1. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne” (Psa. 89:14).
The faithfulness of God is supported by God Himself, and like God Himself, it cannot change. The righteousness of God is the foundation of His throne, and like God’s throne, it cannot be shaken. In relation to Himself, God cannot be unfaithful; in relation to His throne, God cannot be unrighteous. God’s being is related to His word and is a matter of faithfulness; God’s throne is related to His actions and is a matter of righteousness. God speaks to man according to the faithfulness of His inner being. He cannot contradict Himself because He cannot be unfaithful. God rules on His throne according to the righteousness of His inner being. His throne cannot be shaken because He cannot be unrighteous.
1. “Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justly?” (Gen. 18:25).
From His throne God governs the universe. He is the Lord who judges all the earth. He cannot be unrighteous. If He were unrighteous, the foundation of His throne would be overturned, and everything in the universe would be in chaos.
2. “Does God pervert justice? / Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?” (Job 8:3).
God’s position and laws require righteousness. He cannot pervert justice and righteousness.
1. “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
We are sinners before God. God’s righteous requirement condemned us and required us to be punished. Nevertheless, God desires to save, so He caused the Lord Jesus to receive His righteous punishment on our behalf in order to satisfy His righteous requirement. The Lord Jesus did not know sin, so according to God’s righteousness, He did not have to receive God’s punishment. On our behalf, however, the Lord Jesus offered Himself up as a substitutionary sacrifice for us. He bore our sins and also was made sin on our behalf. Thus, in His righteousness, God judged Him. According to the righteousness of God, God’s judgment was carried out because of the sins that Christ bore and because He was made sin. Because the Lord Jesus received the righteous judgment of God on our behalf, He also satisfied God’s righteous requirement for us. Now the righteousness of God requires God to forgive and justify us. We have become the righteousness of God in the Lord Jesus because He fulfilled God’s righteousness. Since He fulfilled God’s righteousness on our behalf, God must justify us in Him. Therefore, the righteousness of God is manifested in those who are in Christ. In Christ we have become the righteousness of God. Just as Christ became sin for us, we have become the righteousness of God in Him. He was joined to us and made sin so that we might be joined to Him to become the righteousness of God.
1. “The gospel...is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes...For the righteousness of God is revealed in it” (Rom. 1:16-17).
The gospel of God is powerful and can save everyone who believes it because the gospel is based on the righteousness of God. This does not depend on man’s righteousness. Since the righteousness of God allowed the Lord Jesus to be our Substitute, judging us and our sins in Him, God must forgive our sins and justify us when we believe in the Lord Jesus. This righteousness of God is the base of the gospel, and it is revealed in the gospel. The gospel is powerful because it requires God to save us; He must forgive us and justify us.
1. “Grace might reign through righteousness” (Rom. 5:21).
The grace of God reigns through righteousness. To reign is to rule with authority. Thus, the righteousness of God gives authority to the grace of God. The grace of God can come to us with authority because it has passed through the procedure of God’s righteousness. Since God’s righteousness has justified us and enables us to meet the standard of His righteous requirement, the grace of God cannot be withheld; rather, it comes to us because we have the right to enjoy God and all that He is and has.