CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). No heart escapes that verdict, no life stands untouched by its weight. Before the blazing holiness of the Almighty, the proudest saint bows low, for even the best of men are but men at their best. Our righteousness, though we prize it, is as filthy rags before Him (Isaiah 64:6). The heart, deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, cannot lift itself into heaven (Jeremiah 17:9). It must be redeemed—or remain lost forever.
Yet out of the midnight of man’s ruin rose the mercy of God. Out of the dark soil of despair sprang the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). The prophets had spoken long ago: “Behold, the days are coming…and this is His name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6). In Jesus Christ, that promise came to life. Heaven stooped to earth. The Eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
And then, upon a lonely hill, the wonder of all wonders took place. The spotless Lamb of God was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He who knew no sin bore our curse (Galatians 3:13). The Innocent was condemned that the guilty might go free. The Prince of Glory wore a crown of thorns that we might receive a crown of life.
At the cross, the worst of us was laid upon the best of Heaven. There mercy and truth met together. Righteousness and peace kissed each other (Psalm 85:10). He bore the wrath that should have fallen upon us. He took our shame, our rebellion, our ruin, and in its place gave us His righteousness, His peace, His glory. From His wounded side flowed rivers of redeeming grace (John 19:34).
Now the sinner who believes stands before God robed in garments of salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). No longer naked and ashamed, no longer a stranger to grace, but clothed in Christ Himself. The Father looks upon the believer and sees not the stains of sin, but the beauty of His Son. The ring of sonship is placed upon the finger, the robe upon the shoulders, the feast prepared, and the Father rejoices, “For this my son was dead and is alive again” (Luke 15:22–24).
When Satan accuses, Christ intercedes (Romans 8:34). When conscience trembles, His blood speaks peace (Hebrews 12:24). The soul that once fled in fear now draws near with confidence to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). The righteousness of Christ is not a fading cloak but an everlasting covering. He is our righteousness, our refuge, and our beauty forever.
Christ is not merely the giver of righteousness—He is righteousness itself (1 Corinthians 1:30). To be “in Christ” is to stand where judgment cannot reach. The believer’s safety lies not in his strength but in his Substitute. Our hope is not a ladder to climb, but a Rock to stand upon. His obedience is ours, His perfection counted as our own. The Father beholds us through the righteousness of the Son, and the verdict is forever changed from guilty to justified (Romans 5:19).
Every virtue we possess is borrowed light. Every holy affection is kindled from His flame. We have no goodness apart from Him, no standing but in Him, no glory save His cross (Galatians 6:14). To say “Christ is my righteousness” is to rest the soul entirely upon Him—to cease from striving and trust the finished work of Calvary.
And having been justified, the believer walks as a child of light. Grace does not make him careless, but consecrated. It teaches the heart to love holiness and to hate sin (Titus 2:11-12). The Holy Spirit breathes within, shaping the soul into the likeness of Christ. The cross that once broke his pride now becomes his pattern. Every trial is another chisel in the Sculptor’s hand, carving the image of the Son into the marble of the redeemed heart.
We no longer labor to earn His favor. We labor because we have seen His face. Gratitude becomes the melody of obedience. Love becomes the law of life. The one who was a slave now serves as a son (Galatians 4:7). Even when the path is steep and the night is long, the believer walks on with a song in his heart, for his Redeemer lives (Job 19:25).
Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). This peace is not like the calm before a storm—it is the calm no storm can shake. It is the stillness of a soul anchored in the Rock of Ages. And with that peace comes hope—strong, steady, and unbreakable (Hebrews 6:19).
The righteousness of Christ will never fade, for it was woven in eternity and sealed with His blood. By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Salvation is a twofold wonder: justification, the declaration of Heaven (Romans 4:5), and sanctification, Heaven’s work within (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We are made righteous in standing, and we grow righteous in spirit. The life of faith is not a climb toward favor but a walk within grace. The pierced hands now uphold us. The Shepherd who sought us now leads us home.
Oh, what a Gospel this is! That God should take the rags of sin and exchange them for robes of righteousness (Zechariah 3:4–5). That the guilty should become the beloved. That the rebel should sit at the Father’s table as a child of mercy.
So let us live by faith. Let us walk in gratitude. Let us fix our eyes upon Christ, who is our righteousness, our peace, and our everlasting joy. And when at last we stand before His throne, we will have no boasting—save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). We will lift our eyes to the Lamb and say,
“Thou, O Lord, art my righteousness and my song” (Exodus 15:2).
Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, my refuge, and my Redeemer. I bring nothing to Your altar but my need, and You clothe me with Your grace. Keep me hidden in Your righteousness. Let Your cross silence my pride and Your Spirit sanctify my steps. Teach me to rest in Your finished work and to rise each day clothed in Your mercy. When Satan accuses, let me point to Your blood. When fear whispers, let me hear Your voice. Form in me the beauty of holiness until I stand complete in You. In Your holy name I pray, Amen.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
