The Righteousness of the Law versus the Righteousness of God

by Rose Weiner

Matthew 19: 16-22

"Now, behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"

So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and `you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

The young man said to Him, "All of these things I have kept from my youth, what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give the poor and you will have reassure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

There is life in keeping the commandments or the law.

In Psalm 19:7-11, it says:

The law of the Lord is perfect,

converting the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

the statutes of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart,

The commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

yea, than much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them your servant is warned,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Following the law of God results in a great reward. It brings joy, enlightenment and wisdom. However, this is the law that the rich young ruler followed and faithfully kept, yet, there was one thing he still lacked —

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

The rich young ruler lived under the Old Covenant, for all good Jewish young men knew the law inside and out and kept it. However, Jesus was calling him into another covenant.

After the disciples heard this conversation between the rich young ruler and Jesus, they asked, "Who then can be saved?" (Matt. 19:25) But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Although you will reap a great reward in keeping the law of God, which anyone can keep, it is impossible to be saved by it.

Jer 32:17-19

"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show loving kindness to thousands and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings."

God looks throughout the earth, sees the ways of the sons of men and gives according to the fruit of their doings. He is constantly rewarding the just and unjust who keep His law or the Ten Commandments which is the Old Covenant.

However, keeping the law or the Old Covenant is based on works of the flesh. While there is reward in keeping the Old Covenant, there is no rest since it is based on our works. In Hebrews 4, there is a warning to those who fall short of entering the rest of God.

In reading this chapter, keep in mind that Paul in Hebrews is preaching to newly saved Judaic Christians who want to return to the law of Judaism. They are struggling with their relationship with Jesus and want to renounce their relationship with Jesus to follow the Law

Heb. 4

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest."

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";

and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."

Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said:

"Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

For he who has entered His rest has himself ceased from His works as God did from His."

These believers had a hard time with this, because, just as the young ruler, they had kept the law. However, they still had not entered the `rest of God,' and ceased from their works.

The Old Covenant birthed in the wilderness, which they kept is:

-come out from their midst

-love God

-obey God

This is the covenant they kept when they came out of Egypt into the land of milk and honey. The New Covenant with the inauguration of Jesus is:

-take up your cross

-forsake your life

-follow me.

The rich young ruler could not sell all and follow him because he had one thing that meant more to him than a relationship with God, his reputation. If he sold everything, he would not the rich young ruler anymore. He would have lost his identity and his reputation.

Today many Christians would rather follow the Old Covenant, keep the law according to the works of their flesh, rather than sell everything, lose their reputation and identity and follow Jesus.

Heb. 7:11 "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."

It takes diligence to take up your cross, forsake your life, and follow Jesus. This is the rest of God when we cease from our works.

Heb. 3:7-19

Therefore as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you will hear His voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion

in the day of trial in the wilderness,

where you saw your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years.

Therefore I was angry with that generation,

And said "They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways."

So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest."

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

but exhort one another daily while it is called `Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:

"Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?

(Even though they heard the law, they all rebelled!)

Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?

So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

The Israelites in the wilderness could not enter the Sabbath rest of God although they saw the glory and His signs and wonders. The glory they saw though, was the glory of the Old Covenant, and the glory of the Law.

Even when they were dancing around the golden calf, they saw the awesome glory of God. They saw His glory, but didn't obey Him.

What ushers in His Shekinah glory and Presence is worshiping Him in spirit and truth.

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24

The judgment of God stops with the worshipers. The sinners get the grace and mercy of God. Unless you honor man, how can you share with man the honor of God?

Heb. 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God has High priest, "according to the order of Melchizedek," of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

Melchizedek means `king of righteousness.' He was the one in Gen. 14:18-20 who went out to meet Abram after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him in the Vale

of Siddim. He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of Heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand."

Jesus, the author of eternal salvation, brought a change in the priesthood, the covenant and the law.

We are now of the order of Melchezidek, not the Levitical priesthood, which failed to keep people from sin and in communion with God. The Melchezidek priesthood is based on the righteousness of Jesus, not our righteousness. Its based on the finished work of the cross, not on the works of the law based on the flesh.

Were to obey not the law, but Him, the author of eternal salvation.

Heb. 7:25 Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 2:27

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

So, to abide in Him, we need to:

-yield to the anointing

-listen to the anointing

because the anointing teaches you the truth. We abide in Him permanently.

1 John 2:20-21

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

We have an anointing that leads us into the truth.

Eph. 4:17-18

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness in their heart;

Ignorance of the truth and futility of our mind keeps us from following the anointing that leads us to truth. The same anointing that is in Jesus resides in us today! What keeps us from hearing and following it is our own ignorance.

II Cor. 3:5-6

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We are ministers of the new covenant and the Spirit. As ministers of the new covenant and the Spirit, we

are to teach people the ways of the Spirit, not the letter.

Matthew 23

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to do observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move with them one of their fingers.

But all they works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces and to be called by men `Rabbi, Rabbi."

But you, do not be called `Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in Heaven.

And do not be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

We're servants of the New Covenant. There is only One who is our teacher and our Leader, Jesus. He is the supreme teacher and leader.

Heb. 7:11-12

Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

There was a change in the priesthood, followed by a change in the law. We are to teach the people to know God by obeying the Spirit - showing them testimonies and examples.

As we share our testimony, it enhances, and adds on to the piece of the puzzle. Each person adds another line and another precept. When the priesthood was changed in the church, 365AD, it ended the Aaronic priesthood.

Heb. 9:13-14

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offer your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

He put away sin by sacrificing Himself. The Old Covenant forgives and covers sin by blood sacrifices. The New Covenant puts it away with the sacrifice of Jesus!

Heb. 10

(verses 1-4) For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach

perfect.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin.

(verses 11-22)

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in heir minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new an living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

We enter the new covenant through His blood and flesh, which is communion. The early church took communion daily. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is communion. As we take communion, we will experience the presence of God.

John 6:48-59

"I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"

Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink His blood, you have life in you.

Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life. and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven-not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.

These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Luke 22:19-20

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, :"This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise He also took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."

Heb. 10:19

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus.

Jesus is after the order of Melchizedek. Everything revolves around the sacrifice and the New Covenant.

Heb. 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

Heb. 7:15-17

And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

Heb. 10:19-22

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which is consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Heb. 12:25

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,

We are to be consumed with beholding the Lord and worshiping Him since the veil between us and the Holy of Holies has been torn asunder.

Phil 3:9

and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

Paul shared this after talking about how he followed the law ...

Phil 3:3

For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh.

Paul is saying that according to the flesh, he has every right to be confident. Why?

...If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul was blameless according to the law, but it wasn't enough.

verses 7-9

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ.

and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

Paul even lost his righteousness gained by the law to gain the righteousness of God. And the only we come into that righteousness of God is ...

verse 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

We come into the righteousness of God by —

-knowing Him

-knowing the power of His resurrection

-knowing the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death.

The righteousness of God, or the New Covenant is —

-take up your cross

-forsake your life

-follow me.