“In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jer.33:16)
Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Who among us could qualify?
Those were some of the most scrupulously religious people who ever lived. They read and memorized the Scriptures. They prayed three times a day and fasted twice a week. They paid tithes even of the herbs of their field. They would not even eat an egg that had been laid on the Sabbath Day! The Pharisees were exceptional in religion, and yet lacking in righteousness.
The righteousness God demands is His righteousness. Heaven is a sinless place and God demands utter holiness. I am in trouble and so are you should we try to measure up.
The bad news is we all fall far short (Rom.3:23). The penalty is death—the second death in hell (Rom.6:23a). By trying to keep God’s moral law, we merely show ourselves condemned.
The good news is that when we call on the name of the Lord, His righteousness is deposited into our account! Eternal life is a gift (Rom.6:23b). Our sins are blotted out by the atoning blood of Christ and we are placed in right standing before God, possessing the very perfection of the Son of God, received by faith in Him and His finished work. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Yahweh Tsidkenu! The LORD our Righteousness!
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