The Only Righteousness.
By A. Delos Westcott
DAVID was a great king, chosen, inspired, and taught of God. He was a prophet under the special guidance of Jehovah. Next to God, he was the chief executive of a theocratical government. Yet he never heard of “civic righteousness”; or, if he did, he did not believe in it. He knew there was no righteousness but “the righteousness of God.” He said, “I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only.” But does not the Bible speak of the righteousness which “exalteth a nation”? Yes, but that is not civic righteousness; it is the righteousness of God received by faith. The Jews tried to develop righteousness by the enforcement of law, but the effort proved fruitless so far as righteousness was concerned. Here is the record: “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 stumbled at that stumbling-stone.” “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 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.” See Rom. 9: 30-33; 10:1-10. To compel men to be civil and to refrain from trespassing upon the rights of others, is proper and necessary. But to undertake to force them to fear God or to put on an outward show of righteousness, is simply to make them hypocrites. Only those who are born of the Spirit can be righteous, “because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God.” Rom. 8:7, 8.