Romans 1:17: “this Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.’”
Paul, the writer of Romans, in the first sentence of this verse, talks about how we are “made right” in “God’s sight.” Here, he is referring to righteousness. What is righteousness? It is a gift from Christ, purchased by His brutal death on the cross. He bore the weight of our sins on His mighty shoulders so that all of humanity could be redeemed, set free and returned to the loving arms of the Father. Judicially it is defined as a state of being just. Because of this gift, God no longer sees our sin, but rather we are made right in the eyes of the Judge and can stand pure before His throne.
This verse goes on to say that it “is accomplished from start to finish by faith.” What is accomplished from start to finish? It can’t be righteousness, for Christ has already accomplished that for us. After all, as Jesus released His spirit He declared that “it is finished” (John 19:30). In his letter to Philippi, Paul comforts the Philippians by saying that “God, who began a good work within [them], will continue it until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6). This ‘good work’ that is being accomplished is perfection. It is holiness. As Christians, we should strive to achieve this, all the while knowing that it will never be accomplished here on earth. We should desire to grow towards holiness, rather than away from it, for it is not only who God is, but it is a term made to describe His very nature. God began the good work within us, and, by our faith, He will continue it until it is achieved, which is on the day when Jesus returns.
You see, righteousness is a state. You are either righteous or unrighteous. There is no in between. Perfection, on the other hand, can be made up of many elements. It is a process. I can be a perfect pitcher in baseball, but I might need some practice batting. In the same way, holiness is what we strive for, righteousness is what we are. Both of these attributes are only attained through Christ, the One who gives both full and eternal life.
“For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:14
Written by: Justine Boles
Refined Joy 