Autobiography of Frank G. Allen, Minister of the Gospel Part 17

Speaking of his own brethren according to the flesh, Paul says: "Brethren, my heart's desire and supplication to G.o.d is for them, that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for G.o.d, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of G.o.d's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of G.o.d" (Rom. x. 1-3). Here the righteousness of G.o.d is contrasted with that of the unbelieving Jews.

They rejected G.o.d's, and set up one of their own. They did not submit to G.o.d's righteousness. Here it is clearly a religious system, a plan of salvation. They rejected G.o.d's plan and tried to establish one of their own. In this they were zealous, but it was a misguided zeal.

In harmony with this idea of righteousness we understand the expression in the first chapter of this epistle: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of G.o.d unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of G.o.d by faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith." Here we understand G.o.d's righteousness to be G.o.d's plan of saving or justifying men by faith; the plan to which the Jews would not submit in the tenth chapter.

Hence, in the gospel, G.o.d's system of justification by faith is revealed in order to faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of G.o.d. In the gospel G.o.d's plan of saving men by faith in Christ is revealed, and this is the only place in which it is revealed. Consequently the truth herein revealed produces faith. This results in the acceptance of G.o.d's plan of salvation.

We have "the faith" as a system of salvation through Christ, and faith as a personal state of the mind and heart. So, also, have we righteousness as a plan of salvation which we accept from G.o.d, and righteousness as a personal quality--a state of personal freedom from sin. And the one leads to the other, as a revelation of "the faith"

produces personal faith.

This leads us to consider how we obtain that perfect righteousness, without which we can not enjoy the blissful presence of G.o.d.

Paul's teaching in regard to the personal righteousness of the saints, makes salvation by a mere reformation of life, an impossibility. The importance of this fact can not be over-estimated. Many people seem to think that a reformation in regard to moral conduct, is all that is necessary to prepare to meet G.o.d. If they can only break off their sinful practices, and practice morality, they think they have done all that is really essential. In this there are two fatal mistakes. First, no reformation is perfect. The best of men whose lives have been moulded into the divine image, and are most conformed to the divine nature, have their imperfections. The ripest saint upon the earth feels that if his salvation depended on his perfect sinlessness in conduct for the rest of life, the chances of heaven would at once become dark and hopeless. The cheerfulness and bright a.s.surance of the child of G.o.d are not because he hopes to live a perfect life, but because his imperfections will be taken away in Christ. And second, the most perfect reformation would avail nothing. Could one so reform his life as to never sin again, and practice virtue in place of the former vice, it would fall far short of securing the end. However free from sin one may live in the future, the sins of the past are upon him. These will forever condemn him, unless they are removed. Our ceasing to sin will not take away the old ones. The fact that a man refuses to contract any more debts, will not pay a dollar of his old ones. So no amount of reformation will make amends for the past. Our past sins must be taken away, else they will condemn us in the day of eternity. We can not remove them ourselves; we can not atone for our own sins. Here we are utterly helpless. To what source, then, shall we go? Christ is the only refuge. He alone can take away our sins; His blood alone can cleanse from sin. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin." This is the "fountain opened in the house of David for all manner of sin and uncleanness." "Though your sins be as scarlet, he will make them white as wool." "He will put them as far from us as the east is from the west, and remember them against us no more forever." Thus it is that Christ is our righteousness. We are righteous because He has made us such. He makes us such by taking away our sins. When our sins are pardoned, we are as free from sin as if we had never sinned at all. Hence as regards the guilt of sin, we are perfect. We are made perfect in righteousness because Christ removes all unrighteousness. We are, therefore, absolutely dependent on Him for salvation. We have no righteousness of our own. Our robes of self-righteousness are but filthy tatters in His sight. Those clothed in the righteousness of Christ, that is, the righteousness which Christ gives them, shall have right to the tree of life, and shall enter through the gates into the eternal city. Their right is not one of merit, but one that Christ has given. He is our righteousness, and apart from Him none is possibly attainable.

Since we have to be perfectly righteous in order to be saved, and since this is impossible on our part, when relying on ourselves, but is obtained only by being pardoned through Christ, it follows that all boasting is cut off. No man has occasion to glory except in the cross of Christ. Hence the apostle concludes his argument by saying: "He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord." It also follows that he who would obtain personal righteousness, must submit to the "righteousness of G.o.d"--G.o.d's plan of salvation. Through the one "righteousness," is the other righteousness obtained.