Christ JESUS, "The LORD our righteousness!"

"Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and, upon all them that believe; for there is no difference." -Romans 3:22 [KJV]

Here, my soul, is a morning portion for thee! Surely here is enough for a morning portion for poor believing souls to live upon to all eternity. Mark, my soul, what is here said. That righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He wrought out for His church, is the righteousness of God: for, as He was God as well as man, His righteousness was, to all intents and purposes, the righteousness of God. Now the sin of Adam, and the sins of all Adam's children, put the whole together, form but the sins of creatures; consequently the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is more than an equivalent, a more full payment than their debt can demand, because it is the righteousness of the Creator. Sweet thought! For God is more honoured by Christ's obedience, than dishonoured by our disobedience. And observe, my soul, how this righteousness is the church of Christ's, namely, by faith; "it is unto all, and upon all them that believe." It is received by faith.  

The scripture language of this unspeakable mercy is, that as it was imputed to Abraham for righteousness, so it shall be imputed unto us also, if we believe on Him that raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead. This is another delightful portion of this precious verse. Neither is this all-for, as if to encourage the poorest, weakest, and most timid believer, this righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all that believe, "hath no difference" in its blessed effect. All partakers of it are alike partakers. By Him, that is by Christ, the scripture saith, "all that believe are justified from all things," Acts 13:39. So that, though the faith of an Abraham or of a Peter might have been vastly greater than that of the timid Ananias, or the poor man that came to Christ for his son, saying, "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief;" yet the justification by Christ, to all, is one and the same- "it is to all, and upon all that believe; for there is no difference." Oh precious righteousness of the God-man Christ Jesus. 

-preacher Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.)  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more