God's Essence - Righteousness
Righteousness is God’s absolute goodness and perfection. God has eternal, unchangeable, and absolute righteousness. Righteousness means God is perfect in His person and character. In fact, every aspect of God’s person, His will and His plan are perfect. As righteousness, God is totally free from sin. God has never sinned. God cannot tempt anyone or solicit anyone to sin (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 7:9, 11:7, 97:6, 113:3, 119:137; Jeremiah 23:6; John 17:25; Romans 1:17, 10:3; 1 John 2:29). As perfect deity, God can have nothing to do with sin except to judge it. Therefore, Jesus Christ became perfect humanity so that he could be judged for sin as our substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21). In God’s deity, He could have nothing to do with sin except to judge it. Righteousness is the perfect standard by which the Justice of God acts. It guides the justice of God in all of His acts of judgment and acts of blessing.
Righteousness includes God's absolute goodness. This is not a moralistic good, not a legalistic good, not distorted good from the sin nature whereby man tries to impress God and people with how good man is. It is absolute good from His perfect righteousness (Psalm 25:8, 34:8, 86:5, 119:68; Luke 18:19). As perfect and absolute righteousness, God does not accept man’s lesser standards of goodness as a substitute for His absolute righteousness. Our goodness can never compare to the absolute righteousness of God (Isaiah 64:6). Salvation cannot be attained through any system of human works, good deeds, or righteousness. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” The works of keeping the Law will not save either (Galatians 2:16). Our very best cannot even come close to God’s absolute, infinite best. That perspective gives us an appreciation for the enormity of God’s matchless grace.
We have the righteousness of God given to us when we believe in Christ (Romans 3:22). God loves His righteousness in us and blesses that righteousness with everything to accomplish His plan and purpose of us (Matthew 6:33). He provides that blessing whether the believer is in perpetual carnality or advancing spiritually, regardless of any system of works, righteousness, or Christian service. This demonstrates God’s grace. Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.” Notice it does not say He will provide our needs because of the good deeds that we perform as Christians.
Since God is perfect, His plan for the believer is perfect. We take great comfort in that. As we advance in His plan, we can have confidence that His plan is greater than our circumstances and that He has nothing but our best interests in mind (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”