Monday | 18 May 2026
The religious Jews endeavoured to establish their own righteousness by keeping the Law. Noting this motive, Paul wrote, ‘For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God’. Rom 10:3. Paul himself testified that he had suffered the loss of all things that he may gain Christ and be found in Him, ‘not having my own righteousness, which is from the law’. Php 3:9. Those who used the Law to establish their own righteousness stumbled at Christ. He was to them a stumbling stone and a rock of offence, as exemplified by the response of the Pharisees to His teaching. Rom 9:31‑32. Even after faith had come, the Jews who refused to receive the word of faith preached by the apostles continued to stumble, opening the door for the gospel to be proclaimed to the Gentiles. Act 13:46‑47.
Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness. Rom 10:4. That is, He brought an end to self‑righteousness through the Law, for the Law was taken out of the way when it was nailed to the cross in Himself. Now, when a person endeavours to be righteous according to the Law, it is being misappropriated from the cross. Those who do this forsake the blessing of the cross, and are cursed as part of the body of sin that was taken out to forgetfulness. This reveals that they are not of the faith of Abraham.
When the Lord called Abraham to depart from the land of the Chaldeans, He said, ‘I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ Gen 12:3. This promise applies to everyone who belongs, by faith, to the family of Abraham. Num 23:20-24. While it is true that those who belong to Christ cannot be cursed by another, we can be bewitched by sorcery if we give heed to another word. Through the sorcery of exchange, we can become slaves of sin. Gal 3:1.
Further Study:
Galatians 3
References:
Rom 10:3-4
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Php 3:9
And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
Rom 9:31-32
But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
Act 13:46-47
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: “I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth”.’
Gen 12:3
I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Num 23:20-24
Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox. ‘For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, “Oh, what God has done!” Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion; it shall not lie down until it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.’
Gal 3:1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?