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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 3, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 1.

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Editorial

By Editor

Acceptable Righteousness
THE righteousness which is acceptable with God is “that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” This is not a mere odor of sanctity, a mere sentiment, but is rather a living principle which reveals itself in the life. In order that this power for righteousness might be made available for humanity, God gave his Son to take the flesh. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Thus the righteousness required is wholly the gift of God. “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” In view of this abundant and free gift of heavenly righteousness it is not a hard requirement which demands that this genuine revelation of the character of God should be found in every one who is admitted into the heavenly kingdom. And so Jesus said, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The modern Pharisee differs in no essential respect from the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. The righteousness which he attempts to substitute for “that which is through the faith of Christ” may manifest itself in a somewhat different way, but the essence is the same. Education, culture, philanthropy, eating and drinking, penance,—all these works of the flesh may be in evidence, and may be thought better than the righteousness of the old-fashioned gospel, but they do not insure one a part in the kingdom of heaven. Some of these substitutes for righteousness may be transformed by the vitalizing power of the divine life so that they may become the fruits of godliness, but even then they are in no sense the price of salvation. They are the results and not the cause of the renewed mind. The righteousness of Christ is the only acceptable righteousness.
“My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”