The Righteousness That Is of the Law vs. the Righteousness by Faith

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Paul’s distinction between righteousness by the law and righteousness by faith lies at the very heart of his epistles, and no passage emphasizes this more than his statements in Galatians and Romans. This distinction also provides the central theological backdrop to his statement in Galatians 6:14, where he boasts only in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle’s personal rejection of his past religious accomplishments flows from this fundamental understanding.

Righteousness, in biblical usage, refers to a standing of moral and legal acceptability before Jehovah. Under the Old Covenant, righteousness was conditioned upon obedience to the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 6:25). The Law defined sin (Romans 7:7), revealed God’s holiness, and established Israel’s national code of conduct. However, the Law never provided the power to produce inward holiness nor did it justify sinners. Instead, it condemned them (Romans 3:19-20). Paul explains, “Therefore by works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.”

Paul himself had once sought righteousness through strict adherence to the law, as he recounts in Philippians 3:6: “as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” From an external point of view, Paul fulfilled the demands of ceremonial and legal observance. However, this righteousness was external and incomplete. It could not address the internal corruption of sin inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12). Paul’s experience revealed the tragic futility of pursuing righteousness by human effort under the law.

In stark contrast, the righteousness that comes by faith does not originate from human effort or external conformity. It is a righteousness imputed by Jehovah to the believer apart from works (Romans 4:3-5). This righteousness is based solely upon faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. Paul asserts unequivocally in Romans 3:22, “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.” This is the righteousness to which Paul clung after his conversion.

The superiority of righteousness by faith over righteousness by the law is clearly shown in Galatians 2:16: “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no flesh will be justified.” Paul speaks here of justification (dikaioō, δικαιόω), a legal term indicating a judicial declaration of being in right standing with Jehovah. This justification is not a process; it is an immediate declaration that occurs the moment faith is exercised in Christ.

Righteousness by faith is also entirely a gift of grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this plain: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Grace excludes all boasting. It is precisely for this reason that Paul states he glories only in the cross (Galatians 6:14). The cross is where the transaction occurred: the sinless Christ bore the full weight of divine judgment for human sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), so that sinners might receive His perfect righteousness as their legal standing before Jehovah.

Paul describes this exchange in Philippians 3:9: “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God on the basis of faith.” The expression “be found in him” emphasizes Paul’s union with Christ as the only location where true righteousness can be found. His former confidence in legal righteousness has been fully replaced with reliance upon Christ’s righteousness.

This contrast also serves as the theological reason why Paul denounces the Judaizers in Galatia. Their insistence on circumcision and observance of the Mosaic Law as necessary for justification directly contradicted the doctrine of righteousness by faith. By elevating works of the law as a requirement for salvation, they nullified the sufficiency of Christ’s work. Paul addresses this with great severity in Galatians 5:2: “Look: I, Paul, tell you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.” He does not mean circumcision itself is sinful, but as a requirement for salvation, it becomes a denial of the gospel.

Moreover, the difference between the two kinds of righteousness has consequences not only for the moment of justification but for the entire Christian life. The righteousness by faith frees the believer from the burdensome yoke of trying to earn divine favor through an endless cycle of religious duties. As Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

The Law was designed to be a temporary guardian until Christ came (Galatians 3:24-25). Now that faith has arrived, the believer is no longer under that guardian but is instead a child of God through faith (Galatians 3:26). This spiritual freedom is not license for sin (Galatians 5:13) but is empowerment to live a life of gratitude and obedience motivated by the indwelling truth of the Word of God and the love of Christ.

In conclusion, the distinction between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness by faith is not a minor theological nuance; it is the dividing line between the covenant of works, which leads to condemnation, and the covenant of grace, which leads to life. Paul’s unwavering boast in the cross is grounded in this reality: the cross alone secured the righteousness that no amount of religious effort could ever achieve. Paul’s rejection of legal righteousness was complete and final. He embraced the cross as the sole ground of his standing before Jehovah, thereby silencing forever any temptation to rely on human merit.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).