The Righteousness of God

*This post was born out of a cell group discussion on one of the names of God, 'The LORD Our Righteousness'.*

"In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness." - Jeremiah 23:6 (NIV)

As the song Knowing You goes, Jesus is our all, our best, our joy and our righteousness. 'It is because of [God] that [we] are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption' (1 Corinthians 1:30, NIV). But what does this mean? How is Jesus our righteousness? In particular, was Jesus righteous because He fulfilled the law - or did Jesus fulfill the law because He was righteous?

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." - Romans 3:20-22 (NIV)

v20: To put it carefully, Jesus did not become righteous through fulfilling the law (and neither can we). Rather, Jesus fulfilled the law because He was righteous from all eternity, being one with the Father (who gave the law). It was impossible for Jesus not to fulfill the law, but this does not mean that Jesus became righteous through fulfilling the law.

v21: If Jesus did not become righteous through fulfilling the law, then what did His fulfilling the law accomplish? Jesus was declared righteous through fulfilling the law. Jesus could only be declared righteous (in the act of God raising Him from the dead) because He did fulfill the law. He could not be held liable for the wages of sin (ie. death) because He did not commit any sin.

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:24 (NIV)

v22: What is the source of our righteousness? It is our union with Christ, with His eternal nature. What is the source of Christ's righteousness (in human terms)? It is not His fulfilling the law, but His dying to the law and being declared righteous in His resurrection from the dead. In other words, it is His justification - and we partake of this in our union with Him.

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." - Romans 7:4-6 (NIV)

How This Shapes Our Understanding of the Gospel

The gospel is not about us doing good works and trying to fulfill the law. Of course, understanding the gospel leads us 'to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law' (Romans 13:8, NIV).

It is not even about trusting in the fact that Jesus has fulfilled the law (which He has). Rather, it is confessing with our mouths, "Jesus is Lord," and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9, NIV).

"The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." - Romans 4:23-25 (NIV)

In conclusion, the righteousness of God is:

1. in His very nature, in the Father, Son and Spirit from all eternity
2. revealed/declared in the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord

"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."" - Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)