The absolute truth that God the Father has wrapped me in garments of salvation and as the prodigal was wrapped in the fathers robe, we too are arrayed in a robe of righteousness...this awe-striking truth leaves me in awe and filled with joy unspeakable. We have mentioned Isa 61:10 several times in the past few weeks. "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." This is really good news! Hold that thought...and now consider what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:30, when he said, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. What is the wisdom from God? That is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. If that does not bring to heart and mind 2 Co 5:21...well, it should:) "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
How awesome to think that we, God's children, are the righteousness of God. Our reading in Jeremiah today tells us that the LORD is our Righteousness! “The time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will place a righteous Branch on King David’s throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this is His name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness’ ” (Jer. 23:5, 6). Jehovah-Tsidkenu, if you are wondering how to pronounce Tsidkenu, try it with a silent T and you will get close:)
Jeremiah gave this prophecy about the coming Messiah as the kingdom of Judah was about to fall. God allowed the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem because of the unrighteous conduct of Judah’s kings and people. As you read through Jeremiah you will find it difficult to count the number of times God's Word tells us that God's people would not listen to HIS Word, they would not obey HIS Word. God sent judgement through the Babylonians.
Before the 70 years of captivity God promised to send a Righteous Ruler—Jehovah-Tsidkenu. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of HIS promise. His death and resurrection paid our sin debt, and now we are clothed in HIS perfect righteousness (Isa. 61:10). One day, He will return to rule in all righteousness!
Here is the kicker...who did Jesus say were HIS brother, sisters and mother? Whoever does the will of my Father (Matt 12:50) You will have to jump ahead in our reading in 2 Thess, in our reading tomorrow we read ( Th 2:10-12) "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Why do they perish? They refused to love the truth! If you are a child of God, if you have received HIM by faith, you will hunger for HIS Word, you will long to walk in obedience to HIS Word...that will be the desire of your heart! Remember what Paul wrote just before 2 Cor 5:21?
2 Co 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Praise God I am accepted as righteous before a holy God and my righteousness does not depend on me at ALL! The LORD IS MY RIGHTEOUSNESS.
1 Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
JOY unspeakable and full of glory...thank you LORD JESUS!
LOVE,
M