Today’s reading is Romans 9:1-10:21.

Paul was concerned about his brethren according to the flesh, the Jews. His heart’s desire and prayer for them was that they be saved. However, they were going about it all wrong. Romans 10:2-4 says, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

What was the problem here? The problem was not that they didn’t know the Law well enough. They knew it very well. The problem was not that they didn’t know the New Testament pattern well enough. That was still being revealed and nobody knew it very well. The problem was they didn’t know Jesus. They didn’t know God’s plan to save us through Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Therefore, they were consistently trying to establish their own righteousness by keeping the law.

As I was reading this today, I realized I’ve made a consistent misuse of this text. I hope I can explain this clearly or I’m going to be in real trouble.

In the past, I’ve come to this text to say, “See, we have to know the New Testament pattern. Lots of religious people today have a zeal but it isn’t according to knowledge. They sing wrong. They take the Lord’s Supper wrong. They organize their congregations wrong. They have creed books, councils, corporations, institutions. They need to serve God according to the knowledge of His true pattern.” While I believe churches and Christians need to follow the New Testament pattern (perhaps that will be covered as we talk about some other passages) it strikes me that is not at all what Paul is talking about here.

Paul was not talking about worship methods. He was not talking about congregational organization. He was not talking about doing everything according to the New Testament pattern at all (not in the sense that I have meant it). The problem with this common interpretation is I think we actually end up doing exactly what Paul was condemning. What was the Jews problem? Instead of knowing and relying on Jesus, they were relying on their own attempts to be righteous enough. Sadly, I think my earlier interpretation of this passage caused me to do the exact same thing they were doing. That interpretation said, “If I want to be good enough to be saved, I have to figure out the exact pattern and accomplish that myself. I’m going to be saved because I righteously work to do everything exactly like God patterned.” When that is my interpretation, what am I doing? I’m seeking to establish my own righteousness. That is the very thing Paul is saying we can’t do.

Certainly, when I’m living by faith in Jesus, I’ll follow His pattern. But I’ve been getting it backwards. I’ve had the idea that I have to be good enough by following Jesus’ pattern to be saved by Jesus. Paul is saying that when I place my faith in Jesus and not in myself, I’ll do what He says and the patterns will take care of themselves.

Here is the main point. I cannot establish my own righteousness. I couldn’t do it under the Old Law. I can’t do it under the New Law. If all I am doing is just exchanging laws, but still trying to establish my own righteousness, I’m going to fail. I need to recognize no matter how hard I try to hold to patterns, whether as an individual or within the congregation, I’m going to fail. In those attempts, I’m not really submitting to God’s righteousness. Instead of just trying harder to establish my righteousness, I need to work on my faith in Jesus. As that increases, I will increasingly do what He wants me to and, through Him, I’ll be righteous.

What do you think?

***Question: What are some examples of modern Christians striving to establish their own righteousness?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC