The sinner should be encouraged to forsake human righteousness and to accept a divine one instead. The Jews were lost because they were ignorant of God's righteousness. The knowledge of it is, therefore, saving knowledge. While this contrast of divine and human righteousness is before us, it is a good time to say that the difference between these two kinds of righteousness is the basis of the conflict between law and works and grace and faith. Law demands works, and works result in human righteousness.
Grace calls for faith, and faith accepts the divine righteousness.
Hence, if salvation, or righteousness that saves, is by the law, Christ died in vain. For if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. But there was a righteousness that belonged to law. But this came by works that excluded the atonement of Christ. This, as we have seen, was the righteousness sought by the Jews.