The Righteousness of Christ: Closer Than You Think (Romans 10:5–13)
Anyone who attempts to earn his own righteousness, however zealous he may be, carries out a fool’s errand. His attempts will only fail. Even using the Old Testament law this way will end in failure. The Law is not a ladder to heaven for us but acts more as glasses and a club to expose and condemn our sin. Moreover, this approach rejects Christ as the end of the law and the end of righteousness for everyone who believes in Him. These thoughts lead us into Romans 10:5–13 (cf. Romans 9:25–10:4), a passage that emphasizes just how easy it is to receive the righteousness of Christ.
One kind of righteousness is out of reach (Romans 10:5).
Romans 10:5 identifies a “righteousness that is based on the law,” the kind that a “person… does” in order to “live” forever (cf. Leviticus 18:5). However, the problem is that we are sinners who will never perfectly obey the law to merit such a righteousness. Christ did, however, and it is by His “obedience the many will be made righteous,” that is, as we receive this righteousness by faith (Romans 5:19). What we could never do, He did for us.
Another kind of righteousness is not far away—the righteousness of Christ (Romans 10:6–7).
Paul then contrasts “the righteousness that is based on the law” with “the righteousness that is based on faith” (Romans 10:5, 6). He clusters quotations from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12–14 to show us that we need to go neither to heaven above or the abyss below to find a righteous standing before God. This righteousness is not inherent within us (cf. Deuteronomy 9:4–6), but Christ came down from heaven to obey the law in perfection, and, after suffering its death penalty on our behalf, came back from the abyss as well.
In fact, this righteousness is closer than you think (Romans 10:8–13).
Neither in heaven nor the abyss, “the word of faith” about Christ is “in your mouth and heart” (Romans 10:8). Like the Law for Israel long ago, so it is with the message of Christ today—it is something that we can simply speak for ourselves and believe within our hearts (cf. Deuteronomy 30:11–14). Specifically, if we believe and confess “that Jesus is Lord” and “that God raised Him from the dead,” we “will be saved” (Romans 10:9–10; cf. Acts 2:36; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11). This belief in Christ will not disappoint us when we stand before Him (Romans 10:11; cf. Isaiah 28:16), no matter who we are (Romans 10:12). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13; cf. Joel 2:32).
Looking for righteousness in ourselves or searching for it far and wide will leave us empty and hopeless. We need simply to believe and confess that Christ is our risen Lord whose righteousness is to us by faith. What a gift His righteousness is!
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David Huffstutler is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockford, IL. He blogs here, where this article first appeared. It is republished here by permission.