The Jews although have the first offer of Salvation, they have the greatest need of it. They are deeply fallen and sinned against such glorious privileges, they are more culpable than the Gentiles who have never had the light of divine revelation. Similarly the Gentiles are no different but to receive the Salvation only through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Israelites were given the “the law of righteousness”, the end of this law was Christ, through faith in Him, then the justification would flow to man. But they have failed miserably to attain the law of righteousness and therefore did not find genuine plan of Salvation. The reason was that they did not seek with faith. The works prescribed in the observance of religious activities were intended to lead them to the glorious Mediator. Ex: the sacrifice of lamb caught in the thickets by Abraham on Mount Moriah was shadow of things to come. Anyone who puts his faith on the crucified Lord Jesus Christ, shall be saved. But the Jews trusted in only the religious observances hoping to acquire justification and Salvation through it. But they stumbled at the stumbling stone, at the doctrine of Christ crucified was the only sure ground on which the expectation of future salvation can be found. Therefore, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, God’s method of saving sinners, they went about to establish their own righteousness, their own method of salvation, by the observance of those rituals and ceremonies which actually should have led them by faith to Christ, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. Therefore they rejected, persecuted, and crucified the Lord Jesus.
Therefore the righteousness of God is not simply some sort of holiness or piousness’ , but includes host of provisions that would accrue in our lives: Let us look some of them from the Bible. (thought taken from Adam Clarke’s commentary)
- Righteousness signifies piety, holy life toward God. We must serve Him in holiness and righteousness (Lk.1:75).
- Righteousness is being right with God. This is possible only when we trust Him, accept Him as our personal Saviour.
- When Moses gave law to the people of Israel, he said: “If we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us, that will be our righteousness” (Deu.6:25).
- Righteousness signifies charity, almsgiving, managing God’s resources as stewards, share it with needy people (Matt.6:1).
- The Lord judges the world in righteousness (Rev.19:2; Acts 17:31). As human beings we are nobody to judge others unless the responsibility is given to us. Then we must judge others impartially, unbiased or without any favouritism.
- Righteousness signifies the whole collection of graces which constitute the Christian character as given in the Beatitudes (Matt.5) viz. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt.5:6); “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness” (Matt.5:10); “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.5:20); “But seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).
- Righteousness signifies the result of faith in God and submission to His will, exemplified in the life of Noah. “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Heb.11:7).
- Righteousness speak of optimum use of God’s resources. “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Cor.9:10). So we need to use the God given resources viz. our property, our money, our time and our body for the edification and glorification of our Saviour.
The unrighteousness of the Gentiles: (1:18-32):
God in His righteousness has perfectly revealed His wrath against all sinners, those who suppress the truth, unrighteous people. God’s anger is not selfish or arbitrary. His anger is not like human anger which is often selfish. God’s anger is like a judge’s anger when he issues a judgement (2 Thess.1:5-10). “God’s wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s being against that which is the contradiction of His holiness.” (Murrary).
Human race is guilty before the Lord: (1:18):
In the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed which paves the way for salvation of mankind, so in the ungodliness of men, God’s wrath is revealed. Those who refuse to be saved by the revealed righteousness of God would undoubtedly be consumed in the wrath of God.
- Ungodliness: Those who practice atheism, polytheism and idolatry of every kind.
- Unrighteousness: Those who act everything contrary to strict morality, viciousness and profligacy of conduct.
- Suppress the truth in unrighteousness: It refers to those who hinder the truth, those who suppress the truth, those knowingly do not follow the truth. This includes the best philosophers of past era viz. Socrates, Plato, Seneca etc. Also the Gentiles who either did not know or might have known much of God from the works of creation. Those who hold the truth in maliciousness hinder the truth, prevent it from taking hold of their hearts, deliberately avoiding so that they need not answer.