The manifestation of God’s righteousness is mentioned twice in the book of Romans. Romans 1:17 says that the righteousness of God is revealed out of faith to faith. Then Romans 3:21 says that the righteousness of God has been manifested without the law. Now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested through faith of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22).
By forgiving us God shows forth His righteousness. He makes a declaration to the whole universe that because He is righteous, He must forgive us for our sins. Because His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was put to death by Him on the cross on our behalf, God is legally obligated to forgive us. Whether He is happy with us or not, He must forgive us according to His righteousness. God knows that whenever a person points to the resurrected and ascended Christ as a “receipt” for sin, God must forgive that one. In this matter the righteous God has no choice.
Whenever our conscience condemns us because of our failures, we need to remember to stand upon the foundation of God’s righteousness. You may be fervent for the Lord today. But in the future you may fail Him and become very disappointed with yourself, unable to believe that God could ever forgive you. At such a time you need to praise God for His righteousness. Tell Him that no matter how much you have failed, Christ is still at His right hand as the receipt for payment for all your debts (Heb. 1:3). Our experience may fluctuate, but God remains righteous forever. Whenever we confess our sins, claim the blood of Jesus, and appeal to God’s righteousness, God has no choice except to forgive us.
Our experience of Christ rests on the foundation of God’s righteousness. The foundation is not our fervency or victory; it is God’s righteousness, the unshakable foundation of God’s throne (Psa. 89:14). God has shown forth His righteousness by forgiving us of our sins. In this way God has proved that He is righteous. Now such righteousness of God is our solid foundation.
We have seen that both love and grace may change, but righteousness is solid and steadfast. God is free either to love us or not to love us; however, He is bound by His righteousness. Because Christ died to fulfill God’s righteous requirements, God has put Himself into a position where He is legally bound to forgive everyone who believes in Christ. God is bound by His own righteousness to forgive us. Therefore, the righteousness that is the foundation of God’s throne is also the foundation of our salvation. Can the foundation of God’s throne be shaken? Certainly not. Likewise, the foundation of our salvation cannot be shaken.
If we consider ourselves, we shall realize that we are not lovable or worthy of God’s grace. We simply do not deserve anything from God. But God is righteous. He put Christ to death on our behalf, and He has recognized the death of Christ as the full payment of our debt. Therefore, we can boldly say to God, “If You do not deal with me according to Your righteousness, Your throne will be shaken. The important issue is not whether or not I shall be saved or perish; it is whether or not You will allow the foundation of Your throne to be shaken. God, I remind You of Your righteousness. Christ has died for my sins, and He is now at Your right hand as proof that You have received His payment for all my debts. According to Your righteousness, You have no choice except to forgive me. You are legally bound to forgive me of my sins. O Father God, I appreciate Your love and grace. But now I stand before You in Your righteousness. Because You are righteous, You must forgive me.” Have you ever prayed to God in this way? It pleases Him when we pray like this. This is a prayer that knows God’s righteousness and appeals to God according to His righteousness. Our God is righteous, and the gospel of Christ is the power of God because the righteousness of God is revealed in it. Such a divine righteousness is a strong attribute of God.
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