id: "I now perceive that God is no respecter of
persons, but in every nation he that feareth God and worketh
righteousness is accepted of him." Here "righteousness" is something to
be "worked." It is, therefore, something to be done. In it men are
active. It is not, therefore, a quality in God or man, but something
that enlists the activities of men. It is a plan by the observance of
which men are accepted of God.

Speaking of his own brethren according to the flesh, Paul says:
"Brethren, my heart's desire and supplication to God is for them, that
they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for
God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit
themselves to the righteousness of God" (Rom. x. 1-3). Here the
righteousness of God is contrasted with that of the unbelieving Jews.
They rejected God's, and set up one of their own. They did not submit
to God's righteousness. Here it is clearly a religious system, a plan
of salvation. They rejected God's plan and tried to establish one of
their own. In this they were zealous, but it was a misguided zeal.

In harmony with this idea of righteousness we understand the expression
in the first chapter of this epistle: "For I am not ashamed of the
gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is
revealed a righteousness of God by faith unto faith: as it is written,
But the righteous shall live by faith." Here we understand God's
righteousness to be God's plan of saving or justifying men by faith;
the plan to which the Jews would not submit in the tenth chapter.
Hence, in the gospel, God's system of justification by faith is
revealed in order to faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. In
the gospel God's plan of saving men by faith in Christ is revealed, and
this is the only place in which it is revealed. Consequently the truth
herein revealed produces faith. This results in the acceptance of God's
plan of salvation.

We have "the faith" as a system of salvation through Christ, and faith
as a personal state of the mind and heart. So, also, have we
righteousness as a plan of salvation which we accept from God, and
righteousness as a personal quality--a state of personal freedom from
sin. And the one leads to the other, as a revelation of "the faith"
produces personal faith.

This leads