". . . they did not submit to God's righteousness."
Romans 10:3
Why is it that so many people don't have a faith relationship with God? The apostle Paul gives the "bottom-line answer" in our verse for today. No one will ever get to God through self-righteousness. Trying to be good enough to please God will never work, simply because we could never be good enough. This is true of all people everywhere (Romans 3:10; 3:23). Therefore, so many people give up on a personal relationship with God.
God has provided perfect righteousness for us as a gift through his Son Jesus Christ. That gift of the righteousness of God in Christ is received by faith. You could say, it is in Christ alone, by faith alone. What some struggle and strive to gain, or worse, pretend that they have, is freely given to all who trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV).
A certain man took a cruise on a ship. It was a gift from friends. He never ate a meal aboard ship, until someone explained to him that the cost was included in his ticket. Thereafter, he feasted at every meal. Likewise, many people keep on trying to win God's favor, not knowing that Christ paid the full price for us at the cross. His righteousness becomes our righteousness by faith.
God, we receive the gift of Your righteousness through Christ.
