Martin Luther's Breakthrough
Ro 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
The expression "the righteousness of God" was very crucial to Martin Luther's thinking. Initially, he thought that it refers to God's active, harsh, punishing wrath demanding that a person keep God's law perfectly in order to be saved. He saw God as a Being who was seeking righteousness from sinners. If there is none, He would punish them.
Imagine God saying to you: "Where are your works of righteousness that I might justify you oh poor and wretched sinner? I will punish you if you have none!" That's how Luther understood the words "the righteousness of God."
But Luther stuck with the apostle Paul (the writer of the epistle of Romans). He continued to read and study the book and then finally he saw it! It was a complete reversal of what he initially thought. Instead of God demanding righteousness from sinners, the expression, "the righteousness of God," actually meant God offering and imputing righteousness to poor sinners through faith and faith alone!
Ro 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Ro 3: 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Ro 4: 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Ro 4: 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Ro 4: 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness
Elsewhere, Paul writes:
Php 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
My friend, are you seeking to be right with God? Do you long to have a right standing with God? Do you want to be perfectly righteous in His sight even though you are still a sinner right now?
Well, by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for all your sins on the cross, you can have it. You can have the righteousness of God placed in your spiritual bank account. Martin Luther's breakthrough can be your breakthrough, and it's all in Christ. Come to Him now in faith!
