We must
have a righteousness in which Jehovah Himself cannot find a flaw, a
righteousness which Jehovah cannot mend, a righteousness which neither sin nor
Satan can mar; and unless we have on a righteousness of this nature, we can
never enter into the blessedness of the world to come.
Where, then, are we to find it?
Eternal
praises to the matchless mercy of a covenant God, we have it in the blessed
Person, glorious work, and spotless obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ!
And,
therefore, as it was essential for Him to fulfill all righteousness for His
people, He loved the Lord His God with all His heart, with all
His mind, and with all His strength. He began at the beginning, and went
through holily, righteously, and steadily every step of the law of God and all
in justice and righteousness. He fulfilled every iota of it, and gave it
immortal glory and honor. The law could only require the perfect obedience of a
perfect man, but He gave it the perfect obedience of the God-Man, and stamped
forever a holy dignity and majesty on it, in order to manifest that this
glorious righteousness is suited to every sinner’s case, to all their needs,
and to honor and glorify all the perfections of God; and thus He has “forever
perfected them that were sanctified,” all those who were set apart for Himself.
They are perfected forever in His own blessed
obedience and spotless righteousness; and this righteousness which God gives
shall endure forever.
As for you who
have a righteousness of your own, you never can feel your need of Christ’s
righteousness. You do not know your need of it, and it is an insult to your
pride to mention it. But, for the poor creature who feels himself to be a
loathsome, vile, and ruined sinner, and is brought experimentally to feel what
he is before a heart-searching God, and that every iota of the law is against
him - for God to give this righteousness to him, to put it upon him and
communicate the power of it to his soul, why it will raise and exalt him to
such a blessed enjoyment of God’s righteousness that his tongue will sing aloud
and speak forth praise to the honor and glory of His blessed Name; and he will
say, “My soul shall be joyful in my God; I will glory in the God of my
salvation; for He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness; He hath
adorned me with the garments of salvation.” Isaiah 61:10.
by William Gadsby