Romans 10:3, Elohim’s righteousness … their own righteousness.
Imputed Righteousness/Faith in Yeshua Combined with Torah-Obedience Equals True Righteousness
Rom 9:31–33, But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
There is a psuedo-righteousness that comes from a perfect and legalistic obedience to the Torah. Theoretically, one could keep all the regulations of Torah, but without a circumcised heart characterized by love and faith, and still miss true righteousness. A letter-of-the-law, works-based or legalistic adherence is the pseudo-righteousness that Yeshua was attacking in the hypocritical religionists of his day. They were self-righteously proud of their works, yet they had missed the heart and the spirt of the Torah. Yeshua called these things — judgment, mercy and faith (i.e, the heart and the spirit of the Torah) — the weightier matters of the Torah (Matt 23:23).
Next we see that true righteousness combines faith in Yeshua the Living Torah with obedience to the Written Torah.
Rom 10:4–6, For Messiah is the aim [end result, goal] of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Messiah down from above).
Through faith in Messiah, one can attain to the true righteousness of the Torah. Through the example of his physical life, Yeshua showed us how to have love and faith while obeying the Torah. Through his Spirit abiding in us, the spiritual realities of his death, burial and resurrection being lived out in us, we are now empowered to walk in true righteousness and follow the letter and the spirit of the Torah by faith in and love for him, and not legalistically and self-righteously in our own pride-engendering power.
Rom 10:10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Eph 4:24, And that ye put on the new man, which after Elohim is created in righteousness and true holiness. (See the context of the surrounding verses 11–32.)
True Righteousness Doesn’t Come Through Torah-Obedience Alone
Gal 2:21, I do not frustrate the grace of Elohim: for if righteousness come by the Torah, then Messiah is dead in vain.
Gal 3:21, Is the Torah then against the promises of Elohim? Elohim forbid: for if there had been a Torah given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Torah.
Torah Righteousness (Without Yeshua) is Pseudo-Righteousness or Self-Righteousness
Rom 10:3, For they being ignorant of Elohim’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness [self-righteousness], have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of Elohim.
Men’s own righteousness devoid of mercy and faith is the pseudo-righteousness (or self-righteousness), which is based on a legalistic obedience to the Torah, that both Yeshua and Paul were so much against.
Phil 3:6–9, Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Messiah. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Yeshua my Messiah: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Messiah, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Messiah, the righteousness which is of Elohim by faith.
Torah-righteousness alone without faith in Yeshua, who is the Word of Elohim, is based on the works of men and as such is an incomplete or pseudo-righteousness or is self-righteousness. The reason I say “faith in Yeshua/the Word of Elohim” is because Abraham had faith in the Word of Elohim, and he even had — in some way — an understanding of the gospel message (Gal 3:8, 16; Heb 11:10, 17, 19) with Yeshua the Redeemer at its center. In Romans 4 (and Rom 10:6) Paul equates Abraham’s faith in the Word of Elohim with faith in Yeshua, so in YHVH’s eyes, these are one and the same.
Through Yeshua Is True Righteousness
Righteousness through Yeshua is like a spiritual vehicle to bring us into a complete Torah-obedience righteousness that is not based on the works of men. Since godly righteousness is not based on works but on faith in Yeshua and on the merits of his righteousness and the empowerment of YHVH’s Spirit, man cannot glory in his own abilities, but must give the praise to Elohim.
1 Cor 1:30–31, But of him are ye in Messiah Yeshua, who of Elohim is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, according as it is written, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Messiah.”
Only through Yeshua are we able to attain to the true righteousness, in which we are to glory.
2 Cor 5:21, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of Elohim in him.
Eph 4:24, And that ye put on the new man, which after Elohim is created in righteousness and true holiness. [See the context of the surrounding verses 11–32.]
Phil 1:11, Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Yeshua the Messiah, unto the glory and praise of Elohim.
2 Pet 1:1, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Yeshua the Messiah, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of Elohim and our Saviour Yeshua the Messiah.
