Righteousness is certainly misunderstood.
Its like this:
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom. 3:21-25
The area causing the most problem for people is verse 25.
The righteousness Paul is writing about is simply this.
God will forgive our past sins.
Men have so distorted this they are thinking all their future sins will simply be forgiven. Paul was writing to people showing them Gods mercy and grace as it related to their past life of sin.
Same story in Ephesians.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph. 2:8-9
Lets put it this way. A sinner seeking salvation CANNOT bring a list of good deeds and present them before God and demand they be saved on that basis. They cannot plead obedience to Moses law or any self goodness. They must come Gods way, which is through the sacrifice of Christ.
In
Romans 3:25 and
Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul in both cases is directing his teaching concerning our
INITIAL SALVATION.
Its a lot more simple than what todays scholars are trying to make it. They in fact use
Ephesians 2:8-9 to promote the idea a new creation Christian then need do nothing in the way of obedience to enter the Kingdom.
That is the great danger. They have a wrong concept of grace and imputed righteousness. It was never meant by Jesus to be a continual covering for sin where one will find
FINAL SALVATION apart from his works.
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