The Way of Righteousness

“In thewayofrighteousness is life;

and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”

(Proverbs 12:28)

Righteousness is the result of two things: Christ having perfectly obeyed God’s law and justice in His life and then having paid the penalty of all those chosen by God. Righteousness is uniquely by the complete and absolute obedience of Christ unto death, Philippians 2:8. Such righteousness is therefore altogether outside the experience of man. To try to take something outside one’s experience and insert it into God’s work is to abuse it, dilute it, pervert it and make it something that it is not. God’s righteousness is altogether outside man’s experience both in its establishment and application. The application of this righteousness is by imputation and imputation is solely an act of God. Its objects were not consulted. They were not advised nor were they called upon to make a decision or do a deed in order to obtain it, Isaiah 40:14.

The doctrine of imputation simply states that Christ earned and established the righteousness and God took this righteousness and charged it the Spiritual account of each sinner that He had chosen from before the foundation of the world. This imputation of righteousness exclusively justified all for whom Christ died. If He had died for all men generally, then all men would be justified. If He died for a select, definite, limited number then those only were justified. Justification is as broad as election. Election is as broad as the predestination of God. And the predestination of God is as broad as the love of God. It was the love of God that brought about the predestination of God. It was the predestination of God that brought about the purpose of God in the righteousness and therefore, the justification of sinners. To make justification broader than the love of God or more narrow than the love of God is again to pervert the wisdom of God in what He has done to bring about salvation for His people. Imputation is connected with but one thing- THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. Therefore, Christ is the only condition of the law for justification and all other saving benefits namely: forgiveness, reconciliation, sanctification and adoption, Romans 5:19. This is the message of God’s righteousness.