"I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only." Psalm 71:16.

"In him, not having mine own righteousness." Phil. 3:9.

The heading of this article is the marginal rendering of the closing part of II Peter 1:1. The Revised rendering is similar: ''To them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ," The Apostle Paul often refers to the "righteousness of God:" The Jews were ignorant of "God's righteousness;" Jesus is said to have become ''sin" that we might become the "righteousness of God in Him;" the righteousness of God" is said to be revealed in the gospel; Jesus is said to be "made unto us righteousness." (Read Roms. 10:3; II Cor. 5:21; Roms. 1:17; I Cor. 1:30.) Such expressions refer to something beyond the attribute of justice in God. In Roms. 5:17, this righteousness is called a "gift." The Jews were not ignorant of God's justice, but they were of His salvation. The Prophet Isaiah said that the Lord "created" righteousness (Isa. 45:8). He also said in describing the time when "every knee shall bow" that then men shall say In the Lord have I righteousness (Isa. 45:24). Note this follows the call to look unto the one who is a "just God and Saviour." Jeremiah in describing the time when Israel shall be most greatly blessed, says that "the righteous Branch and a King," who brings the blessed era, shall be called "The Lord our righteousness" (Jer. 33:6).' The glorious age follows national faith in the crucified and risen Saviour.

There is no difference between the ''gospel" of Isaiah and the ''gospel" of Paul and Peter. Isaiah referred to human righteousness as "filthy rags" and the Apostle Paul to his own righteousness as "dung," but prophet and apostle agree in their teachings about the damning defects in creature and the saving merits in created righteousness. Carefully note the surroundings of the passage quoted from the prophets. They bear a message directly opposed to the modern "new theology" and "civic righteousness" reformers; such would straighten out the world's crookedness without the message of Calvary. I hope that the following study will help to make the question of righteousness plainer to all inquiring ones:

Scripturally Defined.

Man apart from revelation is. unable to find his way back to God. The truth of the foregoing statement is evident when we look at heathendom, cultured and sensual. The intellectual Greeks, Paul affirms, "did not know God" (I Cor. 1:21); the sensual idolators sacrificed to demons (I Cor. 10:20). Gentiles were offering sacrifices at the same time as the Jews: The former's were offered in ignorance and fear to purchase favor from evil gods; whilst the latter's were eucharistic and prophetic, offered gratefully to the holy God of Love, foretelling in type the character of the redemption which God would provide through the "seed of the woman."

The Israelites were idolators at heart when they left Egypt. They did not discover the road to righteousness, God revealed it to them through Moses. Jesus in the sermon on the Mount describes the life of purity, faith, neighborliness, godliness and dependence which one must live if he would win righteousness. This is God's last and clearest word by which He would have men test their lives. At the Transfiguration God gave precedence to Jesus as teacher over Moses and Elijah: God says, "Hear Him."

Man, measure yourself by God's perfect standard and not by the imperfect standard of an excusing heart. (Read Mark 7:20-23.) Thank God, the same book that condemns us contains the revelation of how condemned ones may be justified.

Rightly Demanded.

The nature of God demands that He insist on nothing short of perfection. — Jesus searchingly commands that we be ''perfect as our Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:48). I grant that the sermon on the Mount was addressed to those who were children of God, but that does not affect the argument. God's demand of those who would become H:is children by their own works must be the same. In that matchless prayer Jesus called His Father ''righteous Father:" Righteousness is therefore a prime requisite for fellowship with God. The gospel teaches how this may be realized even by the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).

Graciously Provided.

The love of God provides what His holiness demands. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets" (Rom. 3:21). Surely these are words of grace. What the law foreshadowed, the grace of God fully reveals. ''The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Rom. 1:18). Jews and Gentiles are alike ''under sin," hopelessly "guiltly before God," ruined for lack of righteousness (Rom. 3:9, 19, 20). But God declares good news to the bankrupt. "I have graciously provided that which you do not possess and cannot win.". The convicted heart, striving for righteousness, ashamed at its failures and repentant before the evidences of perversity, should leap for joy and accept the offer made by the God of Love. My children do not demand that I tell the price, place of purchase, and the sex of clerk serving, each gift I offer them, before they yill accept it. But the gift is more prized if they learn of sacrifice made that the gift might be purchased.

Sacrificially Procured.

The justice and holiness of God as well as His love must be satisfied. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins" (Rom. 3:23). The love of God could not rest until it had exhausted every divine resource in its effort to save the object of its affection. "God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). Who can measure such love? It is infinite — God loves sinners! But God's righteousness demanded that love devise a plan that should leave divine holiness unsullied, its justice fully satisfied, and the sinner convicted unto repentant hatred of sin before grace could be fully proclaimed. Naomi, naively, but with keen intuition, assured Ruth upon proof of Boaz love for her that, "the man will not be in rest until he has finished the thing'' (Ruth 3:18). Boaz gave notice that he would openly satisfy every demand of the law and pay the full price for the inheritance, which proved his love for Ruth and his own uprightness. So must our great Lover-God satisfy every part of His nature — true love is not lawless. God in the Garden of Eden, in' covering our conscience-stricken guilty parents with skins of animals, taught the great lesson of righteousness procured by suffering endured. On Calvary, God met every demand of justice and holiness, revealed the awful sinfulness of sin, and His uncompromising hatred of the same; and thus openly before earth, heaven, and hell, proclaimed the wealth of His love for the loveless.

God's justice is revealed in the fact that Christ suffered. "Whom God hath before ordained to be a mercy-seat, through faith in His blood" (Rom. 3:23;). In living a holy life Jesus honored and fulfilled every righteous demand of Old and New Testament law, and in offering that life unto death suffered every iota of its just penalty. — Law shuts the sinner's mouth, but the glorious life and death of Christ shuts its mouth toward all who are in Him. 'We must study the message of atonement in Lev. 16, if we would appreciate the true work of the Sin-Bearer. The spotless victim's blood placed upon the golden cover made it the mercy-seat. The covering of pure gold was typical of Christ's life— but Aaron must carry the blood of the victim into the holiest place, "that he die not." This teaches us that it is not the blood in Jesus veins, his life retained-, but His blood poured out unto death as a vicarious and expiatory sacrifice. Let no one dare think that Jesus could save others if He saved himself. "The son of man came— to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt 20:23).

God's uncompromising hatred of sin— the other pole of love — is manifested in the fullness of Christ's sufferings. ''Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed" (Isa. 53:10); "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" (2 Cor. 3:18). They are not imputed unto us because Christ suffered ''the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God" (Peter 3:i7). The bigger half of hell's pain is the wrath of God, which includes banishment with its attendant darkness and despairing sense of guilt (Rev, 14:10-11; Rev. 6:15-17; Jas. 1:14, 15). In visiting such judgment upon Christ, God showed that sin wronged God — it violated His very purity, truth and love (Gen. 3:1-7; Psalms 51:4). Jesus and the Father knew what Calvary would mean when He said, "Here am I, send me." Yet in love He held not back but gave His soul an offering for sin. In His soul Jesus suffered the sole suffering needed to save my soul.

God's holiness was exhibited when He withdrew the light of His countenance from the One "in whom He was well pleased." Though Christ was His beloved Son, yet, when the Lord made "to meet on Him the iniquity of us all," He must withdraw fellowship from even the Son of His love. What a defiling thing sin must be. "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth" (Rev. 21:27).

The exceeding sinfulness of sin in the human heart came to a head in man's shameful treatment of Jesus at His so-called trial and crucifixion. The squalor and sorrow of the drunkard's home speak more convincingly against drunkenness than the penalties of the statute book. Calvary cuts deeper than Sinai. The false accusations, unjust scourgings, ribald jests, cruel mockings, supercilious tauntings, murderous threats, and terrible execution, strikingly portray the utter depravity of the human heart. There was no excuse for such lawlessness. The holy, practical, beneficent and merciful life of Jesus merited far different treatment. At Calvary we see our true likeness. Let us look upon it until wt loathe ourselves, and in very shame, sorrow over our terrible iniquity. When tempted by pride, let us look at the thorn crowned, marred, and mutilated form on Golgotha's Heights and honestly confess our share in humanity's crime.

God's love for sinners is surely openly proclaimed in His permitting Jesus to actually taste death for man. The heart rending cry of anguish was wrung from Christ's soul, not only from bearing the Father's wrath, but because He felt the diabolical and malignant hatred of the devil toward God and His creatures. The virgin Jesus in the hand of the ravisher! No wonder He cries with such anguish, "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Beloved, Jesus bore every shame and pain that the damned can suffer, — He actually took the sinner's place in bearing God's just and Satan's unjust bruising. Satan did bruise His heel (Gen. 3:15) in the conflict, but Jesus bruised His head; thus prevailing over him, who had the power of death, even the devil. Hell is now vanquished, Jesus has conquered, and we need suffer no pang of hell.

Reader, the death of Jesus and His sufferings, reveals, that men in hell will suffer the remorse of a condemning conscience, the defilement of a loathsome foe and the punishment of a holy God. Let the passion of Jesus stir thee to flee from the wrath to come. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation '' (Heb. 2:3).

Freely Offered.

The justfying act of Calvary demanded the Commissioning act of Pentecost. — God's greatest works were and are all wrought in secret; at Calvary God caused impenetrable -darkness to shut out from human gaze the creative work of redemption — the cross was the womb of the Church — God was there in Christ reconciling and we were in Christ, enduring and receiving. Charles (?) Campbell wrote: "His work was one work of which He could say, ^I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work Thou gavest me to do ' (John 17:14), and on the ground of which He could claim from the hand of the 'righteous Father' the proposed and promised glory. His death was not only endurance; it was truly active obedience consummated in the offering of Himself unto God. We claim that we are justified not only by one part of His obedience, but in Him, by all that He is, and by all He has done, and by all He endured. He and we are one. We are in Him who of God is made unto us righteousness." ''For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph. 2:10). Paul in Phil. 3:10 refers to the righteousness "which is through the faith of Christ; The righteousness is of God by faith." Christ actively co-operated with God in the things necessary to our salvation: He had faith, sustained by the Holy Spirit, which enabled Him to thus actively work with God. Therefore it can be fittingly said that the "righteousness of God" was secured for us as far as Christ is concerned, "through faith" — the faith of Jesus Christ. His faith rested upon God's word, which beautifully describes the co-operative work of Father and Son. ''Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief; when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many" (Isa. 53;io, ii). Yes, Calvary demanded Pentecost. On that day God gave not a message but gifts unto men to make a message of salvation through the wounds of the Cross, known to earth's farthest corner. God will not yoke up with any man, be one ever so earnest, who has not seen what took place at Calvary. Ahimaaz was commanded by David to turn aside, because he had no clear tidings about Absalom's death. He outran Cushi, but was rejected.

Brother Minister, God cannot give you the Holy Spirit for service if you have not, with the Spirit as teacher, first tarried at Calvary. Tarry with an open Bible, depending upon the Spirit's illumination at the foot of the cross before you tarry in your closet for the enduement for service. "We are His witnesses of these things; and so is also tl^e Holy Ghost" (Acts 5:32).

Unsaved friend, righteousness, that shall make you not afraid to stand before the holy God, is freely offered. God says that you may "be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3 124). In that redemption, God declares "at this time His righteousness; that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26).

Divinely Imputed.

The "Righteousness of God" is put to our credit the moment we scripturally believe. "Now it is not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also to whom it (righteousness) shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for (because of) our justification" (Rom. 4:24,25). Jesus could not have been raised by God if He as our representative had failed to win righteousness for us, by meeting every demand of God's righteousness. ''The blood of Jesus Christ" ensured the ''resurrection of Jesus Christ" and "the appearing of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 1:2, 3, 7). It is not faith in itself that is counted as righteousness, but faith in the shed blood that justifies — "being now justified by His blood;" "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His son" (Rom. 5:9, 10). Do not glory in your faith, but in the object of your faith. The former is the evidence of self-righteousness, a damning sin, whilst the latter is the fruit of the renewed life.

Many ministers have been unwittingly misled at this point; they read that Abraham's faith was imputed for righteousness (Rom. 4:9), but we must read what precedes and follows in Paul's argument. Paul was far from teaching that there is any merit in faith. He says later, "Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace." (Rom. 4:16). If there be merit in faith, Abraham had something to glory in. But what saith the Scriptures? "For if Abraham was justified by works (if faith merits anything, it is work), he hath whereof to glory; but not before God" — "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly (not the meritorious), his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:2, 4, 5). Go back to Rom. 3:23-27 and carry its teaching over into chapter four. Also go back and look at Abraham's life and theology. His deceitful acts negative any claim to merit before God, but his offering acceptable sacrifices proves that he acknowledged himself a sinner, and that he trusted in the merits of the atoning blood. The merits of the Saviour, typified in the sacrifices, were imputed to Abraham and are imputed to all who believe — ''That he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also" (Rom. 4:11).

Spiritually Inwrought.

Imparted righteousness is the proof and fruit in a life on earth of the ''righteousness of God" imputed to that life in heaven. "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom. 8:10); "The new man, which after God is created in righteousness" (Eph. 4:24); "Every one that doeth righteousness is born of God" (i John. 2:29). "Regeneration is, w^hat the word contains, a new birth. It is the birth of a new nature which makes the man a new creature, the law of whose life will be a new law of righteousness and truth and just dealing. Right relation to God is its fundamental principle and right relation to man is its constant and unfailing result. — Regeneration is the birth of a new nature, occurring in man's life through the communication of God's Spirit upon the fulfillment of the one condition of man's full committal of himself to God through the exercise of a vital spiritual faith in Jesus Christ." Rev. J. C. Massee, D.D. I gladly quote these words of my friend, because they clearly express what I believe happens to the soul who repentantly and without any reservation commits himself unto Jesus as Saviour and Lord. No other kind of faith can save.

In the preceding divisions, I have rightly emphasized the object of faith, but spiritual experience comes to spiritually prepared hearts. "Take heed what ye hear'' is a necessary word to sincere souls; but, ''Take heed how ye hear" needs emphasizing in this proud, intellectual day. Is there not a third spiritual factor in the salvation of souls? Do preachers not need constant spiritual enduement to properly appreciate the spiritual work of Calvary, and the spiritual preparation of a seeking soul?

Patiently Awaited.

Imparted righteousness is a blessed reality, a foretaste of perfection but the major portion of "God's righteousness" is that which God has put to our account, to be given us at Christ's revelation. "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Gal. 5:5). "Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (Rom. 13:ii, 12). "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jno. 3:2). How often have I found Christians wondering if they were really saved when they found evidences of depravity still clinging to them like dead leaves to the oak in winter. The evidence of salvation is that we hate the sins that once we loved; we have a dual nature engaged in a constant duel within. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh." But when we were saved the triune God came into our lives to destroy the power of the flesh, and secure for us victory during the weakening struggles of the flesh against the Spirit. We could not by our own power deliver ourselves from the penalty of sin, neither can we deliver ourselves by our own power from the power of sin. But as we trusted Christ's atonement to save us from hell, so let us trust the Spirit's indwelling to save us from self. We lived by faith, we must walk by faith. ''Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh'' (Gal. 5:16). It does not read that there is no lust in saved people; but the passage does teach that if we walk in absolute dependence upon the Spirit, we shall not commit sin in act. "We may be frequently tripped, but we shall ultimately, through grace, receive the fullness of righteousness which we now enjoy in part.''

I would not have you forget that lust is sin: ''Thou shalt not lust." We are, as we have already learned, sinners, warped by hell; unable to do one absolutely holy deed. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, not sins but sin, "because they believe not on me." Surely when we see men lightly regarding, if not mockingly disregarding the sufferings of Jesus, and counting his blood a "common thing," we should be. convinced that man is a fallen, helpless creature. We are, though forgiven still, such undone sinners. Forgiven? Yes, but forgiveness does not undo the past. We must always, whilst waiting for salvation, approach God clothed in the robe of Christ's imputed righteousness. Bishop Beveridge said, "I cannot pray but I sin. I cannot preach a sermon but I sin. I cannot receive the sacrament but I sin. Nay, I cannot so much as confess my sins but my very confessions are still so many aggravations of my confessed sins. So much so that my repentance needs to be repented of. My tears need washing, and the very washings of my tears needs still to be washed over again in the blood of my Redeemer." Dr. Alexander Whyte quotes the foregoing and the following in his sermon on the ''Best Robe/' Then (when justified) although in ourselves we be altogether sinful and unrighteous, yet even the man which in himself is impious, full of iniquity, full of sin, him being found in Christ through faith, and having his sin in hatred through repentance; him God beholdeth with a gracious eye, putteth away his sin by not imputing it, taketh quite away the punishment due thereto by pardoning it; and accepteth him in Jesus Christ as perfectly righteous." Bishop Hooker. Surely whilst waiting for righteousness, we justified ones have a perfect standing before God through grace.

Rebelliously Frustrated.

The enmity of Satan and the perversity of the human heart has always opposed the grace of God. — ''For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God'' (Rom. 10:3). If, after all, anyone doubts the depravity of human nature, let him read the ninth chapter of Deuteromomy; the ninth of Nehemiah; the one hundred seventh Psalm; the seventh of Acts; the tenth of Romans; the Epistle to the Galatians; the whole story of Christ's crucifixion and Paul's life. The story from these chapters is one that speaks of ignorance, blindness, perversity, and constant rebellion against the grace of God. In substituting creature righteousness, as a sufficient satisfaction for God's righteous demands. Satan is doing a deadly work through many pulpits of Christendom today. Substitutional atonement is openly derided and by many labelled pernicious; such preachers admit that Paul taught it but they say he was deceived by his Jewish training. Such men are the tools of hell. They are clearly described by Paul when he says: ''For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great things if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness'' (2 Cor. 11:13-15). These are solemn but true words. Satan is still the enemy of God and man and would damn a soul as readily by becoming a religious teacher as in any other way. To the self-righteous men of IJis day Jesus said: ''The publicans and harlots go into the kingdom before you." Friend, do not trust human righteousness, but the glorious God honoring and soul-satisfying "righteousness of our God and Saviour.''