It seems the goal of all religions, including Christianity, is for followers to live a righteous life laid down by the religion they believe. The question is "How do we become righteous in order to reflect the God we believe in"? In other words, "What is the source of our righteousness"? I read a gospel tract once that clearly distinguished the Christian Faith from all other religions. The author of that tract wrote, "All religions are based on improving oneself through self-effort, self-improvement, self-evaluation and self-determination. However, Christianity is based on faith in Jesus Christ alone." This author was saying that all religion seeks a "righteousness of their own," whereas according to the Bible faith alone produces the righteousness of God.

I was always struck by the words of the gospel tract, but these words also puzzle me, inciting two basic questions: 1) Are Christians really supposed to live by faith alone or do we have to apply or manipulate some "works" into the formula? Matthew wrote "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. (Matthew 5:20) But take care not to do your righteousness before men in order to be gazed at by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens." (Matthew 6:1) Matthew emphatically writes that we should "have and do righteousness" as children of God ... so righteousness is important as a Christian. My second question is: 2) How does a Christian attain to the high standard of Christ's righteousness and human morality? Matthew wrote that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) What a tall order! And frankly, I haven't seen any fulfillment of this command in anyone except Jesus Himself since He walked the earth over 2000 years ago.

In my case I feel so incapable of living Christ's righteousness even though I have been a believer for more than 30 years? I still find myself looking for "home improvement" based on changing my disposition, personality, deeds, attitudes, and habits. I try in vain to change myself. I get depressed that I do not succeed in trying to change myself. I pursue activities, methods, testimonials and other people's success stories seeking to advance in my plight of self-sustained failure.

The apostle Paul in writing Romans, stated that he also faced such a dilemna in his life pursuit to fulfill righteousness. A major theme in the book of Romans relates to the righteousnessof God and how he expects His children to fulfill and live His righteousness. Yet, Paul struggled to fulfill God's command: "For what I work out, I do not acknowledge; for what I will, this I do not practice; but what I hate, this I do. But if what I do not will, this I do, I agree with the law that it is good." (Romans 7:15-16) Christians argue whether Paul was saved when he wrote this or was referring back to when he was a Jewish unbeliever. To me, it does not make any difference because I have experienced trying to improve myself after receiving Christ as Savior and found that the more I tried, the more I failed. In other words, the more I try to follow Christ through rules, good habits, etc., the less I seem to live a Christ-like life: you know, love, peace, joy, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:21-22). Also, the more I try not to do or be the negative things (anger, malice, gossip, condemnation, etc.), the more I seem to live out those evil things.

For Moses writes concerning the righteousness which is out of the law: ``The man who does them shall live by them.'' 6 But the righteousness which is out of faith speaks in this way, ``Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven?'' that is, to bring Christ down; 7 Or, ``Who will descend into the abyss?'' that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 But what does it say? ``The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,'' that is, the word of the faith which we proclaim. (Romans 10:5-8)

There are two basic types of righteousness: 1) out of the law and 2) out of faith. A believer in Jesus Christ is commanded to have the latter: righteousness out of faith. What is the difference between righteousness out of law and righteousness out of faith? The words "out of" imply source. Therefore, the source of righteousness we can have is either out of law or out of faith. Law is inanimate, whereas, faith is living. Law is something written down or recorded ("Moses writes"), whereas, faith is something spoken out of the heart ("righteousness out of faith speaks"). Law is based on doing or not doing something ("The man who does them"), whereas faith is based on belief from the heart ("The word is in your heart").

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, witness being borne to it by the Law and the Prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ to all those who believe. (Romans 3:21-22) These verses prove again that there are two kinds of righteousness before God. Hopefully, you understand that God wants the righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. So Paul wrote Romans 8:3, "That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit."? The apostle Paul states that we will have a righteous living which fulfills the law. Wow! Yet, how?

We need to delineate and discern the righteousness out of the law and that which is out of faith because their consequences are at opposite ends of God's measuring stick. The law is something written, whereas faith is related to the Spirit. Do not be mistaken, however, both the law and faith have ministries which either bring condemnation and death or life and glory. Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:2) For if there is glory with the ministry of condemnation, much more the ministry of righteousness abounds with glory. (2 Corinthians 3:9) ... Moreover if the ministry of death, engraved in stone in letters, came about in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to gaze at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, a glory which was being done away with, 8 How shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory? (2 Corinthians 3:7-8)

Let's be practical, saints, anything we follow which is based on writings, letters or outward commands is of the law. Faith ONLY comes from the Spirit in our hearts. Therefore, we need to take heed concerning any rituals, liturgies, practices, writings, catechisms, by-laws, traditions, constitutions, and the like because these are all forms of the law. Saints, do you recognize how the law has infiltrated Catholicism, denominations, and all religious groups?

I believe that all Christian groups attempt to follow God's Word from their heart and therefore, present strategies to fulfill the righteousness of the law because the Bible tells us that we should be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. They also understand the commandment to live holy, righteous lives in Christ. The tragic part is that all Christian groups market something other than or in addition to what Christ Himself commanded through His New Testament authors and through Himself as the Spirit. As soon as we add or take away from the Lord's economy and plan, we are touching the matter of law. And Saints, if righteousness is through law, then Christ has died for nothing. (Galatians 2:21)

Martin Luther strongly believed in justification by faith alone. He surely was a "faith" advocate. He even hated the book of James in the New Testament and felt that James' book should be taken out of the canon of scripture because James speaks of "works" as part of a believer's salvation. He sensed the "legality" and "law" in James' writings. Yet, Luther forced his beliefs on other to the point that he hated fellow believers and even wished them dead!!!! He wrote volumes which became forms of "law" to others. I'm not at all downplaying or demeaning the wonderful gift Martin Luther was to the Lord's Body in terms of the Reformation. However, he was just a fallen man, like us. He, too, would touch his spirit and live by the Spirit. Yet, he also often lived in the flesh and followed the law.

Many Christian groups are not even ashamed of their law keeping, either ignoring God's way of faith completely or just despising it. They are so legalistic that they hand down their own edits, liturgies and practical requisites for being a member of their congregation. What a tragedy! The apostle Paul clearly wrote about such ones: "You have been brought to nought, separated from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4) He continued by saying: " For we by the Spirit out of faith eagerly await the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith avails, operating through love." (Galatians 5:5-6)

The pendulum seems to swing back and forth from "laissez faire" Christianity to legalism. In other words, some Christian live by their so-called faith and do not seem to care at all about the works issuing from genuine faith. Other Christians, however, dictate how we should live, especially in the realm of doing "right and wrong." To me, the Lord does in fact ask us and command us to be righteous. However, the question remains: How do we live the righteousness of Christ on earth? The answer should be simple, yet our natural understand makes it complicated.

For if Abraham was justified out of works, he has something to boast in, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ``And Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.'' Now to the one who works, his wages are not accounted according to grace, but according to what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted as righteousness. (Romans 4:2-5) These verses show that the righteousness of God issues out of faith, not out of the works of the law. It also shows that no amount of work or effort on our part can produce the righteousness of God, only believing on Him produces righteousness.

We have seen previously (2 Corinthians 3:2, 7-9) that the righteousness out of faith is related to the Spirit and our hearts. To accomplish such righteousness we must be one with the Spirit. Romans 8:3 says, "That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit." We fulfill the righteousness of the law through the Spirit Who lives in our spirit. The secret of righteousness is to come forward to Christ (Hebrews 4:15-16; 10:19-24).

To truly come forward to Christ and allow Him to dispense His divine life into us is the only way for His righteousness to accumulate in our being and eventually overflow in our living. No amount of methods, no amount of motivation, no teachings, and no amount of arm-twisting can produce Christ's righteousness in us. Only Christ can produce His righteousness in our lives. Therefore, we must come forward to Him alone! If you believe this ... then, your faith is enough. If you do not believe this, then you will eventually find yourself short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

The Lord presents faith and its issuing righteousness in a simplistic way, not all convoluted and confusing as Christianity has presented it. But not all have obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, ``Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?'' So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:16-17) Faith is a matter of someone speaking and others hearing. Faith is generated in a person's heart from God as the source. The law is followed with man as the source trying to accomplish his/her own righteousness. For because they were ignorant of God's righteousness and sought to establish their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes concerning the righteousness which is out of the law: ``The man who does them shall live by them.'' (Romans 10:3-5)

The law is something we do or don't do. Faith is a matter of believing and taking Christ as our ONLY source of salvation, our only source of righteousness and our only source of pleasing God. Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." To accomplish God's righteousness requires us to come forward to God, believing that HE is. His reward for this simple act is to become our righteousness that He commands of us.

The Bible is comprised of 66 books including more than 40 authors. It is filled with history, laws, judgments, revelation, personal stories, and commandments. Should we take the Bible as a book of law? Do we practice every word literally? How does God want us to interpret and understand His divine revelation?

The Bible was written for our benefit: All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-16) God gave us a document to unveil Himself, to reveal His purpose and to guide us into His will. God sovereignly ordained the canonized 66 books of scripture for us, but not for the purpose of making us follow the law. The Bible is a testament, not a legal binder. This entire article has shown that righteousness is out of faith, not out of the law.

How should we read the Bible? Unfortunately most Christians read the Bible according to their natural effort, natural understanding and natural disposition. Remember, we are all part of a fallen human race to which God sent His only begotten Son to redeem, sanctify, justify, conform and glorify (Romans 8:29). We must not read the Bible without the Spirit. And once we touch the Spirit, He will enlighten and enliven God's word so that we can take it in as spiritual food for our nourishment and growth in His righteousness. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (John 6:63) The words of the Bible must become "spirit and life" in order to produce God's righteousness out of faith. Otherwise, the Bible has been demeaned into a book of laws.