Christ is the Righteousness of God!

2007-11-17 20:18

What is righteousness? The Chinese character (義), which means righteousness, is a combination of the characters for I (我) and a sheep (羊). Here, a sheep (羊) refers to a sacrifice offered to God. So righteousness (義) means that I act right and faithful like a sheep.

Christ is the Lamb of God who was offered on the altar of God. Therefore, the Bible says, "When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, 'Look, the Lamb of God!'" (John 1:36). And also, "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." (Revelation 5:6).

With man, one can know only the righteousness of man, not the righteousness of God. No one knows the righteousness of God except those who are led by the Spirit of God. It is written, "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:11).

Therefore, the Bible says, "For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." (Romans 10:2-3).

With man, the deeds of the law is considered as righteousness. But the righteousness of God is the righteousness that is by knowing and believing in God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

The Bible says about righteousness, "know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16).

The righteousness of God is not from men, but from God. Therefore, the Bible says, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

The Bible clearly says about it, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25). And also it exhorts, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1).

Therefore, the righteousness of man is different from the righteousness of God. The righteousness of man may be a boast before men, but it is a filthy thing before God. It is written, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6).

The righteousness of man is the righteousness that sins again. It is written, "Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'" (John 8:34-36).

Therefore, the Bible says about the righteousness of God, "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26).

Anyone who does not have the righteousness of God is not a child of God. Anyone who has only the righteousness of man is a child of the slave woman. It is written, "But what does the Scripture say? 'Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son.' Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." (Galatians 4:30-31).

And so, "the new heaven and the new earth, the home of righteousness" is the home of righteousness of God--children of God. Therefore, the name of Christ Jesus, who accomplished the righteousness of God through offering of himself once for all, ought to be praised in the love of God forever and ever.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21). Amen. Thank you, Lord.