From weakness to glory series—Week 4: ‘Spiritual righteousness’.

Today’s theme in our ‘Life in the Spirit’ series is ‘Spiritual righteousness’. What is righteousness? There’s many aspects to this, but for a Christian, first of all, it refers to one’s right relationship with God–our right standing with God; faultless and guiltless before him. This is what Paul means when he speaks of ‘the righteous’ in today’s text.

There are two ways to be righteous in God’s sight.

The first way is our way—how much effort one puts into righteous living, charitable service, doing good deeds, the diligent practice of their spiritual life, rituals and worship. Words associated with this way might be ‘obedience’, ‘performance’, ‘moral’, ‘good’. If we want a picture of what that way looks like, we need look no further than the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’” (Luke 18:9-12).

That’s the way of every humanly devised religion—to start from the viewpoint of the self, building a ladder by which to climb to heaven, and then starting the long climb of being good, being better, living righteously. The thinking is that if we can be good by following a set of principles and standards and moral laws, then it’s all good between us and God; we’re good people who have a clean sheet before God [show clean sheet].

The problem with this way is that God doesn’t accept our set of moral laws as his law. God sets the standards. His law shows us that our clean sheet isn’t so clean. We may not have killed anyone, but if we’ve hated them in our heart, it’s just the same. We might not have had an affair, but whoever looks at a person lustfully has already committed adultery with them in their heart. We might not have literally lied but if we have covered up details of a situation to make ourselves look better, then we haven’t been honest. We might not have literally harmed a brother or sister, but if we’ve metaphorically thrown them under the bus to escape consequences and preserve our public image, then we have abused them. We mightn’t have stone idols in our home, but the things we cling to so tightly in our heart which we cherish instead of God—they then become our gods.

Suddenly our clean sheet doesn’t look so clean anymore. [show unclean sheet]. We see the grime of our selfishness. We see the blotches and stains of our sins. There are comments in red and crosses everywhere, like a bad exam paper, showing where we repeatedly miss the mark. The ‘A’ we hoped for is out of reach, and God’s verdict returns the grade we have always feared—an ‘F’.

The weight of guilt is crushing. Such a report is fitting only for the rubbish. [screw paper up] We feel exposed, battered, exhausted in the struggle to attain righteousness. But we know we can’t keep presenting ourselves like this. So we return to the only way we know how—we’ll try harder this time. We’ll speak more kindly, we’ll worship more devoutly, we’ll do more good things, we’ll put on our cloak of righteousness to cover over our sinfulness, we’ll try and smooth things out between us and God [attempt to smooth paper] and try to erase these marks [frantically erase] but it’s still no good. The words from Isaiah come like a death knell: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6).

That’s the first way to righteousness—the human way—which actually isn’t a way at all, because it always leads to a dead end…literally.

But there’s a second way—God’s way in Christ. He sent Jesus into the world not to condemn the world but save the world. Jesus was tempted in everyway as we are yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He perfectly obeyed his Father—“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). Jesus humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). In today’s Galatians 3 passage Paul says: “Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is how Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Why is the law a curse? Because “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). If we rely on the law to be right with God we will only end up eternally separated from him, objects of wrath, heading for a forever death.

God is a holy and just God, so he doesn’t change his standards. But God is also compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). That is why the Father sent Jesus to redeem us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”. Although he is the only holy, righteous One, Jesus was sacrificed to bring us back to God: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

In today’s reading from Galatians 3 Paul says this is the One promised to Abraham of old. What was the gospel pronounced to Abraham? Not that he would have children, but from his children the Saviour would come—“all nations will be blessed through you.” And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Notice it doesn’t say “Abraham believed in God”—but “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham trusted in what God had said.

Paul points back to Abraham to show how this is the same way the church is righteous today. Abraham believed God’s promise, that from his descendants the Christ would come. We believe God’s promise that this Saviour has come, and whoever trusts his saving work will be saved. Whoever trusts his righteous works will receive Christ’s righteousness as their own. We are righteous through faith—by trusting that our righteousness is found only in Christ, completely apart from our effort. Paul says in Romans 3: “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:21-22).

The Holy Spirit does not come to us through effort and works, but through hearing the word of Christ crucified. In this portrayal of our Saviour the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Jesus as the Saviour we need and grips us by the heart to cling to him. Paul says “all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). [put wrecked paper in envelope] We are covered over by Jesus’ own robe of righteousness, not a robe we have woven ourselves, but one that has been tailored by our Heavenly Father and given to us to fit us perfectly.

The Galatian church had begun this way. They had begun their life of righteousness by receiving the Spirit through what they heard: Christ crucified.

But having begun by the means of the Spirit, they were trying to finish by means of the flesh. A religious sect had come to the new Galatian Christians and taught that they needed to adhere to circumcision and other Jewish rituals in addition to Christ’s saving work (cf Galatians 2:11-16) in order to be righteous children of God

Paul said that if this Jewish sect were really as they claimed to be—children of Abraham—then they would be like Abraham and have faith in the promise: of righteousness given by the Spirit through faith, not attempting to attain God’s favour by human religious works. Paul calls them ‘foolish’—“O foolish Galatians”. This isn’t some kind of put-down, as in the way we would use the term ‘foolish’. In Scripture, foolishness describes the condition of people in their natural spiritual state—ignoring God, rejecting his wisdom and living according to their own desires, and own efforts at being righteous. When Paul speaks of them as ‘foolish’ he is saying that they have gone back to the thinking and ways of the world, rather than God’s way of faith in Christ by the Spirit. They have been saved by Christ, [remove paper from envelope] but now think Christ plus works is needed for their right standing before God.

Brothers and sisters at St Paul’s, since you are baptised into Christ, and have Jesus and his righteousness through faith by the Spirit [envelope] you don’t need to try to attain righteousness through effort [trashed paper]. For Christ has redeemed you from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for you, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith you might receive the promise of the Spirit, to stop relying on the law. God forbid that we who began our life of faith and righteousness in the Spirit seek to finish by means of the flesh.

I imagine that none of us would say we are saved by keeping God’s commandments…yet do we live as though our approval depends on our performance—that God will accept us more by what we do, and less for what we’ve failed to do? Do we live as though God would be more pleased with us because of our efforts at being generous and kind than he was before we began trying? Do we live thinking that God would show us more favour because of the regularity of our worship or devoutness during it? If we think: “I know God forgives everyone, but he couldn’t forgive me for what I’ve done” then we are going back to relying on the law for our favour from God. When we trust in our efforts, we live according to a standard of approval and favour that comes from someone else and somewhere else other than the Father’s approval of you for Christ’s sake, who says: “You are my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17).

As you come forward to the Table of the Lord again today, you come because you have received the first fruits of the Spirit, the Spirit of adoption to Sonship that you may call out “Abba! Father!” and he call you his own dear children with rejoicing and delight. You have been purified, made spotless and refined through the holy word of God as Christ came to you in waters of baptism. You have received the Spirit to make you holy in truth, where through the pages of Scripture your Father in heaven has proclaimed to you how great the Father’s love is for you and the inexpressible riches he has lavished upon you in Christ. He brings you purification through his precious blood again today. [paper back in envelope]

So when you come to Jesus at his Table today, as honoured guests he delights to invite, it is you of whom the Spirit speaks in the Book of Revelation:

…I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore

“they are before the throne of God

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne

will shelter them with his presence.

‘Never again will they hunger;

never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat down on them,’

nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the centre of the throne

will be their shepherd;

‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’

‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ (Revelation 7:9-10, 13-17).

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Pastor Tim Ebbs

St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Glenelg

Time after Pentecost, 2026

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

“since you are baptised into Christ, and have Jesus and his righteousness through faith by the Spirit you don’t need to try to attain righteousness through effort. For Christ has redeemed you from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for you”

 

1. What strong words does Paul use to address the Galatians in verse 1? Why might he speak this way?

 

1. What does Paul say happens to those who rely on “works of the law” (v.10)?

 

1. How does Abraham’s story support Paul’s argument about faith and righteousness?

 

1. What does “the righteous shall live by faith” (v.11) teach about salvation?

 

1. How did Christ “redeem us from the curse of the law” (v.13)?

 

1. What does this passage teach about the Holy Spirit and how believers receive Him?

 

1. In what ways might people today try to “earn” God’s favour instead of trusting by faith?

 

1. How can someone begin in faith but drift into relying on their own efforts?

 

1. What does this passage teach you about your identity as a believer?

 

1. How can this passage help someone struggling with legalism or guilt?

 

1. How would you explain “justification by faith” to someone new to Christianity?

 

1. What are modern-day “laws” or expectations that can replace faith in Christ?

 

1. Have you ever tried to earn approval (from parents, work, or religion)? What was that experience like?

 

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