Righteousness of God
A more terrible hour awaited our Lord, the last in His earthly path and life of sorrow. As the end drew on, it cast its dark and gloomy shadow over His soul, and He uttered such words as these: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.” And when the horrors of that hour were pressed upon His soul by the power of the adversary, we find Him sweating as it were great drops of blood, and crying with strong crying and tears to Him who was able to deliver. Even then He was hear—heard for His piety—and an angel sent to strengthen Him. He was still in the enjoyment of the unbroken communion with His Father: the light was still shining down upon Him from above. But the hour of deeper sorrow came, and with fixed purpose He met it. He gave Himself up into the hands of men, and presented Himself to God, to be made sin for us, a curse for those under the curse, a victim to bear the judgment of God against sin. Thus He offered Himself to God, was made an offering for sin though He knew no sin. And now the light which hitherto shone full upon Him all along His path was withdrawn. Darkness covered the land at mid-day, and His holy soul, shut out from the light of God’s presence, was wrapped in the mantle of night. As a sin-offering, accursed of God, He underwent divine judgment, judgment measured by the inflexible holiness of God’s nature, holiness too pure and bright to endure a single stain of sin: the light of God’s face was withdrawn, and He was plunged into an abyss of infinite wrath, out of which He cried in His deep agony of soul: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Ο blessed Son of God! Thou didst give Thyself up to all this for Thy Father’s glory, and that poor, vile worms of the dust might be lifted up to be Thy companions in eternal glory and blessedness! Ο Lamb of God, slain for us! we adore Thee, and bless Thy holy name forever!
Yes, reader, the blessed Son of God underwent all this, and far more than tongue or pen can describe, in order to glorify God about man’s sin so that God might be just, and justify the sinner who believes in Jesus. Having accomplished redemption, the Son of God has passed through the heavens to the very throne of God, having eternally vindicated the righteousness and holiness and majesty of that throne in the shedding of His blood, so that the justified sinner can stand in the unveiled presence of God, and behold His glory in the face of Jesus Christ, and praise and worship the Lamb that was slain, but who now lives, and is enthroned at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
“Ο Lord, we adore Thee,
For Thou art the slain One
That livest forever,
Enthroned in heaven;
Ο Lord! we adore Thee,
For thou hast redeemed us;
Our title to glory
We read in Thy blood.”
Such is the basis on which God’s righteousness is displayed, and announced in the gospel for the salvation of sinners. Such a work, and such devotion of heart to the glory of God on the part of Christ, could not go without a divine answer; and that answer was righteousness.
Let us look for a moment at God’s righteous answer to the work of Christ. First of all, we see God raising up Christ from the dead, then setting Him in glory at His own right hand, and then justifying sinners, to bring them into the same glory. All this is righteousness on the part of God. God was glorified in Christ as Man down here, and He has glorified. Christ as Man in heaven. This was God’s righteous answer to the work of Christ. But there is more than this, for Christ’s work in glorifying God was on behalf of the sinner, and so God justifies the sinner. This, too, is righteousness. Having been glorified in Man, God has glorified Man: this is in Christ. But the same righteousness that raised Christ from the dead, and set Him in glory, justifies the sinner, and sets him in Christ. The work of Christ deserves it, and God answers that work in righteousness. Blessed work! blessed answer! In the Man at God’s right hand, we see God’s righteousness completed. It was completed in setting Him there. It is righteousness accomplished for man according to the value of the Person and work of Christ. Without the blood of Christ it could not have been. By that blood God was glorified about sin: it was the ransom paid—paid to God—paid for the sinner—the redemption price. We have redemption through His blood. God has set forth Christ a mercy seat through faith in His blood. Through this redemption God justifies freely, without price at the sinner’s hand. Christ has paid the price, the redemption money, His blood; and the blood on the mercy seat declares God’s righteousness in justifying freely. The blood alone declares God’s righteousness in justifying a sinner. Yet the whole life of Christ went up as a sweet savor to God, and if we speak of the measure of the believer’s acceptance, it is according to all the sweet savor that went up to God from Christ, both in His life and in His death, only we must not forget that it was in His death, in which alone was displayed the full measure of His infinite devotedness to God, that God was glorified in all that He is, and in every attribute and moral perfection of His being, whether in the display of His righteous and holy majesty as against sin, or the maintenance of His truth and display of His love to the sinner; and it is according to the measure of this infinitely perfect work of the Lord Jesus that God’s righteousness is displayed in glorifying Christ, and justifying the sinner who believes in Him.
(3.) What is the scope of God’s righteousness? It is universal. It is not applied to all, but its bearing is toward all. It is as broad as the foundation on which it rests. The blood of Christ has glorified God in His whole character. The whole question of sin, as it affected God’s character and throne, has been met—fully and blessedly met—by the blood of Christ. Because of this the righteousness of God is “unto all.” This is its scope, or bearing. It is revealed in the gospel, and revealed for man. The gospel was to be preached to every creature, and where it goes, tidings of God’s righteousness are announced. The claims of God have been so fully met that He declares it everywhere. It is toward all, free to all, sufficient for all. Sin is no barrier now. God has been glorified, and in virtue of the blood of Jesus He announces His righteousness for justification through faith in that blood—righteousness toward all.
(4.) To whom, and on what principle, is God’s righteousness applied? It is “righteousness of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe.” Here we have its scope, its application, and the principle on which it is applied. Its scope is “unto all.” It is applied to believers— “upon all who believe.” The principle is, “by faith of Jesus Christ.” Let us look a little at these last two. It is “revealed from faith to faith,” or “on the principle of faith to faith.” It is not the principle of works. Had it been so, it would have been man’s righteousness. But it is God’s righteousness, and available for us on the principle of faith, not of works. And if it is on this principle, it is to faith; that is, wherever faith exists, there the righteousness of God is applied, whether it be to Jew or to Gentile. “On the principle of faith” shuts out law and works as a means of attaining to this righteousness. “To faith” lets in the Gentile, if he has faith, as well as the Jew. If a Jew was on the principle of law and works, he was not submitting to God’s righteousness, and consequently missed it. If a Gentile came “on the principle of faith,” he was justified as truly as a believing Jew. It is “by faith of Jesus Christ,” not “by works of law.” These two expressions are the contrast of each other. “Faith” is contrasted “with” “works;” “Jesus Christ” is contrasted with “law.” “Works” take their measure and character from the “law;” “faith” takes its measure and character from “Jesus Christ.” (See also Gal. 2:1616Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16).) Faith takes its character from its object; if its object be man, or man’s word, it will only be human; if its object be Christ, its character will be divine. “Faith of Jesus Christ” is divine faith. It is by this faith that we have part in the righteousness of God: it is “upon all them that believe.” Be it Jew or Gentile, high or low, rich or poor, the most moral, or the most degraded, there is no difference as to their standing before God. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; but now God’s righteousness is toward all; and it is upon all who believe. Does any poor sinner (no matter what has been his previous character) believe in Jesus? The righteousness of God is upon him. He is justified freely by God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God has set forth Jesus a propitiatory, or mercy seat, through faith in His blood, to declare His own righteousness in justifying the guilty one who believes. The blood is on the mercy-seat, and the moment the perishing sinner believes God, his sins are forgiven, and he is justified, and that blood declares that God is righteous in doing it.
Reader, is God’s righteousness upon you? Have you been justified? If not, what hinders? Do you say, your sins? Your sins are no barrier now. Through the blood of Christ, Gods righteousness is toward you, ready to justify, the moment you submit to have righteousness in this way. The only thing that hinders is your unbelief. God tells you the blood is on the mercy seat. Believe God, and your sins are gone, and His righteousness takes their place. It is upon all who believe. Do you believe in Jesus? Then you are justified. And remember, “It is God who justifies.” Who shall condemn? It matters not who. He who condemns the justified sinner condemns God’s righteousness. You can therefore challenge the universe. God has glorified Christ on high, and, in Him, man has got a place in that glory. This is righteousness. God has accomplished His righteousness in setting Him there, and in Him the believing sinner. He is the measure of the believers standing and acceptance before God. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new; and all things are of God.” What is the ground of this? “He hath made him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:17, 18, 2117Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18)
21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).) Christ is in glory, the Head, the Beginning, of the new creation, and we, through grace, a new creation in Him. And this is righteousness on the part of God. The old creation has met its judgment in the cross: all things are new, all things are of God, who has set Christ there, and us in Him. This is the accomplishment of divine, eternal righteousness. This righteousness will have its eternal display in Christ glorified, and in a justified and redeemed race brought to God in Him. This is what God has wrought; and it may well bow our hearts in worship before Him forever.