Our Righteousness
‘This is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ — JER. Xxiil.
HIS is always printed in large capitals in our Bibles. And no wonder, for it is so very important. You see, righteousness is something that we must have, or we can not go to heaven, any more than you could go to a grand royal entertainment without a proper dress. They would not let you in if you were all in rags, you know that well enough; nobody but a lunatic would attempt to go in that condition,
All our righteousnesses, that is, all the good things we ever did or tried to do, are filthy rags (Isa. lxiv. ). It is no use trying to make them out to be anything cleaner and better; if God says they are filthy rags, they are so.
Morning Stars. q7
Even these filthy rags do not cover us; the very best “filthy rag” garment that ever anybody tried to make for himself is so full of holes, and is so scanty, that it can not cover us. God says, “their webs” (that is, what they try to spin and weave for themselves out of their own goodness) “shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their own works” (Isa, lix.
). What will you do without something better?
When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. He had no excuse, for the king himself provided the garments. So he was to be bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness (Matt. xxii. ). You see, he had to have it oz; the garment was there for him, and he must have known about it, only he did not choose to accept it and put it on. Even so, we must accept “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and won all them that believe” (Rom. ili. ). For believing God’s word about it zs putting it on; and then Jesus Christ Himself is made unto us righteousness (1 Cor, i. ). And then you may say, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 1xi. ).
Does this seem rather dry to you? It would not seem dry if you knew you were just going to be called to stand before God, and that you must either stand in filthy rags or in the perfectly beautiful and spotless robe. What if the call came, and found you hesitating whether you would put it on or not! How you would wish then that you knew Jesus to be the Lord your Righteousness! Ask the Holy Spirit zow to show you all that He means in this wonderful name, so that you may say, “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength” (Isa. xlv. i
Your righteousness, as filthy rags,
Must all relinquished be,
And only Jesus’ precious blood
Must be your plea.
Fear not to trust His simple word,
So sweet, so tried, so true!
Righteous in Him, forevermore:
Yes, even you!