Righteousness Must Be A Gift (Romans 5:17)

In Romans 5:17, Paul wrote that righteousness is a gift from God to everyone (see Romans 5:15-17).

Righteousness comes freely to us through Jesus and is offered to us a gift of God’s grace (Romans 3:21-24; Galatians 2:21).

At the cross, Jesus took our sinfulness upon himself.

Through faith in Jesus, we receive the gift of righteousness.

Righteousness is needed for eternal life because no one who is unrighteous will live eternally with God.

The unrighteous will be cut off from eternal life, whereas the righteous will live forever with God.

What is righteousness?

Righteousness is innocence of sin.

Adam was the first member of the human race to sin.

He became unrighteousness.

Sin was passed from Adam to everyone (Romans 5:12-21).

Therefore, we are all born unrighteous.

We are born in and, apart from Jesus, we live in a state on sinfulness (look at the sinful condition of the world as evidence of the sinfulness of humanity).

However, we are in need of righteousness for salvation.

No one can earn righteousness.

No one can make themselves righteous.

Why can’t we make ourselves righteous (innocent of sin)?

Because one sin makes us unrighteous, and no amount of “righteous works” can undo the guilt of that sin.

Jesus is the only righteous one to live.

He is the only one who never sinned.

He is the only one who has not existed in a state of sinfulness.

By grace, Jesus fully took our sinfulness upon himself at the cross.

As a gift, he freely offers us his righteousness.

Righteousness must by a gift.

Righteousness can’t be earned or achieved.

It can only be accepted.

How is this gift of righteousness accepted?

We accept God’s free gift of righteousness by faith in Jesus.

When we accept righteousness, we have eternal life.

The moment we receive the gift of righteousness, God views us as being innocent…as if we have never sinned and even though we still sin (though it is our desire not to sin).

God will never revoke the righteousness he has freely given to us in Jesus.

It is an eternal gift.

Righteousness can only be received by faith…it can’t be achieved by works.

It’s not a combination of our works and God’s grace.

It’s not a combination of our works and Jesus’ work on the cross.

If it was, then righteousness would cease to be a gift.

But righteousness can’t be earned.

If righteousness had to be earned, then no one could be righteous because we have all sinned.

Therefore, righteousness must be a gift.

Romans 3-8
Galatians 2:21