Galatians 5:5-6, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, and Hebrews 11:7 also speak of righteousness in the context of the day of judgment. They do so, however, in a way a little different than Matthew 5:20. I have said that Matthew 5:20 is a reference to an imparted righteousness which consists in our good heart and the good deeds that spring from it. The passages mentioned at the top of this paragraph do not speak in my view of an imparted righteousness, but of a righteousness which results at least in some way from this imparted righteousness. Like Matthew 5:20 they do speak of a righteousness given us in the day of judgment.
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
This passage speaks of a “hope of righteousness.” However this interesting phrase is to be more particularly understood, it seems clearly to refer to a righteousness we “hope” to receive in the day of judgment. Since the imputed righteousness of Christ is not a hope, but a present possession, this righteousness cannot be identical with the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith alone in the past at our conversion. It is, of course, closely related to such an imputed righteousness as verse 4’s reference to being justified by grace and not by law makes clear. Our past justification by grace is the whole ground or basis of this future righteousness. Yet this is a righteousness received by hope (not by faith) and by faith working through love (and not by faith alone). I think that it refers to being accounted and publicly declared righteous (a genuine believer in Christ as vindicated by the works of faith) to a watching universe.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
The crown of righteousness is, I take it, the crown which consists in righteousness. This crown imagery is not naturally taken to be a reference to our actual characters being made perfect in holiness at the last day. Trying to make it refer to that actually raises some difficult problems. Rather, it seems to me that the crown of righteousness imagery refers to the vindication or accounting and declaring righteous before a watching world of Paul and with him all who like him loved the Lord’s appearing and persevered in the faith. This crown of righteousness (as the passage declares quite plainly) is not received by faith alone. Rather, it is received by Paul in consequence of his having “fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” Further, it is for “all who have loved His appearing.”
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
This passage also speaks of the future righteousness or vindication of the day of judgment. Noah became an “heir” of this righteousness by building the ark. Again, I think it is a mistake to make this refer mainly or specifically to the imputed righteousness of Christ. Again, let me repeat that the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith alone is the whole basis and ground of it, but that is just my point. We do not receive that imputed righteousness by building arks. This righteousness is the crown and hope of righteousness of which Paul spoke in the other passages. It is the accounting and declaring righteous (or genuine believers in Christ) to a gathered world.
In these passages, then, we have clear and repeated teaching that to be declared a genuine believer in Christ at the day of judgment, your faith alone in Christ must be vindicated as genuine by perseverance in faith and repentance or, in other words, evangelical obedience.
Dr. Sam Waldron is the Academic Dean of CBTS and professor of Systematic Theology. He is also one of the pastors of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. Dr. Waldron received a B.A. from Cornerstone University, an M.Div. from Trinity Ministerial Academy, a Th.M. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1977 to 2001 he was a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Waldron is the author of numerous books including A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, The End Times Made Simple, Baptist Roots in America, To Be Continued?, and MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response.
