THE LORD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
By I. E. Kimball
WE have seen that it is in the power of Satan to make wrong seem right to us, and the evil seem good. Thus he "deceived the whole world." But the gospel is to turn us "from the power of Satan unto God," and the gospel "is the power of God." Righteousness comes wholly through this power; hence those who receive "abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life" finally. Salvation is, therefore, by grace through faith, not by the works of the law, for the works of the law are the works of sin without help from God. Salvation and strength are gifts of God. The "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost," is what Paul calls being "saved by grace." The grace of Christ freely provided a ransom for us in the death of Christ. With him we are freely given all things that pertain to life and godliness. The faith of Christ takes hold upon the power of the Spirit of God to save to the uttermost, to give us power over all the power of the enemy, over all impatience, all intemperance, all sour and crabbed feelings, over all high-mindedness, and pride, over sickness, yea, over death itself; for that grace was, and is now, as freely bestowed upon the body as upon the mind and heart. Therefore we are exhorted not to grieve the Spirit, but to follow the Spirit, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; to walk in the Spirit, to sow to the Spirit, to crucify the flesh through the Spirit, to have our minds renewed through the Spirit, "to abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." Our conscience is to "bear us witness in the Holy Ghost." "Praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit," and abounding in faith, love, and joy through the Holy Ghost. In following the eternal Spirit we not only accept the ransom which it brings to us, but we become crucified with Christ and dead forever more to self. Then in losing our life we find it unto life eternal; but henceforth we live, yet not we but Christ liveth in us. The Spirit reigns, willing and doing God's good pleasure. Therefore, as Christ said, "The Father which dwelleth in me he doeth the works." So we may say, and be assured that the righteousness which is of faith is just such righteousness as Christ had. It will lead us to bear the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22, 23); and to do the works that Christ did (John 14: 12). We shall say with Christ, "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." The least deviation from the word which we have hid in our hearts will pain our "well-instructed soul." The Spirit is said to be life to us because it is righteousness to us. So in 2 Cor. 3 our ministration as gospel ministers is said to be to minister the Spirit; for the Spirit giveth life. This is the "ministration of righteousness," as opposed to the ministration of the letter, which is the "ministration of condemnation." Thus the Spirit is here shown to be justification, righteousness, and life to us. The reason why the ministration of the letter (as contrasted with the Spirit) is condemnation, is that the law of sin in our members will surely remain there and bring forth fruit unto death, until the law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law. If, then, only the letter of the law be administered to us, and we know not the Spirit, we shall inevitably find that the passions of sin, which are by the law will strive within us. The fleshly lusts will never be fully crucified; hence the righteousness of the law will never be fully met in us. On this point Paul speaks of the Jews following the law of righteousness, yet never attaining to the law of righteousness, forever remaining "ignorant of God's righteousness," not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God, "for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness." Rom. 9:31; 10:1-4. That is, Christ met the object of the law; Christ revealed such righteousness as the law called for. And why had not the Jews obtained it? —"Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." Let all the friends of Christ remember this; and while the full righteousness of Christ must be seen in those who would be "without fault before the throne of God," let them seek it by the faith of Jesus. Thus, by keeping the faith of Jesus, they will be able to keep the commandments of God faultlessly.