The Righteousness of God…Revealed
Christ is the Lord, our righteousness, that is, He is the Christian’s right standing before God. God is the righteous One, and for man to stand in His presence, man must have the perfection of God. Jesus Christ has merited right standing before God, having perfectly kept the Law of righteousness.
No other man besides Jesus Christ has right standing, nor has any other man merited right standing by his works. Man falls short of the glory of God; therefore, he has no access to God (Eph 2:12). Man-made religion denies this fact, but God does not equate religious earnestness with perfect righteousness.
It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of God, that reveals the righteousness of God, as an attribute of God (1 Cor 1:30). The Gospel does more than tell us that God is righteous, holy, and just. He is all of those things. It also tells us more than the fact Jesus merited righteousness before God. Here is our point…
The Gospel actually communicates righteousness to the believer, positioned in Christ. This is the doctrine of imputed righteousness.
God’s chosen people are debtors to God, even as unrepentant reprobates owe Him. The insufficiency of all people to pay their sin debts, invites the just judgment of God (Rom 1:18–3:20). The proper response of every man should be, “Have mercy on me, for I am a sinful debtor, with no ability to pay what I owe, in order to escape just judgment and punishment.” Instead, men accuse God of being unfair, or pretend He does not exist — nor do they believe He will ever call in His accounts.
When God does have mercy upon His elect (Rom 9:15–16), He accepts Christ’s redemption payment (Eph 1:7), that is, the precious blood (1 Pet 1:19), offered in sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. The death of Christ has canceled the debt owed by the child of God (Col 2:14; Rom 8:1). In addition, Christ’s meritorious work has been credited to each Christian’s account. That is not man’s choice. It is God’s will for His people.
God looks at the righteousness of Christ, and all who have been transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col 1:13). His righteousness is made to be the believer’s righteousness. The Christian has right standing before the Father, by the merit of her Savior and Surety, Jesus Christ (Heb 7:22).
Imputation is communicated by the Gospel preached. The Gospel Word, coupled with the Spirit’s effectual call, is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18; 2:2). It manifests in the heart of the regenerated soul (Eph 2:5; Col 2:13). In other words, faith is gifted by God’s grace (Eph 2:8–9), where He has done this work of causing one to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3).
Faith is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:23). The gift of faith is received (Phil 1:29), even as the gift of the Spirit is received (Acts 2:38). In no way is this work of God’s grace turned over to sinful men, dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Faith is never a work of men (Eph 2:8–9).
Paul wrote to the church at Rome that the Gospel was revealed from faith to faith (Rom 1:17). Although there are no less than four interpretations, we believe the context supports the idea of a transfer of faith from one to another. Faith, which is actually the knowledge of the truth, is granted from one who has it, to one who does not have it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of Christ. Christ’s voice, calling in His elect brethren, is heard in the preaching of the Gospel (Jn 10:3; Rom 10:17).
The Gospel is not just information or facts about the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is that, but the Gospel preached is the powerful communication of all the benefits secured and owned by Christ. Stated another way, men are saved while hearing the Gospel preached. They are given faith to believe the message, resulting in their trust in Christ Jesus. In this, they are justified (1 Pet 3:18), declared, “not guilty,” and afforded right standing and access to God.
The just, by faith, shall live! God has made His elect, adopted child alive in the Spirit (Rom 8:10; 1 Pet 3:18). He did this by positioning her, in Christ, in whom He is well-pleased (Mt 3:17; 1 Cor 1:30). The very righteousness, merited by Christ, is conferred upon the believer, in the hearing of the Gospel, and with the opening of the heart (Acts 16:14). May you, too, have ears to hear this good news, for this is God’s means for giving life to His justified saints, who now live by faith in the Son of God.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 7, 2021
