ATTRIBUTE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IN GOD
The first attribute in the expression of character is that
of RIGHTEOUSNESS proceeding out of
the holiness of God. Because God is holy, "God
eternally wills and maintains His own moral excellence." With
this as a foundation God maintains a straight course in disposition and action
toward His creatures. This is referred to as the
attribute of righteousness in God. On the one hand there is the distinction of
disposition in God which is non-transferable; but on the other there is that
deposition by declaration which can be transferred to men. These aspects of
righteousness emerge as the
doctrine unfolds.
1. The Biblical doctrine of righteousness centers in terminology
largely set forth in five English words in the King James Version of the Bible:
just, justice, right, righteous, and
righteousness. The American Standard Version has changed the word just to
righteous. The verb form is usually the word justify. In general these words
uniformly translate the same words from the Hebrew and Greek original.
The Biblical passages cover a variety of ideas pertaining to God's
righteousness. It is affirmed that the Lord Himself is righteous (Psa. 11:7; Ezra 9:15; Rom. 3:25-26).
That expression of Himself set forth in His laws is declared righteous (Psa. 19:8). God is righteous in all His
ways (Psa. 145:17), and so all His
acts are righteous (Judges 5:11),
also His judgments (Psa. 119:137).
He administrates a scepter of righteousness (Psa. 45:6) from a throne whose foundation is righteousness and
justice (Psa. 89:14 ASV). The One
who sits on the throne and exercises righteousness is Himself the habitation of
righteousness (Jer. 50:7 ASV).
An examination of all the passages in the Bible reveals the fact that
there are two kinds of righteousness in God. These are clearly distinguished.
There is that aspect of the righteousness of God which is purely personal, a
quality of His essence, a distinction of disposition to respond toward His
creatures in a straight, undeviating course. There is another aspect of
righteousness resulting from this disposition which makes available
a deposition by declaration. The first is non-transferable. The second is
available to men by faith. The first is set forth in the phrase, "a righteous Branch" (Jer. 23:5). The second is recorded in
the phrase, "The Lord our
Righteousness" (Jer. 23:6).
The New Testament witnesses to the same twofold sense of God's righteousness.
In Rom. 3:25-26 Paul points to the
non-transferable righteousness of God, that is, His disposition to act in a
certain way. In Rom. 3:21-22, Paul
points to the righteousness of God wrought at Calvary by the death of Christ, righteousness
which can be transferred to men and which may be appropriated by faith.
2. The essential nature of God's righteousness can be
described by the word straightness. The root idea of the Hebrew and Greek words
is straightness, or conforming to a standard. That standard is what God is in
Himself, absolute holiness. God is therefore absolutely free from any mixture
of unrighteousness. "There is no
unrighteousness in him" (Psa.
92:15). The justice and righteousness of God "are not mere manifestations of benevolence, or of God's
disposition to secure the highest happiness of His creatures, nor are they
grounded in the nature of things as something apart from or above God.”
The righteousness of God in nature and action conform to the absolute
standard of Himself.
The righteousness of God is wholly above and distinct from
any righteousness that is declared of man. Concerning lost men it is affirmed that
"There is none righteous, no, not
one" (Rom. 3:10). Even
though Lot is referred to in 2 Peter 2:8
as "that righteous man,"
this description is used in a relative sense. In comparison with the rank and
file of those who lived in the area of Sodom, Lot could justly be described as
a righteous man. But when measured by the spotless righteousness of God, he was as filthy rags, Peter
clearly supporting this evaluation. God's righteousness is absolute.
The above affirmations about the righteousness of God
make it perfectly clear that His righteousness is wholly inconceivable to man,
apart From divine revelation. In that sacred moment of intercourse with the
Father, Christ exclaimed, "O
righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee" (John 17:25). Though there is infinite breadth to that which is not
known about God, it certainly includes the fact that God is righteous. The
manifestation of this righteousness in Christ and its revelation by the Spirit
was necessary in order that men might experience recognition and realization of
absolute righteousness (John 16:7-11).
3. The divine manifestation of God's righteousness is
displayed in a number of ways. God's law laid down requirements of perfect
righteousness for men. "Ye shall do
no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of
quantity. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye
have: I am Jehovah your God" (Lev.
19:35-36 ASV). When God finally pours out His wrath upon the world of
unrighteous men, the angels proclaim, "true
and righteous are Thy judgments" (Rev.
16:4-7). In spite of the sins of Israel, God in righteousness kept His
covenant with this people (Ezra 9:15;
Jer. 50:5-6). However, God also demonstrated His righteousness by
chastening His people (Dan. 9:14).
In supreme and lonely splendor stand the cross, bringing out into the open and
making clear and plain that which hitherto existed but was not known, namely,
the infinite righteousness of God (Rom,
3:25). Those who come to know the personal righteousness of God and
appropriate by faith that righteousness made available by faith, to them there
is further manifestation of God's righteousness in the
forgiving of their sins (1 John 1:9).
4.
Practical values accrue from the truth of God's
righteousness. This attribute in God is one of the qualities that guarantee the
righteous character of the millennial kingdom (Psa. 45:6; Heb. 1:8). To the philosophers of Athens, Paul made
proclamation that the final judgment of the world would be characterized by
righteousness because God Himself is righteous (Acts 17:31). Appealing to God on the basis of the fact that He is a
righteous Father, there is no question about the eternal safety of those who
come to God through Christ (John
17:24-25a). And think of the assurance ministered to the saints in the fact
that "God is not unrighteous to
forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in
that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Heb. 6:10) . Men may undervalue or even
forget, but the Lord will never forget.
5.
There are real problems associated with the
doctrine of God's righteousness, but they are not insurmountable. These
problems center largely in the effort to reconcile the doctrine of a righteous
God with the existence of an evil world. As good men confront the prosperity of
the wicked and the suffering of the righteous, they cry out like Jeremiah of
old, "Righteous art thou, O Jehovah,
when I contend with Thee; yet would I reason the cause with Thee: wherefore
doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they at ease that deal
very treacherously?" (Jer. 12:1
ASV). Or, as expressed by Malachi, "Where
is the God of justice?" (Mal.
2:17 ASV). The answer is threefold. (1) God did deal with this problem so
far as His own righteousness is concerned. He did it completely, perfectly,
and once-for-all at the Cross of Christ (Rom.
3:25). There He established His own righteousness by paying the price of an
infinite penalty in His Son. For those who will accept this, the matter has
been settled. (2) But there are many who refuse to accept this transaction at
Calvary, so for them there is future judgment. It just so happens that God's
time schedule for such people is not the same as ours (Mal. 3:1-5). (3) However, the delay in executing sentence upon the
wicked can be explained by the fact that God is holding back His wrath so that
many more will have opportunity to enter into the benefits provided at Calvary
(2 Pet. 3:9, 15).
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