Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God.For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
5 sermons cite this verse
… if you turn over to chapter 10, verse 3. Remember I said this phrase occurs eight times, 1.17, 3.5, 21, 22, 25, 26, and then it occurs twice here in Romans 10, verse 3. Look at the context because this is the clearest parallel to 117. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. So two times in this verse we have dikaiosune theu. And notice the contrast. They were ignorant of the righteousness of God, and they sought to establish their own. So, contrast, there is a righteousness we try to establish on our own, and then there is the righteousness of God. You see how this doesn't work as well to think we're merely talking about God's faithfulness to Himself or even God's activity. But we're comparing a righteousness that comes from God and a righteousness that comes from man, or supposedly does. And there's confirmation that this is the right way to understand the phrase from the last instance of this phrase in the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 5.21. …
… Now, remember, he's talking about Israel. Put down Romans 10, verses 1 through 4. Paul says, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. By the way, some people just believe everybody's going to be saved automatically who's going to be saved and that it's already cut and dried. Oh, no. Paul said, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ, Messiah, is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And so he's going to bring in this everlasting righteousness. And even the great prophet Jeremiah prophesied this. Jeremiah 23, verses 5 and 6. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch. …
1. The Apostle does not here oppose the covenant given by Moses, to the covenant given by Christ. If we ever imagined this, it was for want of observing, that the latter as well as the former part of these words were spoken by Moses himself to the people of Israel, and that concerning the covenant which then was. (Deut. 30:11, 12, 14.) But it is the covenant of grace, which God, through Christ, hath established with men in all ages, (as well before and under the Jewish dispensation, as since God was manifest in the flesh,) which St. Paul here opposes to the covenant of works, made with Adam while in Paradise, hut commonly supposed to be the only covenant which God had made with man, particularly by those Jews of whom the Apostle writes. 2. Of these it was that he so affectionately speaks in the begin-fling of this chapter: “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness,” (of the justification that flows from his mere grace and mercy, freely forgiving our sins through the Son of his love, through the redemption which is in Jesus,) “and seeking to establish their own righteousness,” (their own holiness, antecedent to faith in “him that justifieth the ungodly,” as the ground of their pardon and acceptance,) “have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God,” and consequently seek death in the error of their life. …
“His righteousness:” — This is all his righteousness still: It is his own free gift to us, for the sake of Jesus Christ the righteous, through whom alone it is purchased for us. And it is his work; it is He alone that worketh it in us, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 21. Perhaps the well observing this may give light to some other scriptures, which we have not always so clearly understood. St. Paul, speaking in his Epistle to the Romans concerning the unbelieving Jews, saith, “They, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” I believe this may be one sense of the words: They were “ignorant of God’s righteousness,” not only of the righteousness of Christ, imputed to every believer, whereby all his sins are blotted out, and he is reconciled to the favour of God: But (which seems here to be more immediately understood) they were ignorant of that inward righteousness, of that holiness of heart, which is with the utmost propriety termed God’s righteousness; as being both his own free gift through Christ, and his own work, by his almighty Spirit. And because they were “ignorant” of this, they “went about to establish their own righteousness.” They laboured to establish that outside righteousness which might very properly be termed their own. For neither was it wrought by the Spirit of God, nor was it owned or accepted of him. They might work this themselves, by their own natural strength; and when they had done, it was a stink in his nostrils. And yet, trusting in this, they would “not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Yea, they hardened themselves against that faith whereby alone it was possible to attain it. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” Christ, when he said, “It is finished!” put an end to that law, — to the law of external rites and ceremonies, that he might bring in a better righteousness through his blood, by that one oblation of himself once offered, even the image of God, into the inmost soul of everyone that believeth. …
4. O who is able to reckon up their accursed fruits; to count all the sins, whether against God or our neighbour, not which imagination might paint, but which may be matter of daily, melancholy experience? Nor need we range over all the earth to find them. Survey any one kingdom, any single country, or city, or town; and how plenteous is this harvest! And let it not be one of those which are still overspread with Mahometan or Pagan darkness; but of those which name the name of Christ, which profess to see the light of his glorious Gospel. Go no farther than the kingdom to which we belong, the city wherein we are now. We call ourselves Christians; yea, and that of the purest sort: We are Protestants; Reformed Christians! But alas! who shall carry on the reformation of our opinions into our hearts and lives? Is there not a cause? For how innumerable are our sins; — and those of the deepest dye! Do not the grossest abominations, of every kind, abound among us from day to day? Do not sins of every sort cover the land, as the waters cover the sea? Who can count them? Rather go and count the drops of rain, or the sands on the sea-shore. So “wide is the gate,” so “broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction!” 5. “And many there are who go in at” that gate; many who walk in that way; — almost as many as go in at the gate of death, as sink into the chambers of the grave. For it cannot be denied, (though neither can we acknowledge it but with shame and sorrow of heart,) that even in this which is called a Christian country, the generality of every age and sex, of every profession and employment, of every rank and degree, high and low, rich and poor, are walking in the way of destruction. The far greater part of the inhabitants of this city, to this day, live in sin; in some palpable, habitual, known transgression of the law they profess to observe; yea, in some outward transgression, some gross, visible kind of ungodliness or unrighteousness; some open violation of their duty, either to God or man. These then, none can deny, are all in the way that leadeth to destruction. Add to these, those who have a name indeed that they live, but were never yet alive to God; those that outwardly appear fair to men, but are inwardly full of all uncleanness; full of pride or vanity, of anger or revenge, of ambition or covetousness; lovers of themselves, lovers of the world, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. These, indeed, may be highly esteemed of men; but they are an abomination to the Lord. And how greatly will these saints of the world swell the number of the children of hell! Yea, add all, whatever they be in other respects, whether they have more or less of the form of godliness, who, “being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness,” as the ground of their reconciliation to God and acceptance with him, of consequence have not “submitted themselves unto the righteousness which is of God” by faith. Now, all these things joined together in one, how terribly true is our Lord’s assertion, “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat!” …