Christian Doctrine : f. The Righteousness of God.

The Communicable Attributes of God

Introduction

God is always right and just, in His person and His actions. He always acts in accordance with His own law and is consistent. What chaos would be in the world is God was unrighteous?. The whole Moral universe would be out of kilter.

God is always right, just and Holy.

Righteousness G1343 δικαιοσύνη dikaiosunē Thayer Definition:

1) in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God

1a) the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God

1b) integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting

2) in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due

Part of Speech: noun feminine

Rom 1:17  For in the Good News a righteousness which comes from God is being revealed, depending on faith and tending to produce faith; as the Scripture has it, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Notes

Barnes :(3) the phrase “righteousness of God” is equivalent to God’s “plan of justifying people; his scheme of declaring them just in the sight of the Law; or of acquitting them from punishment, and admitting them to favor.” In this sense it stands opposed to man’s plan of justification, that is, by his own works: God’s plan is by faith. The way in which that is done is revealed in the gospel. The object contemplated to be done is to treat people as if they were righteous.

Man attempted to accomplish this by obedience to the Law. The plan of God was to arrive at it by faith. Here the two schemes differ; and the great design of this Epistle (to the Romans) is to show that man cannot be justified on his own plan, to wit, by works; and that the plan of God is the only way, and a wise and glorious way of making man just in the eye of the Law. No small part of the perplexity usually attending this subject will be avoided if it is remembered that the discussion in this Epistle pertains to the question, “how can mortal man be just with God?” The apostle shows that it cannot be by works; and that it “can be” by faith. This latter is what he calls the “righteousness of God” which is revealed in the Gospel.

Man is declared Righteous by Faith in Christ.

The word to “justify,” δικαιόω  dikaioō, means properly “to be just, to be innocent, to be righteous.” It then means to “declare,” or treat as righteous; as when a man is charged with an offence. and is acquitted. If the crime alleged is not proved against him, he is declared by the Law to be innocent. It then means to “treat as if innocent, to regard as innocent;” that is, to pardon, to forgive, and consequently to treat as if the offence had not occurred…………….

The primary meaning of the word is, therefore, “to be innocent, pure, etc.” and hence, the name means “righteousness” in general. For this use of the word, see Mat_3:15; Mat_5:6, Mat_5:10, Mat_5:20; Mat_21:32; Luk_1:75; Act_10:35; Act_13:10; Rom_2:26; Rom_8:4, etc.

Man can only be righteous by IMPUTATION.

Imputation "is used to designate any action or word or thing as reckoned to a person. Thus in doctrinal language (1) the sin of Adam is imputed to all his descendants, i.e., it is reckoned as theirs, and they are dealt with therefore as guilty; (2) the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that believe in him, or so attributed to them as to be considered their own; and (3) our sins are imputed to Christ, i.e., he assumed our 'law-place,' undertook to answer the demands of justice for our sins. In all these cases the nature of imputation is the same (Rom. 5:12-19; comp. Philemon 1:18, 19)." [1]

Imputation is distinct from impartation and infusion. The Greek verb for imputation,logizomai is used more than 40 times in the New Testament. It used ten times in Romans chapter 4—sometimes called the "imputation chapter." In the King James Version, logizomai is translated 'counted' (Rom 4:3, 5), 'reckoned' (Rom 4:4, 10), and 'imputed' (Rom 4:6, 8, 11, 22, 23, 24). Theopedia.com

The Imputation of God’s Righteousness

A primary line of argumentation for this doctrine maintains that perfect righteousness or holiness is necessary to be with God. All mankind "fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) because all their 'righteousness' is like filthy rags (Is 64:6) before the throne of God, and so all are "dead in their trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1), and as a result "will not come into [God's] light for fear that their evil deeds will be revealed" (John 3:20). All mankind is in this predicament because all are the offspring of Adam and Eve (Rom 5) who originally sinned against God. As a result of Adam's fall, the world was cursed and sin entered the world. But upon confession of one's own sin and faith in Christ's death and resurrection, the sinner is justified and counted as having the righteousness of Christ. Theopedia.com

Romans 3:24-25

Rom 3:24  being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;

Rom 3:25  whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness through the passing by of the sins that had taken place before, in the forbearance of God;

Applications.

1. Are you feeling that you are condemned before the Court of god because of your sinfulness? Then you are like everyone on this planet “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all in the same predicament.
2. The Israelites tried to get into the place of acceptance with God by law-keeping but they failed miserably. If by law works you think that you will make it and reach heaven you are deceived. “For by keeping the law no person shall be justified before God.”

Gal 3:6  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Gal 3:7  Therefore know that those of faith, these are the sons of Abraham.

Gal 3:8  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations through faith, preached the gospel before to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all nations be blessed."

Gal 3:9  So then those of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Gal 3:10  For as many as are out of works of the Law, these are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them."

Gal 3:11  But that no one is justified by the Law in the sight of God is clear, for, "The just shall live by faith."

Gal 3:12  But the Law is not of faith; but, "The man who does these things shall live in them."

Gal 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone having been hanged on a tree");

Gal 3:14  so that the blessing of Abraham might be to the nations in Jesus Christ, and that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

3. Faith in Christ is what God is looking for.To Trust in Christ to forgive your sin and accept you because of your faith.

4. Now God attributes to you or imputes to you the Righteousness of Christ.