Working For Righteousness

January 27th, 2025
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 9:30-32a What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith…

All of mankind is born a sinner and will die as a result (Rom. 3:23; 6:23), both physically and spiritually. Since all humanity are rebels against God in their nature, God has every right to let justice run its course. Yet God, in His mercy, chooses to have mercy on some while allowing others to remain in their stubborn rebellious sin. Therefore, Paul says that “God has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires” (9:18). He is God, and man, a creature from the dirt, has no right to question the Almighty, eternal, holy God (9:19-21).

As to Israel, God made an eternal covenant with their forefather Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. Since God neither lies nor abrogates a covenant He has made, then the nation of Israel remains in covenant with God, in spite of their history and their current rebellion against His Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore Paul quotes from both Hosea and Isaiah (9:25-29) to remind his readers that God will also have mercy on a remnant of Israelites, a portion taken from the whole, through whom God will fulfill His promises in a literal, physical way.

So, “what shall we say then?” (v. 30). Returning to the issue of righteousness in Romans 9:30 to 10:21, Paul contrasts the “righteousness based on faith” versus the “law of righteousness” which is based on works. So whereas Romans 9 speaks concerning Israel’s past, Romans 10 will refer to her present state of working towards righteousness, though wrongly. Then in Romans 11 he addresses Israel’s future restoration, that is, the remnant within Israel that will be saved.

In asking the rhetorical question in v. 30, note that Paul did not say that the majority of the Israelites failed to arrive at the truth because they were not elected to salvation. Instead, he places the blame on Israel, not God’s purpose in election as he does in 9:11. Paul is not contradicting himself, for all men are responsible to God for their rejection of Christ. It is God’s justice that disciplines Israel for that rejection, and it is His mercy alone that allows anyone to believe.

Comparing Israel to Gentiles in v. 30, one might think that Israel would lead the way towards saving faith, not Gentiles. For Gentiles did not “pursue” the righteousness that comes by faith. Though religious, Gentiles never sought a Messiah from Israel. Yet Gentiles “attained,” or acquired righteousness, without pursuing it. When righteousness presented itself to Gentiles, many acquired it by simply receiving it, not working for it. So, like Jewish believers in Christ, Gentile believers are also declared righteous by God and saved by faith apart from works of the Law by simply believing. What separated believing Gentiles, then and now, from unbelieving Israel was that the latter pursued righteousness by works, relying on their birthright as Israelites for salvation. Gentiles simply believed! But since Paul’s point in Romans 9-11 is that being Jewish means nothing in relation to salvation if one does not have faith, his point is obvious. From the beginning, God has always approved only of those who trust Him, who receive Him by faith and live by that same faith (cf. Heb. 11:4-39).

Verse 31 reads, “but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.” Put simply, Israel failed in their quest for righteousness because they sought by works that which God grants. As anyone who has ever attempted to keep God’s Law knows, attaining perfection by attempting to keep God’s Law is impossible. This is why God must simply grant it.

Although Israel was greatly privileged by God (9:4-5), they have never been faithful to Him. To be sure, many within Israel have been faithful stalwarts of the truth (e.g., Abraham, David, Josiah, et al.), but the large majority of them failed, pursuing a righteousness by works of law. Good works attempt to put God in one’s debt, but God is no one’s debtor. Those who believe that righteousness can be earned have little to no concept of sin—a barrier between God and man that good works simply cannot breach. That God would show mercy at all to sinners reveals a loving and patient God. All man must do is receive Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Food for Thought

Sadly, Israel as a nation has never pursued righteousness by faith. Believing she is already righteous by simply being Israel, her pursuit of a “law of righteousness” has always been through a misguided effort to be seen as righteous in the eyes of God through merit. Israel, through their sages and rabbis and through their sinful mindset, has always found ways to supposedly keep the Law of Moses without actually obeying it! Though God gave it to them to simply reveal their sinfulness (Rom. 3:20), they actually believe they are keepers of God’s Law. Sadly, for them and all others who believe they can keep the law and thus keep God happy, they missed it, then and now. As a result, they stand condemned for having not pursued righteousness by faith. How about you? Is righteousness something you have freely received, or are you working for it?