THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT EXALTS.
By G.
The Word of the Lord says that “righteousness exalteth a nation,” and this expression has been made a kind of catch-phrase by the National Reformers. It is made a plea for every phase of so-called “civic righteousness” which the National Reform idea may desire to have established by human law. While the Scriptures of truth teach that “righteousness exalteth a nation,” they also teach that all the commandments of God are righteousness. Ps. 119:172. Therefore when “civic righteousness” demands laws that contravene the law of God, it is quite certain that the Lord does not recognize it; and all the exaltation that the nation will get out of that kind of righteousness will be self-exaltation. The Scriptures further teach that “he that exalteth himself shall be abased,” and this is just as true of a nation as of an individual. The exaltation that is referred to in the Scriptures is exaltation in the mind and in the purpose of God, and not merely in the eyes of the world. The history of the world shows that at the very time when nations have appeared to be on the highest pinnacle of favor, as viewed from a human standpoint, then the providence of God began to let them down. The righteousness that exalts a nation is not the mere profession of righteousness by civil ordinances, not the perfunctory proclamation of righteousness through official representation; but it is the righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ manifested in the private lives of the people as individuals. It is not the utterance of official documents, but the expression of individual life, “which after God is created ‘in righteousness and true holiness.” No public declaration, either in Constitution or law, or by convention assembled, however vast, can create a new heart in a single individual. That was tried when the children of Israel declared at Sinai, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do,” and the effort was a miserable failure. It has been tried many times since by national profession of Christianity, but the unchristian attitude of the nations toward one another, with an utter disregard of the Golden Rule in all diplomatic and trade relations, is evidence of universal failure. The Word of God recognizes only the righteousness of Christ as real righteousness; all other righteousness is “filthy rags.” Now the righteousness of Christ can be obtained only by imputation, through faith. “Abraham believed God, and it ‘was imputed unto him for righteousness.” Belief is an individual matter, therefore the imputing of righteousness can only be to individuals. Righteousness is a spiritual attainment; that imaginary condition which is popularly called “civic righteousness” is only an attempt at enforced righteousness. It is only when the people are individually righteous, through faith in Jesus Christ, that righteousness will exalt the nation in the estimation of the universal Judge. G.