Lord's Day Devotion - His Righteousness

We can give thanks to the Lord for His righteousness.  It is by His righteousness that we human beings can be made righteous.  

Jesus is often described as the Lamb of God (John 1:29).  This hearkens back to the Old Testament story in Exodus 12 where the Israelites had to find a spotless, without blemish, lamb and use it's blood to sprinkle on the two side posts and the lintel of the door.  The angel of the Lord would pass by and if he did not see the blood, the firstborn son would die.  The lamb was the substitute for the son.  

Jesus Himself is the blameless, sinless, righteous Son of God who took our place and died for the sins of the human race.  

"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). 

When God sees the blood of Jesus upon the heart of His human creatures, He then sees us as righteous.  The righteousness of God has been imputed to those who, by faith,  have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 5:18-19).

We could never have achieved this on our own accord.  All our efforts to save ourselves and be righteous fall short.  We could try and try and try but it would never be enough.  I like what the writer from Grace Communion International wrote about Mark 2:18-22...

"When we're really honest with ourselves, we know that despite constant trying, we still sin.  Where does that leave us?  We can either work harder and harder to keep up the whitewashed facade of personal righteousness, or we can turn it over to God and trust Him to forgive us and make us righteous.  If we take God at His word, then we can rely on Him to do in us and for us what He says He has...."

The Psalmist declares,

"I will give to the LORD the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High." (Psalm 7:17).

As we reflect on the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection through the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup on Lord's Day, let us also give Him the thanks and praise due to His Name and righteousness; that righteousness that He so graciously and freely gives to those who accept His offer of salvation.  

Sing along with this rendition of It's the Blood that Cleanses Me by Vineyard.

                                                          ~ERC  May 2018~