“…in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:4
What God Offers Us
What does God offer us in Christ? Verse 4 tells us: “…in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us…”
Do we care about being righteous? If you’ve ever lied to stay out of trouble, gotten defensive to protect your image, or made sure you looked good in front of others—then yes, you care about being righteous. In our world, we see it in parenting, nutrition, politics, education—everyone has different views, but we’re all united in this: we deeply care about being seen as right. We are all trying to prove our righteousness.
But it’s exhausting. It’s a treadmill that never stops.
The Fool’s Errand of Self-Righteousness
I remember back in high school baseball, when someone would move from JV to Varsity, there was always some low-grade hazing in the form of fool’s errands. You’d be asked to do something impossible, or find something that didn’t exist. It was funny because it set you up to fail.
Trying to earn our own righteousness is a fool’s errand. But if Jesus came into this world, lived a perfectly obedient life, and was condemned in the place of sinners—then anyone found in Him has fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law.
As Martin Luther put it: “The law says, ‘do this,’ and it is never done. Grace says, ‘believe in this,’ and everything is already done.” The endless string of “do this” commands can never make us right. But in Jesus, that exhausting cycle ends.
A Passive Righteousness
This is what we receive in Christ: a passive righteousness—a gift from the Triune God.
- God the Father announces “no condemnation.”
- God the Son accomplishes “no condemnation.”
- God the Spirit applies “no condemnation.”
That’s why Paul adds, “…who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” The flesh is too weak. We can’t secure our own righteousness. We can’t excuse, perform, or impress our way out of guilt. But God gives us a righteousness that is not from us—but for us.
The Danger of the Self-Help Gospel
There’s a false gospel in our culture—a therapeutic self-help gospel. It tries to ease guilt, but it only treats the symptom, not the cause.
Here’s how it twists the truth:
- The self-help gospel says you are the judge, not God. So you must forgive yourself.
- It says you’re already worthy, so you don’t need a Savior.
- And it says that supportive people applying affirmations can replace the Spirit’s work.
This can actually make you feel better. But it’s a false assurance.
Imagine a friend convinces you to take part in something shady. They say it’s fine, make you feel silly for worrying, and soon your anxiety fades. But then the FBI shows up. Would you call that a good friend? Just because they calmed your nerves? False assurance is still false—even if it feels good.
The Real Freedom
Thousands of years ago, Jeremiah described this same danger: “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jer. 8:11)
We could paraphrase:
“You are enough, you are enough… when you actually aren’t enough.”
“You deserve better, you deserve better… when you actually don’t.”
If we forgive ourselves, but God hasn’t forgiven us, we may feel better—but we’re still under condemnation. That’s the danger of the false gospel: it might actually help!.. but help like numbing the pain while we slowly die from a mortal wound.
“No condemnation” can’t come from us. Only God has the right to announce it. Only Jesus could accomplish it. Only the Spirit can apply it. Not by telling us we are enough—but by showing us that Jesus is.
And when we believe that, we begin to deal with our guilt—not by pretending we’re not guilty, but by realizing we actually aren’t guilty anymore before God. We want to feel free because, in Christ, we truly are.
And it is to freedom that we will return in the next article.
