…not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith…

                                                                                                                 Philippians 3:9 

Main Point: True righteousness comes not from obedience to the Law rather by faith in                                   Christ.

We have already seen that true freedom comes from completely relying on Christ for our salvation. We also explored the reality that true wealth comes from knowing Christ. In today’s passage, Paul reminds us that our righteousness comes by faith and not by obedience to the Law.

Paul does not mix words when he declares that righteousness for the believer comes on the basis of faith. Righteousness can be thought of as being in right standing with God. If we are truly righteous, that would mean that our lives have been redeemed and that we belong to Christ, being fellow heirs of His kingdom. Unrighteousness would indicate that we are not in right standing with God and that we do not belong to Him nor do we have an inheritance in God’s kingdom. Paul wanted his listeners to understand that their righteousness was on the basis of faith in Jesus, meaning that it is determined by what He has done, not on our efforts to be obedient to the Law.

We see this spiritual truth echoed in the following:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

                                                                                                            Ephesians 2:8-9

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…

                                                                                                                        Romans 4:5 

…for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

                                                                                                               Romans 10:10

…nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

                                                                                                                 Galatians 2:16 

This is not a side issue within the Christian faith. This truth of righteousness coming as a direct result of trusting in Christ is at the very core of the gospel. Consider the danger of insisting that our righteousness and justification come from obedience to the Law:

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 

                                                                                                            Galatians 5:4 

To add obedience to the Law as criteria for justification and righteousness actually causes those individuals to be severed from Christ and places them in the category of having “fallen from grace.” These words should be carefully considered. Our faith in Jesus is just that, complete and total faith that He alone is our Savior and that He alone will grant us eternal life and raise us up on the last day (John 6:40).

This is what it means to truly believe. This is what it means to be declared righteous on the basis of faith. Paul knew this and proved it by turning his back on everything for which he had previously lived. We can try to live our lives in hopes that we will be good enough or we can rest in the finished work of Christ, believing that His sacrifice alone is adequate for God to pronounce us righteous. For the person that does the latter, freedom and victory are theirs for the taking!