-THE 1,2,3 OF RIGHTEOUSNESS series
Indeed, there are two kinds of ‘righteousness’ revealed from the scriptures – the righteousness, which is of God and the righteousness, which is of man.
There was a character in the Bible whose account was recorded between Acts 7:54 and Acts 9:4. This man persecuted Christians and thought that he was doing God a favour. He was exceedingly zealous for the Temple, the work of God and keeping the commandments of Moses, in fact he was a Pharisee;
For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. Galatians 1:13-14 NKJV
though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Philippians 3:4-6 NKJV
But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!" Acts 23:6 NKJV
"I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished…” Acts 22:3-5 NKJV
The man Saul was very learned and there was almost no one like him in all of Israel at his time. Doesn't this sound like some of the Clergy we see in churches today? They have been serving God before you were born and we have lived our lives to watch them put all the Laws of Moses to practise and you wonder if you can ever be like them. The amazing thing about Saul is that he was never born again. Yes! He was not born again. Hear his words in his epistle to the Romans: Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel* is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:1-2 NKJV). He went on t0 attest that he once belonged to that category - the unsaved.
He was not born again because he kicked against the gospel of Christ. He did not believe that faith in Christ alone saves. He did not believe that obeying the Laws of Moses will never get a man to heaven. He did not believe that Jesus Christ is the saviour who has come to take away the sins of the whole world - not just of the Jews alone but also of the Gentiles. He did not believe in grace which is separate from fulfilment of "dos” and “don'ts". Hear him- And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:12-15 NKJV).
Saul rejected the Gospel, which Peter and Stephen preached and just did not agree with the 'word of life' (Acts 2:14-40; 3:12-26; 5:19-20; 7:2-53)
This is a serious matter and it is the reason many people think they are Christians: since they go to Church, bear Christian names, wear/do not wear, eat/do not eat certain things. All of these do not translate into righteousness, at best they are filthy rags before God.
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6 NKJV
Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. "I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life… If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me. Job 9:20-21, 30-31 NKJV
After Saul's conversion, he discovered the true way to God. He realised that the Laws of Moses were given to the Children of Israel alone to serve them for a specific period
the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. Romans 9:4-5 NIV
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator… Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. Galatians 3:19, 23-25 NIV
The Law brought bondage. Through the law, mankind could actually see the inherent sin nature in them and the law gave power to sin (Romans 3:20; 4:15; 7:7-14; Acts 15:10-11 ; Galatians 5:1-4).
Saul also realised that it is God's perfect intention to call everyone in the world into a new, one big family. So that not only those who are offspring of Abraham will be the beloved of God but those who have faith in Jesus Christ, even Gentiles (Acts 15:7-9; Colossians 1: 25-27; Ephesians 1: 6; 2:11-22; 3:1-9, 14-15; Galatians 3:26-29; Romans 2:28-29; 9:6-8 ; 1 Peter 2:9-10, 25 ).
After he became Paul, he called the Laws of Moses 'vain traditions', 'shallow', 'elements of the world', 'doctrines of men', 'rules that are humiliating to the body and makes one become proud' (Colossians 2:16-23; 1 Peter 1:18).
Thank God that we have been redeemed from the Law -But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV).
