Audio commentary on this verse

Note 2 at Rom. 10:3: This verse describes the condition of much of the church today. Most people are unaware that there are two kinds of righteousness. Only one types of righteousness is acceptable to God.

One form of righteousness that Paul describes here is our own righteousness (also Phil. 3:9). These are the acts of holiness that we do in an attempt to fulfill the commands of the Old Testament law. This is an imperfect righteousness because human nature is imperfect and incapable of fulfilling the law (see note 7 at Rom. 8:3, p. 793). Therefore, our own righteousness, which is according to the law, is inadequate. Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 64:6, "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags . . . ."

In contrast, God's righteousness is perfect. Also, God's righteousness is not something that we do, but something that we receive as a gift through faith in Christ (see note 5 at Rom. 10:5, below).

Paul makes it very clear in this verse that it's not possible to trust in our own righteousness and in God's righteousness also. A person who believes that he must earn God's acceptance by his holy actions cannot be believing in God's righteousness, which is a gift. It has to be one or the other; we cannot mix the two. Righteousness is not what Jesus has done for us plus some minimum standard of holiness that we have to accomplish (Rom. 11:6).