The Wednesday Word ~ 03 April, 2024 A.D.

The LORD Our Righteousness 

 by D.G Miles McKee

 

“This is His name whereby He shall be called, the LORD our righteousness.” -Jeremiah 23:6 [KJV]

Question: "By whose righteousness are sinners justified? Answer: "By God's righteousness"

 

Question: And how much of God's righteousness is required to justify sinners?

Answer: All of it!

 

"Such is the value of the sacrifice made on Calvary. If one could collect all the righteousness of all the angels and all the saints and total it together, it would be as nothing compared to the incomprehensible and infinite righteousness which was poured out for the salvation of guilty sinners. Such is the righteousness which is "unto all and upon all them that believe" in Jesus."

-excerpt from Present Truth: Vol. 2, Article 6

 

We who know the Gospel and its applications know that a perfect righteousness is needed to grant us admission to Heaven.

We, moreover, know that we cannot find this righteousness within ourselves.

In addition, we know that we cannot bring our righteousness to God, for we have none.

We also know that God brings His righteousness to us, and justifies us freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (see Romans 3:24).

Because of the Gospel, we see the solution to our greatest problem.  Although we are sinners by nature and separated from God, the promise is given that the Lord´s people will be furnished and clothed with the righteousness of God Himself!

Let´s read Jeremiah 23:6 again.  The full verse says, ^“In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Here it is clearly taught that Yahweh (the LORD) is our righteousness.  However, when we come to the New Testament, we find it is Christ Jesus who is presented to us as our righteousness. We are told, for example, in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us… righteousness.” Also, Philippians 3:9 says, “...and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Is Christ really our righteousness?  If so, that means He is our God. If He is not the believer´s righteousness then He is not God, and we are lost.

Why lost without Christ? 

We are lost because we need a perfect righteousness to qualify us for Heaven. But where are we to find such a righteousness if not in Christ?  According to prophecy of Jeremiah 23:6 the eternal LORD (Yahweh) is to be our righteousness.  If Christ is not the eternal Yahweh then we remain lost. If Christ is not God manifest in the flesh, the Eternal Yahweh come to earth, then we have no salvation.

Why we need a perfect righteousness.

Christ taught that we were to be as perfect as our Father in Heaven. He says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

This teaching, left on its own, condemns us and leaves us without hope.  How can we possibly be as perfect as God?  Yet this is the standard God requires … without exception. It will be of no use showing up in eternity trying to argue that when we were on this earth we were as perfect as God. No one will believe us … especially God, for He knows all things.  So where then can we find this perfection?

This perfection is found in Christ alone. He is made unto us, “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” 1 Corinthians 1:30. In Him is the perfection of God and by faith we receive this perfection as our own. Only Christ is as perfect as God because Christ is God.  No angel has the holiness of God. No angel has the wisdom of God but Christ has it all. Again, if Christ is not God, we have no Gospel, no Good News and no hope!

And that´s the Gospel Truth!