Righteousness Defended

Acts

Once in tenth grade, my English teacher asked me and a friend to stay after class. After everyone else had left the room, he showed us our most recent quiz. We had the same score. We missed the same questions and answered the same questions correctly. We were friends, and we sat next to each other. It looked like a very clear case of cheating.

Almost immediately, I went into self-defense mode. Even though the evidence was stacked against me, I tried to clear my name. I pointed out that neither of us had done very well on the quiz. I asked why I would cheat off a friend I knew hadn’t studied the material. I mentioned that I had never been accused of cheating before. I didn’t want to throw my friend under the bus, but I knew I hadn’t cheated. And I wanted my name cleared.

We know that instinct well. We all feel the pull to defend ourselves. To justify our choices. To present a version of ourselves that will be accepted, respected, or approved. And often, that defense leans heavily on outward righteousness…what we have done, how we have lived, the standards we have kept. We build a case for ourselves, hoping it will be enough.

When we come to Acts 21:27–22:22, we find the Apostle Paul in a moment where a defense is required. He stands before a hostile crowd, accused and misunderstood, and he begins to speak. But what unfolds is not a careful argument built on his own merit. Paul does not rest his case on his moral record or his former zeal for the law. In fact, he does the opposite. He brings it up only to set it aside, to show its insufficiency. Like he later writes in Philippians 3, all that once seemed like gain is now counted as loss.

And that changes everything. To receive Christ’s righteousness is not merely to adopt a new argument; it is to undergo a deep transformation. Paul’s life is redirected, his loyalties are reshaped, and his future is marked by obedience. He is willing to bear the cost of rejecting the world’s standards of righteousness because he has received a better one.

This passage invites us to consider the foundation of our own defense. When we are pressed what do we point to? Our record, or Christ? The gospel does not call us to improve our case, but to relinquish it, and to rest in the righteousness of another. And from that place, to be transformed. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Acts 21:27-22:22, Psalm 24:3-6, Luke 21:5-6, Romans 3:20–24, Philippians 3:2-11, and this article on Alien Righteousness.

As we gather to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” the Acclamation of Praise, “Rock of Ages,” and the Hymn of Response “My Hope is in the Lord.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!

Sermon Information

Text: Acts 21:27-22:22

Title: Righteousness Defended

Outline:

1. Renounce Self-Righteousness (vv. 1-5)
2. Receive Christ’s Righteousness (vv. 6-16)
3. Be Transformed by Christ’s Righteousness (vv. 17-22)

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