The Righteousness of God without the Law

The Righteousness of God without the Law

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace 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 righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:21-26).

This righteousness of God that Paul is drawing our attention to has a particular application and context.  It is an aspect of His righteousness that was not readily apparent before sins were put away by the Lord Jesus Christ.  

The gospel reveals that God Himself did not sin in His forbearance of men's sins.  When Adam and Eve sinned the holy and righteous God did not forthrightly cast them away from His Presence forever with no hope of recovery, but rather He immediately announced that He had provided a remedy for them to return (Gen. 3:15).  

In the diction of the woman of Tekoah, Neither did God respect any person: yet He nevertheless had devised means in the gospel of His Son, that His banished sons and daughters be not expelled from Him forever (see II Sam. 14:14).  

The gospel of Christ reveals that God has devised a means for you and me to be unquestionably accepted with Him, a means that is completely in harmony with His impeccably righteous character and Person.  And that place of acceptance is in Christ, and in Him alone.  It would be a flagrant violation of HIs holy and righteous Person for God to receive men unto Himself apart from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  He cannot deny Himself.  He does not and will not act work in a manner that is contrary to His own Person. 

But now the righteousness of God without the Law is revealed, a righteousness by which men, who have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, may come unto Him through His beloved Son and received the abundant salvation and remission of sins that He has provided in Christ, who "was manifested to take away our sins" (I Jn. 3:5).  That was the express purpose of God for sending His beloved Son, namely, to take away our sins. 

We praise God for the glad tidings that He has given us to declare in the gospel of His Son!  We urge all men to freely partake of God's salvation in Christ while it is yet "the accepted time".  Al Stoner

Pure and Righteous Judgment

Over and over in the Scriptures men are told to judge with righteous judgment as it is in accord with God's righteous judgment. "He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness" (Ps. 9:8). "The heavens shall declare His righteousness; for God is judge Himself (Ps. 50:6). "O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth" (Ps 67:4). "...He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth" (Ps. 96:13). Men of faith, men of righteousness, all those who live their lives "as innocent as doves" and suffer for it can live with hope in view of God's righteous judgment. "But, O Lord of hosts, that judges righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance of them; for unto Thee have I revealed my cause" (Jer 11:20). And so like Jesus, when they are reviled they can revile not again and when they suffer, they can threaten not, but can commit themselves to Him who judges righteously (l Pet 2:23). The pouring out of the wrath of God is a controlled and precisely orchestrated procedure. There is great fury and indignation that is poured out in an effortless and uninhibited way. There is not a struggle. There is not an explosion of emotion. No outbursts of anger but simply a rendering to every man his reward. --Patrick B. Woods

Behold My Servant

Behold My Servant

"Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him:

He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus saith God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isa. 42:1-7).

The LORD Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth here exhorts, and even commands men to behold His Servant, to consider His Servant, to give the more earnest heed to His Servant, to look at His Servant, to look unto His Servant, and to draw nigh unto God through His Servant. His Servant is none other than His Christ, His Elect, His Chosen One, His Anointed One, the Lord Jesus Christ, Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life, Him Who is the first-begotten from the dead, Him, Who did lay down His life a ransom for many, and Who is the Savior of all men, specially of those who believe.