Daily Bread - 06/11/07
Romans 3:21 - Now the righteousness of God is manifested separately from the Law although the Law and the Prophets bore witness of it.
The righteousness of God has been revealed throughout the Old Testament. It was revealed by His love, mercy and many blessings on the obedient and His judgment against sin. By definition the righteousness of God describes the acts of God. The significant difference in this kind of righteousness from any other righteousness is simply understood by realizing that any righteousness that comes from man or the law is human acts whereas and righteousness that comes from God are His acts.
Justification by faith is identical to "made righteous by faith" (The Anchor Bible Dictionary- Righteousness (Greco-Roman World). There is no difference in the Greek Language (or for that matter many other language such as Spanish or French) between justification and righteousness. Being justified or made the righteousness of God is far more than ones standing with God. In a study of the Old Testament to define the righteousness of God ones standing with God is not part of the description of God's acts.
The law could only testify of God's righteousness but it could never give it because the law was powerless to impart the life and Spirit of God, which is the source of His righteousness (Galatians 3:21). God declares by His prophet Isaiah that the righteousness of His people comes from Him (Isaiah 54:17). The prophet describes the people of God as the trees of righteousness that the Lord planted (Isaiah 61:3). The prophet Jeremiah declares that in the day of salvation that the people will be called "Yaweh (God) our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 33:6).
The righteousness of God is not something a person can obtain through the works of the law. The righteousness of God goes far beyond anything that a sinful man can reach. God in His abundant love and mercy gave His righteousness to us as a free gift (Romans 5:17). When we were born of the Spirit, God created us in true righteousness and holiness after His image (Ephesians 4:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17). We have the righteousness of God because we have been given the life and Spirit of God. Through the new birth God gave us His very nature (Ephesians 4:24; 2 Peter 1:4). Now, as we learn to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to govern our lives the nature of God is revealed in our lives by His acts (2 Corinthians 9:10; Philippians 1:11; Hebrews 12:11; Romans 14:17, Romans 1:17).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
About Me
- Carol L
- San Diego area, California, United States
- I started this blog back in 2005, but in 2006 began dedicating it solely for the purpose of posting email messages called, Daily Bread, sent out Monday through Saturday by my pastor, Mark Spitsbergen. These daily emails contain fresh revelation that Mark gets from the Word of God by the Holy Spirit for that day for the church that God has called him to pastor, Abiding Place. 1 Peter 4:11 says, "If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God gives that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (John 14:6), and He says, "The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are Life." (John 6:63). For the Word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).
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