The Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness of New Obedience

The teaching of “the goal of the gospel” is not the gospel in service of the law.   It is the gospel in service of righteousness, first the imputed righteousness of faith, an alien righteousness, God’s declaration upon the believer through the obedience and merits of Jesus Christ alone — then an imparted righteousness of new obedience, a life transforming righteousness, endowed by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel power of the Means of Grace, Word and Sacrament, informed, instructed and trained by God’s Law, but motivated, empowered and equipped by the Gospel.

Both of these kinds of righteousness are the will of God for all people.  Paul writes: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim.  2:3-4).   “ This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom.  3:22-24).  

But Paul also writes, “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.   It is God's will that you should be sanctified ... (1 Thes.  4:1-3a).  And, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The imputed righteousness Luther calls “alien righteousness,” or “passive righteousness.”  It comes by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is not a future goal but a completed one — a legal declaration and a fact — resulting from the great exchange by which Christ assumes my sins and bestows his righteousness on me (justification).  The imparted righteousness Luther calls “proper righteousness,” or “active righteousness.”  It is the result of this “alien righteousness,” and flows naturally from it.  The Confessions also refer to it as “inchoate righteousness,” or “incipient righteousness,” since it is imperfect and incomplete as long as we remain on earth with our sinful nature.  Nevertheless, it effects our sanctification and is the express intent of God in bestowing his “alien righteousness” upon us through the gospel.  In this sense, thus, it is the goal of the Gospel.  These two must ever be combined but must never be confused or co-mingled.  We must carefully distinguish between them, but we should not separate them, as one cannot exist without the other.

God’s goal for us is our righteousness.  But the picture is incomplete if we see only the imputed, alien righteousness of Christ and forget the imparted, life-transforming righteousness of the obedience that comes from faith.  God has given us the first by grace through faith, and because of it we shall live forever in perfect righteousness and holiness.  Why would he neglect to begin that good work in us right now, conforming our wills to his will and transforming our lives into the image of his Son?  He has not neglected to do so, for all righteousness is the Goal of the Gospel!