WHO ARE THE RIGHTEOUS? by Geo. H. Heald

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 30, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 30.

WHO ARE THE RIGHTEOUS?

By Geo. H. Heald

BY GEO. H. HEALD, M.D.

“THE eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” Ps. 34:15. This verse might, at first glance, seem to offer very little consolation to the poor, burdened soul, who has vainly tried to free himself from a load of sin. The eighteenth verse of the previous psalm reads: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” Mercy has been defined as the disposition to treat an offender better than he deserves; and it is those only who have merited punishment by transgression that need mercy. Justice bestows rewards upon the deserving; mercy bestows favors upon the undeserving. This difference between justice and mercy is brought out in Rom. 4:4, 5: “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth, . . . his faith is counted for righteousness.” That is, what a person receives in payment for work, is not a favor, but a debt; it is his by right. This is dealing on a basis of justice. God, on the other hand, deals on a basis of mercy. A person who has done nothing of merit believes, and his faith is counted for righteousness.

God is not only merciful (full of mercy) (Ex. 34:6), but he delights in mercy (Micah 7:8); and not only that, but he takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy (Ps. 147:11). And that is what Abraham did. The record says he believed God (Rom. 4:3); but how did he believe? Verse 5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Abraham believed that God would justify, or account righteous, the ungodly. In other words, he hoped in God’s mercy; and we have the record that this faith was accounted to him for righteousness. Verse 3. So Abraham’s righteousness was a gift from God, because he realized his fallen condition, and looked to God for mercy.

The Saviour in Luke 18:9-14 contrasts with the sinner the man who has outwardly kept the law: “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.”

Paul was of the class who kept the letter of the law perfectly. “Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Phil. 3:6. Yet he counted this all loss that he might win Christ, not having his own righteousness which was of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. Verses 8, 9. He saw that, in order to have the righteousness of faith in Christ, he must give up his own righteousness, must come as a sinner, believing on Him that justifies the ungodly, must come hoping in God’s mercy.

In another place Paul shows the attitude of the Jewish nation to righteousness. “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.” “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Rom. 9:31, 32; 10:3. Contrasted with this is the righteousness of the gentiles: “What shall we say then? That the gentiles, which follow not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.” Rom. 9:30.

From Romans 4 we have learned that those who exercise faith are accounted righteous. The record in heaven will show, not a life of sin, but a life of obedience. How can such a record be true? None can be justified by the law, for “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:20, 23. The answer is given in verses 24 and 25: “Being justified [accounted righteous, the record reading as tho the law had always been kept] freely by his grace [favor] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his [Christ’s] righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Rom. 3:24, 25. Therefore, when the record is changed in accordance with a person’s faith, it must record not his disobedience, but Christ’s obedience. In other words, one who accepts Christ’s righteousness will have a record as spotless as the Son of God.

No wonder, then, that this gift should be called, by way of pre-eminence, the free gift (Rom. 5:17, 18); for it is the gift of God. It is true that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23); but righteousness and life are inseparable. See Gal. 3:21. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.” “Therefore as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Rom. 5:19, 18.

We know of no better words with which to close than those of the Saviour in Matt. 5:6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.”

Michigan University, Ann Arbor, Mich.