Jehovah Our Righteousness
ONE prophet, speaking prophetically of Christ’s triumph, says: “And this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (marginal Hebrew, Jehovah-tsidkenu). Jer. 23:6. Another prophet declares of God’s people: “Their righteousness is of Me, saith Jehovah.” Isa. 54:17. And Paul the apostle affirms of Jesus our Lord, that He is of God “made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Cor. 1:30. There is no other human hope save this. Man is a sinner. “All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. The root idea of sin is “missing the mark.” All mankind have missed the mark. They have no power in themselves to lift themselves out of themselves. They are hopelessly diseased with the bacteria of the leprosy of sin. The standard of character required by our Creator is perfect righteousness. The standard of health is every whit spiritually whole. Man falls short of the mark, and he is “desperately sick.” The leopard can not change his spots. The leper can not heal himself. Jesus Christ our Lord meets both needs. He becomes “our righteousness.” The Lord hath made our “iniquity to light on Him.” “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isa. 53:5. God’s mercy met man’s misery. He was made to be sin for us that we might be made righteous. In other words, if we yield all to God and accept the divinely supplied substitute, His perfect righteousness is counted in our behalf. God sees His righteousness upon us instead of our sin. His imputed righteousness covers our repented sin. Every transgressed precept is met by His perfect obedience. More than this: If the faith of the sinner be exercised, he has access to a great store of heavenly grace in Christ Jesus. Rom. 5:1, 2. God bestows upon, places within, the sinner His Spirit of life; and this gives the sinner power to crucify the sinful lusts and walk in the pathway of righteousness. Rom. 5:10; 8:11. Then the law which condemned him becomes a witness to the righteousness which God gives. Rom. 3:21-23. The soul is no longer under the law, condemned by the law; he is in harmony with the law; the law is in his heart. Rom. 6:14; Heb. 8:10. His mind is no longer carnal, at “enmity with God” and not subject to His law; the pardoned sinner declares, “O how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” Ps. 119:97. Wonderful love of God to grant such mercy to the sinner! Wonderful wisdom of God to know how to meet such an awful calamity as sin! Wonderful power of God to heal, to change, to regenerate, to recreate the sin-perverted nature of man and make him a child of God! Who would not yield himself to be transformed by such a God! Who would not enter His service for eternity!