express His love for sinners in providing them a way of avoiding His righteous indignation. So the logical argument of a fortiori as expressed by the words pollo mallon emphasizes that if Christ died for His enemies, it follows that He will deliver His friends or those who have been reconciled to His Father through faith in Him. If the greater benefit has been given, the less will not be withheld. If God can do the greater work, it follows a fortiori that He can do the lesser. The “greater” is the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross, which is an accomplished fact of history. The “less” is God protecting, sustaining and delivering the believer in time and blessing him in the future and delivering him from the eternal Lake of Fire. “Having been justified” is the nominative masculine first person plural aorist passive participle form of the verb dikaioo, which means, “to declare or pronounce righteous.” Once, again, in Romans 5:9, the verb dikaioo refers to the doctrine of justification, which by way of definition is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Consequently, God accepts that person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness. The first person plural form of the verb dikaioo refers exclusively to those Jews and Gentiles who have exercised absolute confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior since only those who do so are declared justified by God (Romans 3:21-26). The participle form of the verb dikaioo in Romans 5:9 is a “causal” participle since the rule of grammar states that the causal participle normally precedes the verb it modifies, which in Romans 5:9 is the future tense of the verb sozo, “we shall be saved.” As a “causal” participle it answers the question as to “why” the believer will certainly be delivered from wrath of God. The believer will be delivered from the wrath of God “because” he has been declared justified by God through faith in Jesus Christ. The aorist tense of the verb dikaioo is a “culminative” or “consummative” aorist tense, which is used to emphasize the cessation of an act or state. This type of aorist views an event in its entirety but regarding it from the viewpoint of its existing results. Therefore, the “culminative” aorist views God the Father declaring the sinner justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ in its entirety. But regards it from the standpoint of its existing results, which is that the believer will certainly be delivered from the wrath of God. This is indicated by the statement sothesometha di’ autou apo tes orges, “we shall be saved from the wrath (of God) through Him.” The passive voice means that the subject receives the action of the verb from either an expressed or unexpressed agency. Therefore, the passive voice means that the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior as the subject received the action of being declared justified by the unexpressed agency of God the Father. Although the Father is not explicitly mentioned as the agency in declaring the sinner justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, Romans 3:21-26 makes clear that He was the member of the Trinity that performed this act. “Now” is adverb of time nun, which emphasizes the present state of Paul and his fellow Christians who were declared justified by God the Father in the past when they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ. The word is employed with the aorist tense of the verb dikaioo in order to emphasize the believer’s present state of being justified as a result of the past action of the Father declaring them justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. “By His blood” is composed of the preposition en, “in,” which is followed by the articular dative neuter singular form of the noun haima, “blood” and the genitive third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos, “His.” So, in Romans 5:9, the phrase “His blood” refers to our Lord’s substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross. In Romans 5:9, Paul is emphasizing the “basis” for the believer’s justification, which is signified by the expression to haimati autou, “His blood.” This again, is a representative analogy referring to the spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross is the basis for justification since His unique spiritual death propitiated or satisfied the demands of God’s holiness, which required that sin be judged. This unique spiritual death also redeemed mankind out of the slave market of sin, fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law and reconciled the human race to God. Therefore, the sinner is justified on the basis of the merits of Jesus Christ and the merits of His spiritual death on the Cross. The perfection of Christ’s Person and Work are the foundation of the imputation of divine righteousness and resultant justification. The intensive personal pronoun autos refers to the Lord Jesus Christ since the word’s antecedent is the proper noun Christos, “Christ,” which appears at the end of Romans 5:8. The definite article that is before the noun haima, “blood is used with the intensive pronoun autos to denote possession. Together, this blood “belongs to” Jesus Christ and of course, His blood is representative analogy signifying His spiritual death that delivered the believer from real spiritual death and eternal condemnation. “We shall be saved” is the first person plural future passive indicative form of the verb sozo, which means, “to deliver.” The future tense of the verb sozo indicates that the word is referring to the act of God delivering the believer in an “ultimate” sense in the future from eternal condemnation. The believer’s deliverance from eternal condemnation is in view here in Romans 5:9 and not his deliverance from the tribulation period, which is also called by students of prophecy as “Daniel’s Seventieth Week.” This is indicated in that Paul is used this deliverance in the context of Christ’s spiritual death, which delivers them from real spiritual and eternal condemnation in the eternal Lake of Fire. Also, up to this point in the book of Romans, Paul has been teaching that the entire human race is under the wrath, or righteous indignation of God due to sin (Romans 18:3:18). He has pointed out that the sinner can only be declared justified by God the Father and delivered from the wrath of God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ and not by observing the Law or circumcision (Romans 3:19-4:25). In Romans 5:1-5, Paul presents results concerning this justification by faith, which is that the believer now has peace with God, permanent access to a relationship with God, confidence that he will be blessed by God through undeserved suffering. In Romans 5:6-8, he demonstrates that the believer’s confidence in future blessing is not misplaced since Christ died for the believer as a substitute while the believer was still and enemy of God. Therefore, in Romans 5:9, when Paul uses sozo he is speaking in the context of the benefits that accrue to the believer because of the spiritual death of Jesus Christ as their substitute, which delivered them from eternal condemnation and reconciled them to God. In Romans 5:10-11, he talks about the reconciliation of the sinner to a holy God through this spiritual death of Jesus Christ. Therefore, in Romans 5:9, the verb sozo refers to the believer’s deliverance from eternal condemnation in the eternal Lake of Fire. The future tense of the verb is a “predictive” future tense indicating that something will take place or come to pass. Therefore, it indicates the believer’s deliverance from eternal condemnation in the eternal Lake of Fire “will take place” in the future. They will be delivered from eternal condemnation because they have been declared justified by God the moment he exercised faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior whose spiritual death on the Cross propitiated the Father’s holiness that required that sin and sinners face His righteous indignation forever in the eternal Lake of Fire. The passive voice means that the subject receives the action of the verb from either an expressed or unexpressed agency. In Romans 5:9, the subject is the sinner who has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ. The agency is expressed by the prepositional phrase, di’ autou, “by Him.” Therefore, the passive voice of sozo indicates that the sinner who has been declared justified by God the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ will be delivered in the future from eternal condemnation in the eternal Lake of Fire by the Lord Jesus Christ. “From the wrath of God” is composed of the preposition apo, “from” and the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun orge, “wrath.” The noun orge is used of God’s settled opposition to and displeasure against sin meaning that God’s holiness cannot and will not coexist with sin in any form whatsoever. It is not the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger to which human beings are prone and does not refer to an explosive outburst but rather it refers to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders, often unnoticed by others as in the case of God’s wrath. God hates sin so much and loves the sinner so much that He judged His Son Jesus Christ for every sin in human history-past, present and future and provided deliverance from sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. The only way to avoid God’s righteous indignation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition apo is a marker of separation and dissociation and the noun orge functions as a “genitive of separation” or as some grammarians call an “ablative of separation” in which the genitive substantive is that from which the verb or sometimes the head noun is separated indicating point of departure. Thus, the noun orge functions as a “genitive” or “ablative of separation” indicating that because the believer has been declared justified by means of faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, he is “totally and completely separated from” experiencing God’s righteous indignation forever in the eternal Lake of Fire. The definite article preceding the noun orge functions as a possessive pronoun since possession is obviously implied. Therefore, the article is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ’s righteous indignation, which will be expressed at the Great White Throne Judgment when He executes the sentence of eternal condemnation upon every sinner who rejected Him as Savior. If the sinner will not exercise faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, then they will face His righteous indignation at the Great White Throne Judgment. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself declared to the Jews that the Father had given Him authority to judge the living and the dead (John 5:22-29). The judgment of God is inescapable unless one trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior. The fact that unregenerate man will receive eternal condemnation in the lake of fire forever and ever is a righteous judgment since as sinners they can never be justified before a holy God and have rejected God’s only provision for sin, which is the Person and Finished Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. God who is holy and cannot tolerate sin is justified in throwing His creatures into the lake of fire for rebelling against Him but also God, who as to His nature, is love, did everything He could to prevent any of His creatures from going to the lake of fire forever and ever for their rebellion against Him. The fact that God did not immediately deposit all mankind in the lake of fire for their disobedience is incontrovertible evidence that God loves His creatures and desires none of them to go to the lake of fire. The fact that God the Father sent His Son into the world to become a human being to satisfy His righteous demands that the sin of men be judged is also incontrovertible evidence that God loves His creatures. The Lord Jesus Christ will conduct the Great White Throne Judgment as He will all judgments since God the Father has promoted Him to sovereign ruler of creation as a result of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross (See Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-3). The sins of the unbeliever are never brought up since Christ died for all their sins and instead their self-righteous works that do not measure up to Christ perfection will be used to condemn them to the eternal lake of fire. “Through Him” is composed of the preposition dia, “through” and genitive third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos, “Him” The preposition dia is employed with the genitive form of the intensive personal pronoun autos, “Him” to denote that the Lord Jesus Christ is the personal intermediate agent who delivers the believer from eternal condemnation since He is the mediator between sinful mankind and a holy God. The intensive personal pronoun autos refers to the Lord Jesus Christ since the word’s antecedent is the intensive personal pronoun autos, which appears in the prepositional phrase en to haimati autou, “on the basis of His blood.” The intensive personal pronoun autos functions as a “genitive of agency” indicating that the Lord Jesus Christ is the personal intermediate agency by whom the action of being delivered from God’s righteous indignation is accomplished. In Romans 5:9, the prepositional phrase en to haimati autou, “on the basis of His blood” refers to the “finished work” of Jesus Christ on the Cross, which was accomplished by our Lord’s spiritual death on the Cross. This “finished work” refers to that which the spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross accomplished. Our Lord’s spiritual death redeemed sinful mankind from the slave market of sin, propitiated the Father’s holiness that required that sin be judged, reconciled sinful humanity to a holy God, fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, providing the forgiveness of sins, and destroyed the works of the devil. In Romans 5:9, the prepositional phrase di’ autou, “by Him” emphasizes the “unique impeccable Person” of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only mediator between sinful mankind and a holy God since His spiritual death on the Cross propitiated the demands of God’s holiness that required that sin and sinners be judged. Consequently, His spiritual death fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, redeemed sinful mankind out of the slave market of sin and the cosmic system of Satan, destroying his works, and reconciled or established peace with a holy God. Chapter Five: The Righteousness of God and the Christian Way of Life God wants His righteousness manifested in the lives of His people. It is produced in the life of the church age believer when they exercise faith in the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions communicated of the gospel. This results in obedience to these commands and prohibitions. When a believer is living in the righteousness of God or manifesting it, they are fulfilling their obligation to God to love Him with their entire being and strength and fulfilling their obligation to their fellow human being to love them as themselves. The church age believer experiences the righteousness of God in their life by appropriating by faith his union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session, which results in obedience to the various prohibitions and commands that appear in the gospel. This obedience constitutes loving God with one’s entire being and strength and one’s neighbor as oneself. Therefore, when the Christian is doing this, they are exemplifying God’s integrity and virtue. They are in turn exemplifying Christ-life character which is perfectly sound. They are also perfectly adhering to God’s perfect standards, which appear in the gospel. They are thus doing all that God commands them in the gospel and all that He demands of them in the gospel as His child and all that He approves, and all that He provides for them through Christ. The work of transforming the believer into the image of Christ involves the manifestation of the righteousness of God in the believer, which like the believer’s sanctification and deliverance is accomplished in three stages: (1) Positionally, at the moment he exercises faith in the gospel message and trusts in Jesus Christ as his Savior. At the moment of spiritual birth, God imputed His righteousness to the believer so that he is “positionally” the righteousness of God meaning God has given His righteousness as a gift to the believer and He views the believer as righteous as Him. This in turn sets up the potential for the believer to experience this righteousness in time. Therefore, the moment a person believes in Jesus Christ as Savior, God the Father imputes the righteousness of Christ so that He becomes the believer’s righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. (NASB95) (2) Experientially, after conversion when the believer exercises faith in the gospel message that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ. After conversion, the believer is commanded to present the members of his physical body as instruments of righteousness, which is accomplished by appropriating by faith the imputed righteousness they received at salvation (See Romans 6). This faith is demonstrated by the believer through his obedience to the teaching that he has died with Christ and has been raised with Him (See Romans 6:11-13). (3) Ultimately, when he receives his resurrection body at the rapture of the church. Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. (NASB95) The apostle Paul in Philippians 3:2-11 describes his exchange of his pre-salvation self-righteousness as a Pharisee for the righteousness of Christ as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. The new Christ nature received at the moment of conversion was created in the righteousness of God and holiness from the truth according to Ephesians 4:24. Ephesians 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (NASB95) In Philippians 1:9-11, one of the objectives of Paul prayer for the Philippians was that they would produce fruit to God through the function of the nature of Christ, i.e. the righteousness of Christ. Philippians 1:9 Now, this I make it a habit to pray that your divine-love might continue to flourish yet more and more by means of a total discerning experiential knowledge 10 so that all of you might continue to choose the essentials in order that all of you might be sincere and without offense for the day of Christ 11 by all of you being filled with the fruit produced by righteousness, which is by means of the nature of Jesus who is the Christ for the ultimate purpose of glorifying and praising God. (Author’s translation) The Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to seek after God’s righteousness. Matthew 6:33 “But above all else (number one priority in life), all of you make it your habit to diligently, earnestly and tenaciously seek after the kingdom of the God and His righteousness (grow to spiritual maturity), sparing no effort or expense, and as a result all these things will be provided for all of you.” (Author’s translation) Paul commanded Timothy to pursue living in the righteousness of Christ (See Timothy 2:22). 2 Timothy 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (NASB95) The Word of God trains the believer to live in the righteousness of Christ. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (NASB95) In fact, the Word of God is designated in Hebrews 5:13 as the “Word of righteousness.” Hebrews 5:13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (NASB95) The believer who practices the righteousness of God by living in the new Christ nature demonstrates that he is born again of God and a child of God. 1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. (NASB95) The children of the devil and the children of God are distinguished from each other because the latter practice the righteousness of God and the former practice evil according to 1 John 3:10. The righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our invisible weapon is against Satan and the kingdom of darkness since he is commanded in Scripture to protect himself in spiritual combat with the righteousness of Christ, which is called in Ephesians 6:14, the “breastplate of righteousness.” Ephesians 6:14 Therefore, I solemnly charge all of you to stand your ground. I solemnly charge all of you to buckle yourselves up, your waist with the belt of truth. Also, I solemnly charge all of you to clothe yourselves with the breastplate, which is (the divine) righteousness (of Christ). (Author’s translation) Undeserved suffering and divine discipline are designed to produce the righteousness of God in our lives and not to hurt us. Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (NASB95) If the believer enters into committing any mental, verbal or overt act of sin after salvation, he can rest assured that he has an advocate with the Father, namely Jesus who is the righteous Christ. 1 John 2:1 Now, if anyone does enter into committing an act of sin, then we possess as an Advocate with the Father, Jesus who is the righteous Christ. (NASB95) Properly motivated grace giving is called “righteousness” according to 2 Corinthians 9:10. The production of divine good is called the “fruit of righteousness,” (Ephesians 5:9) which is the result of living in the new Christ nature by being obedience to the Word of God. The believer will be rewarded with a “crown of righteousness” by the Lord Jesus at the Bema Seat for executing the Father’s will and growing to spiritual maturity according to 2 Timothy 4:8. Second Timothy 4:8 In the future, the crown which is the product of faithfully exemplifying divine righteousness is reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will, as a certainty reward me on that day. In fact, by no means only me but also anyone who longs for His appearing. (Author’s translation) The apostle Paul in Second Timothy 4:8 is emphasizing with Timothy that like him, he will be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for his faithful service in order to motivate Timothy to remain faithful. This verse is composed of a declarative statement which is modified by a relative clause and then followed by an emphatic correlative clause. The declarative statement and the relative clause which modifies it express Paul’s confidence in the justice of Jesus Christ in rewarding him for his faithful service. The emphatic correlative clause emphasizes with Timothy that he too will rewarded if he remains faithful. Paul is continuing the athletic metaphor from Second Timothy 4:7. The image Paul is presenting in these two verses is taken from the victorious athlete in the Graeco Roman games who was rewarded by the judge at the Bema Seat for his victory. Therefore, just like a runner in the Graeco-Roman games was rewarded by the judge at the Bema Seat for being victorious so Paul and all Christians will also be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for habitually exemplifying God’s righteousness in their life after conversion because of living their lives in the light of the imminent return of Christ at the rapture. In the declarative statement, Paul asserts that in the future, the crown which is the product of faithfully exemplifying divine righteousness is reserved for him. When Paul speaks of the future he is referring to the time when he will receive rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat because he was a faithful steward of the time, talent, treasure and truth the Lord bestowed upon him. The word “crown” (stephanos) is a reward given to Paul and all believers who are faithful in life. This crown is the product of Paul faithfully practicing God’s righteousness by exemplifying His integrity and virtue. Therefore, this crown is the result of Paul habitually exemplifying Christ-like character in his life after conversion. It speaks of Paul faithfully adhering to God’s perfect standards, which appear in the gospel. It speaks of Paul faithfully doing all that God commands him in the gospel and all that He demands in the gospel as His child and all that He approves, and all that He provides through Christ. It also speaks of Paul faithfully fulfilling his obligations to both God and mankind. In relation to the former, he faithfully loved God with his entire being and strength whereas in relation to the latter he faithfully loved his neighbor as himself. Therefore, this crown or reward is the result of Paul faithfully exemplifying Christ’s righteousness in his life after his conversion. Here in Second Timothy 4:8, the apostle Paul is speaking of the experiential aspect of righteousness in that he exemplified this righteousness habitually in his life after conversion. He states it will be “the Lord, the righteous Judge” who will bestow this reward upon him. The Lord here is a reference to Jesus Christ since Second Corinthians 5:10 teaches that He will conduct the Bema Seat evaluation of the church. Furthermore, John 5:22-29 and Philippians 2:5-11 make clear that Jesus Christ will be conducting all the judgments in history, which would include the Bema Seat. When Paul describes Jesus Christ as “the Judge” he means that the Lord will examine his actions and conduct in life after his conversion to determine if he merits a reward or not. The Lord will evaluate Paul’s four-fold stewardship of time, talent, treasure and truth. Therefore, in relation to the Christ, it speaks of the Lord Jesus “evaluating” the actions performed by Paul after his conversion to determine if he merits rewards or not. It denotes Jesus Christ “evaluating” his four-fold stewardship of time, talent, treasure and truth to determine if he merits rewards or not. When Paul describes Jesus Christ as “righteous” he means that Jesus Christ’s nature and character is in a state or condition of being perfect “integrity” in the sense that His character is perfectly sound and adheres perfectly to His own holy standards and what He has promised to men. Thus, He is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished and sound, and unimpaired and in perfect condition. It describes Jesus Christ’s character and nature as being perfect “virtue” in the sense that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and He always conforms to His own perfect standards. It speaks of the Lord’s character and nature as being in a state or condition of always fulfilling His obligations to His moral rational creatures, whether angels or men. Therefore, Paul is describing the Lord as being a judge with perfect integrity and virtue and will always do right by him and give him justice. “On that day” refers to the day when Paul stands before the Lord at the Bema Seat. It appears in Second Timothy 1:18 with regards to Onesiphorus appearing before Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat to be rewarded. The emphatic correlative clause which completes Second Timothy 4:8 emphasizes with Timothy the certainty that he too will be rewarded for his faithful service at the Bema Seat. Not only Paul will be rewarded for his faithful service but also everyone who like him lived his life in light of the imminent return of Christ at the rapture will be rewarded. This emphatic correlative clause is designed to encourage Timothy to remain faithful in communicating and exemplifying the gospel. When Paul speaks of a Christian longing for the Lord’s appearing, he is speaking of a faithful Christian greatly anticipating the appearing of Jesus Christ at the rapture of the church. It expresses idea of anticipating with one’s entire being with the implication of living one’s life in the light of the imminent return of Christ. This state of longing for Christ’s appearing is the direct result of the Christian faithfully exemplifying Christ’s righteousness. It speaks of living one’s life in light of the Lord’s imminent return at the rapture of the church. Paul is emphasizing in this emphatic correlative clause that there are no exceptions in that any Christian who longs for the Lord’s appearing will be rewarded by the Lord at the Bema Seat. PAGE 45 ã2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries William E. Wenstrom Jr. Wenstrom Bible Ministries   Marion, IA ã2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries he righteousness of god