Today’s reading is Psalm 98.
The LORD has made known his salvation;
Psalm 98:2 (ESV)
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
As we learned earlier in the week, God revealed His righteousness and His salvation to the ends of the earth in events like the exodus, the Red Sea crossing, and the return from Babylon. Every time God gave deliverance to Israel in the book of Judges, God was making known His righteousness and His salvation. When He defeated the four kings by Abraham, brought Jacob back to the promised land with a full tribe, delivered Joseph from the betrayal of his brothers, saved Moses from a watery grave, delivered David from Saul, and so much more, He demonstrated His righteousness.
He did not simply demonstrate His personal moral behavior. He demonstrated He keeps His word and His promises. He does what He commits to doing. He remembers His steadfast love and faithfulness.
With that in mind, we come to Paul’s letter to the Romans.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)
True, God revealed His righteousness by the plagues, the Red Sea crossing, and the defeat of the nations in His land before Israel. Absolutely, God revealed His righteousness by bringing Israel and Judah back from Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, allowing them to rebuild the Lord’s house and city in Jerusalem. But the true demonstration of God’s righteousness, of God’s honesty, God’s trustworthiness, God’s keeping of His Word was demonstrated on the weekend when Jesus who is the Christ died on the cross as the propitiation for our sins and then rose from the tomb on the third day. When He did that and through Jesus established a kingdom in which Jews and Gentiles could come together to worship Him and be His house, He showed Himself to be righteous. He showed Himself faithful to His Word. He showed Himself to be the One who keeps covenants. He showed Himself to be not only just, but also the justifier of all those who will give our allegiance to Jesus the anointed King and Priest, the Messiah and Christ.
The Lord God is righteous. Will you give your allegiance to Him? Can we help you do that? Let us know in the comments below.
Next week’s reading is Psalm 99.
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PATHS:
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