“But we were all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
This scripture is a precursor to righteousness as revealed in the New Testament. It notes man’s separation from God, his inability to bridge that separation, and the destructive consequences of that separation. The Lord, through Isaiah, is saying the same thing He said when Paul quoted the Psalms: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:11) Righteousness is the position of right-standing and innocence as determined by the judgement of God, and in both the New and Old Testaments God has made it clear that no man can attain it of his own effort.
Paul went on to say: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested . . . Even the righteousness of God which is of faith of Jesus Christ unto all . . . that believe.” (Romans 3:21, 22) Jesus has made available righteousness that is not attained by action. Through him, we are able to become innocent in the eyes of the Father by believing and confessing that Jesus Christ died as an innocent sacrifice for our sins and that God resurrected Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 10:9)
“For by grace are you saved through faith . . . Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works . . . ” (Eph. 2:8-10) By this we know that we are saved by what we believe, and that what we believe changes what we do. In part, this is a safeguard against men having grounds for pride: our salvation is the gift of God, and nothing that we deserve. The purpose of this gift is that we might do good things, unto the point that by it we are enabled to do good things that we were not able to do before.
Continuing on into Romans 4, Paul said: “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” (Romans 4:3, 4) Before God established the righteousness of the law, he revealed the nature of true righteousness: that which operates by the law of faith. It is His preference that we should live by the righteousness of faith and not that of the law.
A man that works to earn his money deserves it, and the person to whom he has given his service is debted to him. God, however, wanted a better contract: grace instead of debt. God is passionate, personal and emotional: he prefers a system of faith working by love to a system of fear working by religion.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1, 2) This the purpose that God sent his son for- restoration. We know that the Lord does whatever pleases him, and also that we were created to please him; note the latter part of Ephesians 2:10, “...created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” By design, each individual has the potential to fulfill the destiny that God has had planned since before we were born. There is also the ability to romantically thrill the heart of the passionate God, and even so he has commanded us to “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (as he desires that all people be able to have a relationship with him). God has planned out since before the formation of the world that we should live in holy communion with Him. Therein is the ultimate fulfillment because a relationship with God is the very purpose that we were created for.
Those justified by their faith are no longer at odds with God, but at peace with him, living by his grace and rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God, Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:27) Thus we see, evidently, that the primary purpose of salvation is to make us able to rejoice in and with Jesus Christ.
“For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].” (James 1:20, AMP) Man’s imperfection does not glorify God’s perfection (except maybe by stark contrast). Imperfect men have brought terrible connotations to the name of Jesus Christ. Our humility before God and man is being conscious of our innocence but also of our dependence upon God to maintain that innocence. We are created unto good works, not by them. We must rely on Him to take us through the situations that will develop our character in the pace and format He sees fit.
We know that we cannot promote what God has done for us unless we are obedient to Him. Acts contrary to his nature do not promote his nature, as nobody can receive the love of God when it is expressed with impatience, rudeness, or bigotry. Paul wrote, “I ...beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.” (Ephesians 4:1). There is, thankfully, grace and mercy in the midst of all of this, yet the truth remains that if our actions are not aligned to His Word then we cannot promote him, as he has exalted his word above his name.
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Rom 14:17) Again, we have this emphasis: the message of the gospel is not about rules and regulations (“meat and drink”), but instead the grace of God given in love. With God, we have his righteousness, and peace, and joy; with his indwelling by the Holy Spirit, however, it all becomes exponential. We become one with the Lord, spiritually, and the communion we have with Him translates into a tangible reality.
The reality of God is where the driving force is. “Deep calls unto deep.” Mike Bickle describes it as a commanding thing that dominates your desires. Spiritual intimacy with God fulfills us, but always has us on the edge of our toes until our next encounter with Him. Always eager, always excited. It’s where we experience his love (Rom. 5:5).
Righteousness is about restoration, and when you seek a spiritual relationship with the Father, you provide Him with the very thing he moved heaven and earth to attain.
