– January,
2022
JESUS CHRIST, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD
Copyright © 2022 by Abia Friday Abia
and Trinity Discipleship Fellowship
There is indeed a righteousness from God for man(Rom. 1:17; 3:21). The Scriptures testify that this is in fact the case(Acts 10:43; cf. Rom. 3:21; 1:17). This righteousness from God is a fulfilment of His promise(Jer. 23:5-6; Gal. 3:22).
This righteousness from God is a person, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son(Rom. 3:21-26).He presented Him as an atoning sacrifice(Rom. 3:25-26; Heb. 9:28; 1 Jn. 4:10), delivering Him up for our redemption(Rom. 4:25). It is in Christ that we become righteous before God(cf. Eph. 1:7-8; Col. 1:14). This role is exclusive to Jesus Christ alone(see Acts 4:12).
But why does God have to present us with a righteousness of His own? This is a fundamental question that deserves our utmost attention. One reason is that He does it due to His love for us(Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Jn. 4:9-10). This is God’s way of demonstrating to us His children that He loves us indeed. As an earthly father buys his son a present to show him that he loves him, our Heavenly Father gives us His only begotten Son to demonstrate that He loves us infinitely and eternally.
The other reason that He does it is because our own righteousness could not satisfy Him. Our acts of righteousness are like filthy rags before Him(Is. 64:6). They are completely inadequate to make us acceptable in His holy sight. Therefore, due to His fatherly love noted above, He presents us with a righteousness that is acceptable and pleasing to Him, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son(see Matt. 3:16-17; cf. Is. 53:10). He does this so that there will be righteousness for everyone who believes(see Rom. 10:4). With Christ Jesus His only Son, He is completely satisfied.
This righteousness from God belongs to all who believe(Rom. 3:22; Jn. 3:15-16; Rom. 10:4). Since all have sinned, all are justified freely on account of this righteousness if only they believe(Rom. 3:23-24). God is the God of all nations and peoples (Rom. 3:29-30; Gal. 3:28; Rom. 10:12). So is the righteousness that He graciously provides(see Jn. 3:16; Lk. 2:10-12).But it comes through faith in Jesus Christ(Rom. 3:22; 4:16; Gal. 3:22). It is not possible to access it by whatever other means except by faith. Moreover, it is not obtained by our works of righteousness but apart from them(Rom. 3:21,28). It is entirely the work of God’s grace(Rom. 6:14) and is received by faith alone(Rom. 1:17). As far as this salvation is concerned, God Himself has done all that needed to be done. What remains is for us to receive His righteousness, and it will all become ours(see Jn. 1:12-13). It is like someone giving another a precious gift. One must receive the gift in order for it to become his own.
What happens if someone rejects God’s own righteousness? When we reject God’s own righteousness in Christ, we are left with our own righteousness, which is no righteousness at all before Him(cf. Is. 64:6). Since our own righteousness is worthless in His sight, we stand condemned before Him(Jn. 3:18) and His wrath remains on us(Jn. 3:36) as we fearfully await His judgment (Heb. 10:26-27; Rev. 20:15,27). However, God takes no pleasure in our condemnation(Ezek. 18:32), hence His gracious and voluntary provision of His own righteousness for our redemption and reconciliation(Jn. 3:16; 1:29; Rom. 5:8). Anyone who receives God’s own righteousness will surely be counted as righteous by Him in addition to enjoying all the privileges and blessings commensurate with this eternal status. |
