Romans 3: Our Works or His Work?

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, ithrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. - Romans 3:21-26

Talk about an even playing field! No one has a leg up, no one can perform well enough, no one can work their way into righteousness. All humanity has missed the mark, has openly rebelled against God- all that is, save one. Jesus Christ, and His righteousness, is our only ground, our only point of refuge. Knowledge of the Law cannot make one righteous, any more than ignorance of it can save one from it's judgements. Only Jesus can cover us, only the Son of God can save the son's and daughters of Adam, of whose ranks, He Himself freely condescended to join (Philippians 2:5-8).

"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb" (Revelation 7:10). What great news! This is freedom, that I do not have to spend my life wringing my hands, worrying about whether or not I am making the cut or doing it well enough. There is no room in Biblical scenario for self-righteousness. I, we, have no righteousness to offer, save that which we have been given by God's grace and chosen to receive by faith in the person and work of Christ Jesus.
  

Christian Leadership

In the Great Commission, Jesus says to his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt 28: 18-20).

Our first calling, as Christian leaders, is learning to follow the One Who has called us and, as we learn, lead others to do likewise. We are called to live with the constant awareness that we too follow, that we are have no righteousness of our own. It has been a humbling (which is a nice way to say humiliating) realization for me that I, all too often, live and lead out of some sense of self-righteousness. Shocker, right?!?! Not really, but still, the questions remains, how do we lead, in truth and love, but not out of sense of our "own rightness," but from a position of humility rooted in "Christ's rightness?" How do we lead by example, give voice to the truth (even in correction, when necessary...), and yet walk in humility? I believe we must keep ourselves keenly aware of the unmerited grace by which we have been saved, always looking to the person and work of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and live out the words of the Apostle Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (I Cor. 11:1)....