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The Righteousness of God

In reference to last week’s quote from Martin Luther, I thought it would be helpful to bring a famous quote regarding his understanding the righteousness of God in Romans 1. It is a glorious truth to recognize the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us and to recognize it is by that reality that we are righteous before God (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9). This is the only way God can justly bring sinners into His kingdom, in the fact that he has provided salvation and righteousness through Christ (for a helpful work on this topic see here). Praise God today for God’s saving work in our lives, may we have a manifest joy in God through for our right standing before Him by His grace.

The words ‘righteous’ and ‘righteousness of God’ struck my conscience like lightning. When I heard them I was exceedingly terrified. If God is righteous (I thought), he must punish. But when by God’s grace I pondered, in the tower and heated room of this building, over the words, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live’ (Rom. 1:17) and ‘the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 3:21), I soon came to the conclusion that if we, as righteous men, ought to live from faith and if the righteousness of God should contribute to the salvation of all who believe, then salvation won’t be our merit but God’s mercy. My spirit was thereby cheered. For it’s by the righteousness of God that we’re justified and saved through Christ. These words (which had before terrified me) became more pleasing to me. The Holy Spirit unveiled the Scriptures for me in this tower.

Jeremy Kimble (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Cedarville University. He is an editor for Credo Magazine as well as the author of That His Spirit May Be Saved: Church Discipline as a Means to Repentance and Perseverance and numerous book reviews. He is married to Rachel and has two children, Hannah and Jonathan

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