The LORD My Righteousness and Strength

“In the LORD have I righteousness and strength.”

(Isaiah 45:24)

There was a time when in spiritually blind ignorance, I endeavored to work out a righteousness, well pleasing to God, all the while claiming that salvation was by Grace alone, Romans 10:2-3. I rationalized such foolish thinking by declaring that the death of Christ dealt with sins past but with the Spirit’s help, I had to deal with my present and future sins myself and attempt to overcome them by what I had believed were ‘means of Grace.’ With such endeavors and God’s help, I thought I could overcome this sinful flesh and over time sin less and less.

However, when it pleased God to begin His good work in me, I am now persuaded that there is NOTHING in me that can be counted for righteousness, for “...in me, (that is in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18) Having been redeemed and justified by Christ’s precious blood, I say with the apostle Paul, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have noconfidence in theflesh.”

The Glorious, Joyful Truth in which we as the LORD’s people delight, when taught by the Spirit of God, is that although poor, destitute and having no righteousness of our own, we find a righteousness and strength in Him and His finished work already accomplished for us at the cross. What we are as sinners by nature and practice, our LORD took on Himself and by imputation, the debt and guilt of our sin was completely put away. Simultaneously, His righteous obedience was imputed to our Spiritual account upon completion of His work at Calvary, 2 Corinthians 5:21. Taught by the Holy Spirit, we continue to confess that in us, we have NO ability, NO strength and NO righteousness in ourselves but in the LORD Jesus, we have a sure, immutable righteousness, answerable to God’s righteousness and holiness in every way.

Our assurance against every accusation of the enemy is: in the LORD Jesus I have righteousness.He conquered sin, Satan, the flesh and the world so that we may boldly say: In the LORD Jesus I have strength.There is everything in this flesh to condemn us. Yet, Glorious Truth! There is everything in the LORD Jesus and His finished work to justify us fully, freely and forever. We are therefore accepted in the Beloved, [Ephesians 1:6] and complete in Him, Colossians 2:10.