Search
I. The righteousness of God is God Himself
II. Man under condemnation because of God’s righteousness
III. Christ died to fulfill God’s righteous requirement
IV. God’s love, righteousness, and wisdom
In this lesson, we are covering the matter of God’s righteousness. It is the basis upon which we can be saved. Don’t be frightened by the term “righteousness.” If you know what it is, you will rejoice and praise Him. Without the righteousness of God, we would not be so bold to come to God to accept and enjoy His salvation.
First, let us see what the righteousness of God is. [We may say that the righteousness of God is what God is with respect to justice and rightness (Rom. 3:21-22; 1:17; 10:3; Phil. 3:9). God is just and right. Whatever God is in His justice and rightness constitutes His righteousness. Furthermore, all that God is in His justice and rightness is actually Himself. Therefore, the righteousness of God is God Himself. The righteousness of God is a Person, not merely a divine attribute.]
God has a big problem on His hands because of our sin. Remember, He said in Genesis 2:17 that if the man whom He loved ate of the tree of knowledge, he would surely die. Man ate of that cursed tree, so according to God’s righteousness we must die. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne. If God did not condemn man, Satan could come in to rightfully accuse God of being unrighteous. If this happened, God would have no authority to rule and the whole universe would be turned upside down.
God loves man, yet He had to condemn him because of what man had done. Now, what can God do so that He can fulfill His righteousness and yet keep the man whom He has loved? How can He forgive the man He loves without violating His righteousness? The answer is God’s twofold righteousness.
[In order that God might be able to forgive us, Christ, the Son of God, became flesh. As (Romans) 8:3 says, God sent His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin. By incarnation, the Lord took upon Himself the likeness of the flesh of sin and became identified with sinners in the flesh. For the sake of God’s righteousness, the Lord Jesus was put to death on the cross. There, on the cross, He was made sin for us, and God condemned sin in the flesh. By dying on our behalf the Lord accomplished redemption and fulfilled all of God’s righteous requirements. Now God has the position righteously to forgive us. In fact, He not only can forgive us, but, for the sake of His righteousness, He must forgive us. God forgives not primarily because He loves us, but because He is bound by His righteousness to do so.]
God’s righteousness condemns us, but by Christ’s righteous death we are justified. Christ’s righteous death fulfills God’s righteous requirements. How wonderful this is! Man is forgiven — saved. At the same time, God’s righteousness is maintained and Satan’s mouth is shut. Now, God cannot condemn those who believe in Christ’s righteous death and neither can Satan. By seeing this, we will love and appreciate our God. Through His twofold righteousness, we can see His love, His righteousness, and His wisdom.
