The Glorious Irony of Righteousness in Justification

This past weekend I was teaching on the Righteousness of God in light of the cross and I could not get past this marvelous and gloriously ironic mediation.

Romans chapters 1-3 coral all of mankind into the corner of condemnation under the unflinching and unwavering shadow of divine righteousness; all of humanity is, as the text says, “under sin” (Rom.3.10).

The result of this dreadful reality that echoes thunderously from the Law of God is that every person stands deficient in righteousness. How horrible is this?

Then the glorious and ironic reality emerges.

What exclusive avenue is availed to the one who is deficient in righteousness and horrified by their impending collision with the divine scepter? It is none other than the righteousness of God.

This is beautiful.

God has now, “apart from the Law” revealed this divine righteousness (Rom. 3.21). This is not the revelation of the character of God’s own righteousness but rather the gracious supply of divine righteousness that is consistent with his character. It is the goodness, kindness, love, and mercy of God in supplying divine righteousness.

It is amazing to me that we flee to that which we free from.

We can only value the righteousness of God in justification when we fear the righteousness of God in judgment. We will only be ready to live for Christ in salvation once we have been scared to death by him in judgment. God does not set his Son forth to be the bloody propitiation so that we would look upon him callously or indifferently.

No, no, God crushed him so that those of us who have felt our knees knock after hearing heaven’s rifle cocked behind our head would be horrified by our sin and terrified by his impending judgment. And as a result of this terror we would flee to the mercy seat of Calvary where Jesus was both the high priest and the sacrifice. It is there at the blood stained wood of the cross of Jesus that we with soggy enlightened eyes behold his beauty, glory, and power, while seeing and receiving sufficient righteousness.

Possibly Related posts:

1. Plagued by and Comforted in Divine Righteousness
2. The “Just-as-if-I’d” definition of Justification
3. Our Dilemma, Need, & Humility. Let this gospel sing and sting you.
4. My Righteousness is in Heaven
5. Irony and Jesus

4 Responses to “The Glorious Irony of Righteousness in Justification”

1. rob c. says:

   June 20, 2007 at 12:02 pm

   Erik,
   A healthy reminder of God’s saving grace through the all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ and without it we all stand condemned in our sins facing the “impending collision witht he divine scepter.”

   This wisdom shatters the glass of one’s own righteousness. It brings clarity of how I should share the gospel of God’s grace with my hindu friends next door who, apart from God’s grace, is heaping up wrath until the day of wrath. They are in desperate need of the covering of Jesus to reconcile them unto God–and apart from this, they are hopelessly lost and stand condemned before the righteous judgment of God.

   Much work to do . . .

   Thank you,
   Rob
2. rob c. says:

   June 20, 2007 at 12:08 pm

   Erik,
   Could you clarify this statement for me? I was a little confused when you said,

   “This is not the revelation of the character of God’s own righteousness but rather the gracious supply of divine righteousness that is consistent with his character.”

   Do you mean the difference of God’s own righteousness as described in the OT from the New? If so, how has God’s righteousness changed? or his demand for righteousness changed? Does that make sense?

   rob
3. erik raymond says:

   June 20, 2007 at 1:34 pm

   Rob,

   I am talking about the supply of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ in our justification. This ultimately demonstrates the character of God (Romans 3.25-27). make sense?
4. Nath @ Reformed Geek says:

   June 20, 2007 at 4:52 pm

   “We can only value the righteousness of God in justification when we fear the righteousness of God in judgment. We will only be ready to live for Christ in salvation once we have been scared to death by him in judgment.”

   Amen! This is unfortunately where so much of evangelicalism has lost it…