Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-10-09
&eadiua tar the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriglnal.]
GOD,s RIGHTEOUSNESS.

pecially in the New Testament 1t will be
found in Matthew, 533 in Romans, 10:3,
and in many other places. In the Greek New
Testament there are three words very much
alike in appearance, and of kindred significa-
tion but still they should not be COMPOUNDED.
The one used in the texts referred to above, is
likaiosur,e, another is dikaioma, and the other
dikaiosis. The first signifies righteousness in
the abstract, and also signifies perfect conform
ity to law. The second signifies single act
of obedience to law; the last denotes the act of
being justified on account of righteousness.
The righteousness Of God, then, can mean
but one of two things in the passages of Scrip
ture referred to. 1t means either that attrib-
ute of God which we call righteousness, or it
means that which results from obedience to
law. 1t must be evident that it does not mean,
in those passages to which we have referred,
the attribute of God, for it would be contrary
to the whole tenor of the Scriptures. When
we are commanded to seek the kingdom of God
and his righteousness, it can not be meant that
we are to seek that attribute of God which we
call Righteousness. Nor can we believe thatit
is the attribute of Deity that is meant, when
Gods righteousness and going about to estab-
lish their own righteousness, have not submit
ted themselves to the righteousness Of God"
The structure of the sentence and it's immedi-
ate context, forbids such conclusion. 1t is
readily admitted that the words, HGod's right
eousness, may mean, and often do mean, the
divine attribute which we call righteousness.
This is far from admitting that they never
mean anything else The meaning of the ex-
preston, "God's righteousness" in the pas
sages quoted, is that tperfect conformity to law
which God provided for the justification of
sinners.
1t was this of which the Jews were ignorant.
We dare not say that the Jews ever were so de-
graded that they did not know that one of the
attributes of God is righteousness. More than
this. It is impossible to conceive how any
person could 60 about to establish an attribute
of his own. If he could establish one attrib-
ute, why not another, and another, indefi-
nitely?
The righteousness Of God lies at the very
foundation of our justification. 1t will ap-
pear to any rejecting mind, that no one can be
justified without Righteousness. In human
courts, such thing is possible; but with God
it is impossible. By justification, is meant,
simply, that the individual whose acts have
passed under review, has not been proven to
violate law, and, consequently, is not guilty;
that is not liable to punishment. 1t is taken
for granted that he has not violated the law,
but has obeyed it. For the want of evidence,
the violator of law may, nay often does, es-
cape punishment, or is justified /; while those
who have not disobeyed the law are, on ac-
count of various defects, in all human tribu-
nails, punished. Such things are not possible
with God. He is Omniscient All things,
even the thoughts and intent of the heart, are
well known to Him.
This righteousness of God, which we are
commanded to seek, is the ground of our JUS
tiication. 1t is called Gods righteousness,
very properly, because he provided it. He
sent his own son into the world to bring in an
everlasting Righteousness. 1t is called Gods
Righteousness because the whole redemption
scheme is, from beginning to end, of the triune
| God.
The expression, Goods righteousness, de-
notes the perfect conformity which Jesus Christ
rendered to the law of God 1t is this obe-
dence, and nothing else, which is the ground
of our justification. 1t was this of which the
Jews of old and many-fearfully many-of
the present day, are grossly ignorant. In their
| ignorance they spend their lives, in vain at
tempts to establish their own righteousness.
They have undertaken to work out a right
eousness of their own, which will satisfy a
| l>.o1, roI foil 30 INN
| for them to succeed.
The obedience of Jesus Christ which, in the
Scriptures, is called "God's righteousness" is
received by faith. In the gospel of Christ,
this fact is revealed, and the preacher of the
gospel is commanded to make an offer of Gods
Righteousness to every creature in all the
world. Those who accept this righteousness
are called believers, and those who either re-
ject it or neglect it, are said to be going about
to establish their own righteousness.
Martin Luther says that justification by
faith is the article of standing or falling
church. BY this he means that the chief cor
| ner stone in the church of the living God, is
| 'sGod's righteousness which is Christ's obe-
dience to Gods law. This obedience of Christ
was absolutely vicatious; that is, it was for
sinners. In the law room of sinners, Christ
obeyed the law, and for the benefit Of sinners
he obeyed it. Hence, Paul, with emphasis,
says, Christ is ''the end of law for righteous
ness to every one that believeth." Christ is
| all in ALL His righteousness is perfect right
eousness. All that accept it have all that God
requires in order to justification. The death
of Christ takes away the guilt of sin, and his
Righteousness secures title to heaven. In
Christ the believer is complete. He has every
thing that the law of God requires. All that
is required of the sinner, in order to secure the
pardon of his sins and title to heaven, is
faith and this is the gift of God. The be-
lever is made fit for heaven by the sanctifying
influences of the Holy Spirit. 1t is the Holy
Spirit that quickens into life the soul, dead in
trespasses and sins. Hence, the whole of the
sinners salvation, from beginning to end, is
of grace. God does all the work and claims
all the glory In the providing of a redemp-
tion-price and righteousness, the triune God
acts independent of the sinner; but in the
sanctitication of the sinner, the sinner is CO.
laborer with the Holy Spirit. In the former,
the sinner is required to do nothing in the
latter he is commanded to watch and pray
How WE BUILD CHURCHEs.-Whether we
build churches or cottages, barns or business
blocks, the one thing needful for their final
fitness and worth is a clear conception before
hand of the motive that calls them into being.
1t is well to show our faith by our works, but
faith must lead the way, or the value of the
works will be more than doubtful.
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