Righteousness is a Gift

"Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things, proudly and contemptuously against the righteous." -Psalm 31:18 [KJV]

The language of natural reason is, If I am righteous, God will love me: the language of faith is, Though I am a sinner, yet God loves me; and, because He loves me, therefore He makes me righteous. How? The pen of inspiration answers: David, describing the character of a sinner, renewed by grace, and made meet to dwell with God, saith, “He shall receive righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:5.) 

Here we see plainly, that righteousness is a gift; that it is received, not worked out by the sinner; that it is given by the God of our salvation. It is the glorious robe, our elder brother, Jesus, wrought out for us; our heavenly Father imputes to us, and puts upon us. God the Holy Spirit enables us, by faith, to receive it, rejoice in it, and boast of it. For, we see ourselves made infinitely and everlastingly righteous in it. Here observe, the gift of righteousness, to make destitute sinners righteous, is an Old Testament doctrine. 

Lord, establish our hearts in this fundamental truth of Thy blessed word. Jesus, Master, enable us to take comfort in Thy one righteousness, and to give Thee the glory of this inestimable blessing. Is it so, that thou art thus righteous in God’s sight? Then, thou hast righteous hopes, righteous fears, righteous joys, a righteous heart, and a holy life: yea, and proud, contemptuous foes too. 

Their lying lips will be opened against thee. The adversary of all truth will bring lying accusations against the truth thou believest, as sure as he brought them against Jesus Christ the righteous, Who is the TRUTH. Stirred up by Him, marvel not if men charge thee with being an Antinomian, an enemy to all righteousness—that they say grievous things of thee—speak proudly against thy faith— contemptuously sneer at thy confidence—saying, how absurd the notion, that thou, who art a miserable sinner in thyself, should yet be perfectly righteous in Christ! 

And, in opposition to Christ’s glorious righteousness, they will set up the sinner’s filthy rags, and assert that we are to be justified first or last, or somehow, by what we do. What is thy duty here? Imitate David. Give thyself unto prayer. “Let the lying lips be put to silence.” How? By the grace of Jesus teaching thee to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. So is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men (see 1 Peter 2:15.) “We are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” -Philippians 3:3

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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