Jeremiah 23:6,  "The Lord our Righteousness."

 Daniel 9:24,  "[Christ] To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness.”

Part 1:

            How few understand and thus how few of us feel the overwhelming joy, hope and deep thankfulness, which comes from knowing what it means for Christ to be for us, our righteousness! Which is why I wish to discuss further what this means.

First point of consideration is that God did not by accident give us the righteousness of His Glorious Son. Sinners’ receiving the righteousness of Christ is not credited to a divine accident, which God gave to us just because Adam and Eve happen to fall. For love is shown to be greater if a gift was wisely preplanned than merely given only because the present situation of the occasion might allow it. Which is why even before the fall of Adam and Eve, God planned to give His children, which He planned to create and love for all eternity, to give them the Glorious light and righteousness of His Son. For even if Adam and Eve never sinned and while standing in their own righteousness, they still do not have the right nor privilege of being made “one” with the Glorious God, which Jesus spoke about in His prayer in John 17. In order to be brought that close to a God who “dwells in unapproachable light,” you must posses a superior divine righteousness (perfect unfaltering Love toward God), which none but God possess (Daniel 9:7). Which is why God planned redemption history the way He did is such wisdom. So that when everything is finished, God is able to give us such a grand and perfect gift. This gift of Christ righteousness will eternally enable us to be brought so near to the Majestic God, that we are said to be made “one” in “love” and “joy” with Him. God planned to give us the righteousness of His very precious Son even before the dawn of time. His love and plans never fails, He is Faithful even to very end of time itself.

God is infinite in His Holiness including all of His moral and natural perfections. Meaning God is INFINITE in His Righteousness. Here is how the Psalmist of old spoke of Gods righteousness, Psalm 71:19, “Your righteousness, O God, is very high”, Psalm 36:6, “Your righteousness is like the great mountains”, this signifies the boundlessness or infinity of Gods righteousness. Also Daniel says this, Daniel 9:7, "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You.” Then the Prophet Isaiah records this in chapter 5:16, “And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.” The word for “hallowed” signifies to be sanctified, pure and set apart from everything else. If God is infinite, think about it, infinite in righteousness. Then God if He is to be true to Himself, cannot permit anything less than perfect or infinite righteousness to be brought in total closeness with Him in heaven. John 17:21, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us.”

If God is to be INFINITLY set apart or sanctified in righteousness, then this is a big problem form man. For we are unable to produce a perfect righteousness, which would be great enough so that God might admit us into perfect closeness to Himself and He still be “hollowed [sanctified] in [infinite] righteousness.” The book of Romans speaks quite plainly and profoundly about this issue. Romans 3:10, “As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one.” Which is why later we read in the same chapter the following being said of God and His righteousness, Romans 3:25-26, “God set forth [Christ] as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Here we learn in the word of God, that the Father sent Jesus Christ His Son because the Father when in the past forgave people, was making Himself unrighteousness because He didn’t punish them. It would be as if someone killed your closest friend or family member and the judge told the guilty person, “that’s ok, just don’t do it again, your forgiven.” This was God’s state until Christ came and took the punishment on Himself, as if He did the killings and sins Himself, for our sakes. Lets look more closely at this righteousness of which the apostle speaks about.

Romans 1:17, “For in it [the Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." First thing to make note is that “God’s” righteousness is being reveled in the Gospel, not ours. Second that by Gods design it is by faith that His righteousness is reveled. Ok, what about faith makes known God’s righteousness in the gospel?  First we learn in Ephesians 2:8, that faith is a gift not produced originally form us but is given to us from God Himself, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”, also Thessalonians 2:13, “But we are bound to give thanks to God always … because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through … belief in the truth”. Therefore faith is a gift which God purposed to give to His children from the beginning of time, to insure the success of His Son’s redemption, so that they would be infallibly saved by “belief in the truth”, which is to say “faith”. If God destines an end He wishes to happen, He also destines the means to make it absolutely sure. God’s plan to insure the success of His Sons sacrificing and intercession, therefore lead God to insure the children’s “belief in the truth”, which means God before time chose to give the many the “gift” of “faith”. God never fails!

“The "righteousness of God" is that perfect conformity to the Divine law in heart and life which the holiness of God requires, which the grace of God has provided, which the incarnate Son of God has [made] out, and which the justice of God imputes to every one that believes.” (A. W. Pink)

Which is why we learn later in the same book of Romans 4:6, that not only does this gift of faith connect us to Jesus so that we are justified but also unites us to Christ so that we are imputed or credited with His righteousness, “just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.” This righteousness is not by works meaning we can’t “earn” it. Working is the process of you doing something and then God paying you back for it. But if faith is a gift and Christ righteousness is imputed or reckoned to our account based on an already previous gift, such as faith, then this is what we call, free “grace” through and through. Romans 10:3, For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God”, also in Galatians 2:21, "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

The writer of Philippians makes this most clear when He says, Philippians 3:9, “found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God.” We are made “righteous” by God giving us His, “righteousness which is from God”, this is done “through faith in Christ.” Which is why Philippians 1:11 early says this, “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God”, which is similarly prophesied by the prophet Isaiah 61:3, “That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified”, Christ righteousness is given to us so that God is Glorified as the Great and Glorious giver and sustainer, also again in Isaiah 54:17, “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.” This is why we have langue such as in, Ephesians 4:24, “that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Notice this “righteousness” was created not by us, but by “God”, we merely wear it as a robe as Isaiah 61:10 says. Lastly consider the apostle Peter when he says, 2 Peter 1:1, “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The second thing to note is that we cannot obtain or earn this righteousness. For as I have said before this is an infinite Divine righteousness. Because it is both Divine and Infinite it cannot be earned, for infinity implies in itself that which is unattainable. Therefore if we are to have this infinitely Divine righteousness it must be given to us as an underserved gift from the Divine Being Himself, who alone possesses it. This is the spring from whence all our hope comes, that the only Glorious God is willing to show mercy to people who cannot earn His Divine righteousness.

Our Righteous Redeemer—does such a title have a strange sound to the reader? Is that adjective unfamiliar in such a context? The great majority of us probably are far more accustomed to such expressions as "our loving Redeemer" and "our gracious Redeemer," or even "our mighty Redeemer." We employ the term here not because we are striving for originality. No, rather such an appellation is required by the teaching of Scripture…See how many passages you can recall where either "loving" or "gracious" is used as an adjective in connection with Christ. If memory fails, consult a concordance, and you will be surprised that neither of them occurs a single time! Now try the word "righteous" and see how many passages refer to the Lord Jesus as such.

Christ is referred to as "my righteous servant" (Isa. 53:11); as "a righteous Branch" (Jer. 23:5); and in the next verse as "The Lord Our Righteousness"; as "the sun of righteousness" (Mal. 4:2): as a "righteous man" (Luke 23:47); as "the righteous judge" (2 Tim. 4:8). He is seen as the antitypical Melchizedek or "King of righteousness" (Heb. 7:2-3); as our "advocate with the Father," "Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). In addition, the same Greek word "dikaios" is rendered "just" in the following passages: Pilate’s wife sent a warning to her husband, "Have thou nothing to do with this just [righteous] man" (Matthew 27:19); in the same chapter Pilate himself declared, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person" (v. 34). He is called "the just" (Acts 3:14; James 5:6); and "the just one" (Acts 7:52; 22:14); while in 1 Peter 3:18 are the well-known words, "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust"—actually rendered "the righteous for the unrighteous" (ARV). When Zechariah predicted His entry into Jerusalem, riding on an ass, he said, "Behold, thy king cometh to thee, he is just"; in Revelation 19:11, where He is depicted on a white horse, it is said, "in righteousness he doth judge and make war." (A. W. Pink, Gleanings from the Godhead)

Part 2:

Now I wish to explain what is the righteousness of Christ, which is given to former sinners, which then transforms them into saints.

First we need to distinguish between the justification of Christ and the imputed righteousness of Christ. First the justification of Christ is that act of God declaring us in His courtroom, not guilty. This happens because our great High Priest Jesus Christ goes before the Throne room of The Almighty Father. Here Christ shows His scarred body, which infallibly pleads for the elected saints salvation. Christ became our substitution lamb who absorbed the wrath of God onto Himself, on the cross for our punishment and sins. Thus God the Father when seeing His Son’s intercession in His courtroom on behalf of the people whom He died for, then says, these are now by My Divine authority “Justified” they are eternally Not guilty. Being Justified is being declared by the Glorious God “not guilty” for the sins you committed. Your sins, because of Christ are now whipped clean, they have been nailed to the cross forever, never to be bought up again. And when a person repents of their sins and throws their lives upon the mercy of Jesus Christ, then what God had planned before eternity is then made publicly official. So that all may see and admire the greatness and mercy found in the Majestic God. (Colossian 2:14) This is what it means for Christ to justify the ungodly, “not guilty.”

Secondly the imputed righteousness of Christ is the righteousness, which Christ actually Himself performs and then as a gift gives or credits this perfect righteousness to sinners who call upon His great Name. Therefore let it be plainly said this righteousness is not produced by us, but given to us from Christ, who is the Glory and light of God Himself, as a gift for His blood bought saints to wear as a glorious robe for all eternity.

 "Now I saw that Christ Jesus was looked upon by God, and should be looked upon by us, as the common or public person, in whom all the whole body of His elect are always to be considered and reckoned: that we fulfilled the law by Him, died by Him, rose from the dead by Him, got the victory over sin, death, the devil, and hell, by Him; when He died we died; and so of His resurrection.” John Bunyan

Isaiah 7:15,  "Curds and honey He[Christ] shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.”

Hebrews 5:8,  “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him”

"How wakeful and jealous was His concern for the divine honor! I hear the vilest reproaches cast upon His own character. I see the most horrible indignities possible to His own person. Yet no resentful emotion reddened in His cheek; nor one angry syllable starts from His mouth. But when mercenary wretches profaned the Temple, and turned His ‘Father’s house’ into a den of thieves, then His bosom throbs with zeal, then He makes His tongue like a sharp sword, and having first severely rebuked, afterwards resolutely expels, the sacrilegious intruders. Indeed, His zeal for the house of the Lord and for the purity of His ordinances, is represented by the evangelical historian as eating Him up (John 2:17). Like a heavenly flame glowing in His breast, it sometimes fired Him with a graceful indignation, sometimes melted Him to godly sorrow, always broke forth and exerted itself in a variety of vigorous efforts, till it even consumed His vital spirit...

Who can declare the charity of Jesus Christ? It was ardent, it was unintermitted, it was unbounded. Though always serene and serious, He was never sullenly grave. His conversation was affability itself, and the law of kindness dwelt on His lips. What fretted and chagrined the disciples, made not the least ruffling impression on their Lord. The rude and troublesome behavior of some, the weak and impertinent talk of others, served only to display the unalterable mildness of His temper. Nothing could embitter His spirit. Even the wicked and unthankful were partakers, ample partakers of His benevolence. Whoever applied to Him in vain? When did He dismiss any needy petitioner without the desired blessing? What heavy burden did He not unloose? What afflictive evil did He not relieve? He even ‘took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses’ (Matthew 8:17). In all their afflictions He was afflicted.

"He not only relieved when His aid was implored, but anticipated the expectations of the distressed. He ‘went about doing good’ (Acts 10:38), seeking the afflicted and offering His assistance. With great fatigue (John 4:6) He traveled to remote cities; with no less condescension, He visited the meanest villages, that all might have the honor and benefit of His healing Presence and heavenly instructions. He gave sight to the blind, health to the diseased. He delivered the wretched soul from the dominion of darkness and from the tyranny of sin. He made His followers partakers of a divine nature, and prepared them for a state of never-ending bliss. Nor were these righteous acts His ‘strange work,’ but His repeated, His hourly, His almost incessant employ. When ridiculed and affronted, He kindly bore and kindly overlooked the insult. When contradicted by petulant and presumptuous sinners, He endured, with the utmost serenity of temper, their unreasonable cavils and their obstinate perverseness.

 with the robe of righteousness.”

1 Corinthians 1:30,  “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”

2 Corinthians 5:21,  “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him[Christ].”

Notice here in Isaiah 61 this righteousness of Christ is spoken in such a way that it is a like a robe He gives us to wear. Note this robe is clothing which is, not of us, but is from another. It was worked by and knit together by another (Christ) and as a free gift given to us to wear, so that we might be clothed in the righteousness and Glory of the Morning Star Himself! Which is why Christ is called, “The Lord our Righteousness,” Jeremiah 23:6. This is proclaimed more clearly in 1 Corinthians 1:30 when it says Christ, “became for us…. righteousness”, so that Christ became our sin and we became His righteousness, or in other words He trades us for our sin as He gives us His righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21. Please note Christ has “became a curse for  us(Gal 3:13)”, or in other words He took our sin on Himself, so much so that the Father poured His Wrath and turns back to His only Son. Christ actually became our “sin”, as the verse so plainly states. Thus on the other side when Christ gives us His righteousness, God now pours His eternal kindness and turns His Glory to us.  This is what we call double imputation or crediting. This trade is so dramatic that the Holy Scriptures says we actually, “become the righteousness of God in Him [Christ],” the highest of what langue can afford. If we become the righteousness of God in Christ, then surly it is not our righteousness, produced from ourselves, for the verse says we become God’s righteousness, nothing could be more evident. Who can truly understand the true wonder and depth of the mercy and Glory given to us by Son of the Living God, to people who were His enemies!

“"To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). Here again the enemies of the truth have fought hard to rob God’s children of the comfort and assurance which the blessed teaching of this chapter is designed to give them. Many have argued that God imputes to faith itself an intrinsic value, which He accepts in lieu of perfect obedience to His law. But this is a most horrible perversion. Faith is an emptying thing, which causes the pauper to gladly receive God’s gracious gift, and possesses no more merit than does the appeal of a beggar for charity. The "his faith is counted for righteousness" does not mean "in the stead of" for the Greek preposition is "eis" and not "and," and signifies "unto" as in Romans 10:10: "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness."

Our Surety gave full satisfaction to the law, but we are not credited with this by God’s gracious imputation until we have faith in Christ. "The righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (Rom. 3:22). "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth" (Rom. 10:4). Therefore is this righteousness also called "the righteousness of faith" (Rom. 4:13). It is denominated the "righteousness of God" because God required, ordained, provided, accepted and imputed it. It is a righteousness which exalts God’s justice, magnifies His law, manifests His grace, and displays all His awful and lovely attributes in their full luster. It is designated the "righteousness of Christ" (2 Pet. 1:1), because He wrought it out without the co-operation of His creatures. It is the "righteousness of faith" because faith apprehends it.

From the way in which certain men have spoken of "the imputation of righteousness" many have deemed them orthodox on this vital subject, but their blank denial of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness thoroughly exposes their heterodoxy, to all who bow to the authority of Holy Writ. "That righteousness might be imputed to them" (Rom. 4:11). What righteousness? Whose righteousness? The only possible Scriptural answer is: that perfect satisfaction which Christ rendered to all the demands of the law, and which God places to the credit of every true believer in Him. So truly is Christ’s righteousness placed to their account, it is said to be "upon all them that believe" (Rom. 3:22). Such persons actually possess it. They wear it as their "robe" (Isa. 61:10). ( A. W. Pink)

 I hope you have taken the time to think WHY and HOW can I be made “one” into the love of God forever, for I am a sinner. That God is a burning fire of Infinite Holiness! Answer, Christ is why and how! Christ has by His 33 years of life on earth, His substitution death and intercession; became for us our Justification by giving us the gift of faith(Ephesians 2:8), and becoming our righteousness by giving His 33 years of perfect obedience to us as if we had lived it ourselves! Oh you Christian of little knowledge and faith don’t be slack in your hope in what Christ has done for you. Know and admire what Your God has entirely and infallibly accomplished for you, which you could not. Rest in Christ, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”, 2 Corinthians 1:20. Remember that “love never fails”, God is infinitely wise and has done every thing that needs to done, so as to bring you to near to His Glorious light for all eternity, Your God never fails, He loves you if you are truly His! 1 Peter 5:7, “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Mark 5:36, "Do not be afraid; only believe." Luke 12:32, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

In almost every religion people must endure the stress of the impossible pursuit of earning the right to be worthy of God, while on the other hand we simply get to fight to enjoy resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, now risen in Heaven interceding for our behalf as His scarred hands and feet plead for our success in justification, sanctification, righteousness and glorification. What an awesome God we serve! What a wonderful fight we are called to participate in. Simply resting in our great King and High Priest, the Godman who is ever the friend of sinners, who has transformed us by His power into white washed saints, inside and outside. To God be Glory in Jesus Christ and the Church forever!

“Nineteen cases out of twenty men do not make Christ all in all”, says J. C. Ryle, is the reason from which most problems arise for Christians. They don’t make Jesus Christ their everything. First they simply have not spent enough time with Him to know Him in His scriptures, for if they did they would know the Power and Character of Jesus is to be trusted completely. Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge.” Second some Christians do spend time to know the One who loved them, who created them and saved them by His grace, but on the other hand they spend so much time enslaving themselves to trivial entertainments and hobbies, which chock out what good knowledge and love they have for God, thus in both cases they are not making Christ everything in their lives. It is no wonder why so many Christians seem to never get on in their love and holiness toward their Great God and Savoir Jesus Christ. For Christ Himself previously said that the greatest commandment is, “love your God with all your heart!” Or in other words Christ is to be everything to you, everything in your life should shout Glory to Jesus Christ and be centered thereon. But how can this be if we don’t know the depth and treasure that Christ is our righteousness, and praise God for it every day?

So many problems would be solved if people really knew, rested and loved the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Worship would be deeper, prayer would be more satisfying in our communion with the Almighty God, and people would love each other better. For if a husband or wife would realize, before lashing out at the other partner for mistreating them, that the Almighty God is looking down on the other person with love, in need of help and through Jesus Christ are perfectly righteous, then how much more would the other partner consider addressing their spouse with soft words, in light of how God sees them in Christ! Therefore let us press on to know the lord and especially, Christ our righteousness, Who has by Himself made known the Glorious invisible God to us through His very face! For who could truly measure the beauty of such a GIFT!

           It is chiefly the dignity of the person of Christ that gives value to His righteousness. They who are in Christ put on the Lord Jesus Christ as a garment. Romans 13:14 says, “Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Christ is instead of a robe to them, not only to cover their nakedness but to adorn and beautify them. And if it be as we have heard in the doctrine that Christ is the brightness of the glory of God or the shining forth of His Glory, then doubtless they who have put on Christ are thereby rendered most acceptable in the eyes [of God] for they don’t appear in the their main worthiness…

Believers don’t only behold this shining forth of Gods glory, but they have it given unto them. This brightness is imported to them to be as a garment and robe to them. Therefore the church in Revelation 12:1 is represented by a woman clothed with the sun. The sun that she is clothed with is the sun of righteousness. So is every believing soul clothed with the Son. They have Him for their robe that is infinitely brighter than the sun in the firmament, being the effulgence of Gods own Glory.

            How can any doubt but that they shall be accepted of God if they are clothed with such a garment? How can they doubt but that such brightness, such loveliness, is sufficient to cover all their nakedness, forever to hide all their filthiness, and not only but to render them lovely and honorable in the eyes of God the Father? For the righteousness of Christ be not a righteousness that they have made out, yet it is as much theirs as if they had made it out. For it was made out for them. Christ has given himself and His righteousness to them. They have a just right to it, and God the Father had accepted the act of Christ in giving Himself to believers.

             What encouragement therefore is here for poor sinners to trust in the righteousness of Christ, to come to Christ to accept of Him and clothe themselves with those white and glorious robes. They have no more reason to doubt but they shall be accepted and not despised in Christ than they have to doubt whether God will accept His Son or whether He will accept His own beauty and Glory…

Hence we may learn how happy they are who shall enjoy Christ. It is sweet to see the natural light and a pleasant thing it is to behold the sun, but how much more pleasant is it to enjoy this light, to dwell forever with and in the brightness of Gods Glory.

            The saints in heaven are in the full enjoyment because they have their souls forever wrapped in this light. They enjoy it in an unspeakable, full and intimate manner. They don’t only behold the brightness, but they have it in themselves. Their souls are filled with it. Christ dwells in the hearts of the Saints in this world, but He dwells in them in a most glorious manner in another. The Glory of this light does not only pour forth itself upon them, but into them. Christ is in the saints now as the hope of glory, but hereafter He will be in them as Glory itself.

(Jonathan Edwards, “Jesus Christ the Shining forth of the Father’s Glory)

Romans 4:6,16,  “just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works…. Therefore it [the crediting of Christ righteousness] is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed”

Jeremiah 23:6,  "The Lord our Righteousness."

 Yours in Christ: oshea davis