ROMANS UNWRAPPED 17

                   "THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD REVEALED  "   Romans 1 v 17

We have already seen that the word "righteousness" refers to God making us right with Himself, or in its original usage  "straight" with Himself.   Since over 4,000 years of human history, and certainly a further 2,000 years of human history has proved that, as we are, and by our own means, we are unable to meet God's standards,  God Himself has intervened and in the gospel supplies His own righteousness that men and women might be reconciled to Him.   Paul quotes, to explain this term in the prophesy of Habakkuk, "the just shall live by faith"   Habakkuk 2 v 4 .

Habakkuk had a great dilemma, which is the same dilemma thousands have had since, and many have today.   Habakkuk 1 v 12  How can a Holy God who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity," how can such a God allow sin, with all its evils, to continue?    Why does He sit back and do nothing?   and how can this situation be resolved?   This very question has stumbled the minds of even the greatest thinkers.    Legend has it that Socrates once wrote to Plato saying "it may be possible that Deity can forgive human sin, but I don't know how."    The answer of God to Habakkuk was clear;

"WRITE THE VISION AND MAKE IT PLAIN UPON TABLES THAT HE MAY RUN WHO READS IT, FOR THE VISION IS FOR AN APPOINTED TIME, BUT AT THE END IT SHALL SPEAK AND SHALL NOT LIE.   THOUGH IT TARRY WAIT FOR IT BECAUSE IT WILL SURELY COME IT WILL NOT TARRY.   BEHOLD HIS SOUL IS LIFTED UP WITHIN HIM, BUT THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH."   Habakkuk 2 v 1 - 4

Says Paul, that promised appointed time has come.   Essentially, what God is saying is that the world had to first understand His holiness and righteousness, before He could demonstrate His love.   God is holy and the entrance of sin into the world brought a seemingly unbridgeable gulf between God and man.   In a delightful trilogy of books, GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS the whole picture is revealed.  

In Genesis we have man driven out of the presence of God because of sin, and the way barred by cherubims so there was no possibility of coming back.    In Leviticus we have man invited to approach God in worship, God calling out from the mercy seat, inviting men to come back.   What made the difference?   What happened between Genesis and Leviticus to make this possible?
simply enough, the book of Exodus where we have the slaying of the Paschal lamb, and the applying of the blood to the homes of the Israelites, and God declaring "when I see the blood I will pass over you."   Exodus 12 v 13

From the very beginning God has shown there is only one way back to Himself for all human beings;  this is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ " who offered Himself without spot to God."
Hebrews 9 v 14    This is the only way, the only possible way we can be right with God.

Little did Habakkuk know, that when he penned these glorious words "the just shall live by faith" that it would become the basis for three New Testament epistles Romans 1 v 17  -  emphasis on "just"; Galatians 3 v 11  emphasis on "live"; Hebrews 10 v 38 - emphasis on "faith".   Also, little did he know that it would trigger the REFORMATION, bringing the light of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, by faith alone, to a world that for over 1,000 years had lived in relative spiritual darkness.

We have to look into this further, notably, the difference between God's inherent righteousness (which describes His own holiness) and God's imputed righteousness,( which is His gift to all of us if only we will take it.)  This is something we don't deserve, but it is offered to us freely, because of what Christ has done.

Today we close with the words of the hymn by Thomas Binney which perfectly sum up this wonderful word "righteousness" God's gift to mankind.

"Eternal light! eternal light!
How pure the soul must be
When, placed within Thy searching sight,
It shrinks not, but with calm delight
Can live and look on Thee.

The spirits that surround Thy throne
May bear the burning bliss;
But that is surely theirs alone
Since they have never, never known,
A fallen world like this.

O how shall I, whose native sphere,
is dark, whose mind is dim,
Before the Ineffable appear,
And on my naked spirit bear
The uncreated beam?

There is a way for man to rise,
To that sublime abode;
An offering and a sacrifice,
A Holy Spirit's energies,
An Advocate with God.

These, these prepare us for the sight
Of holiness above;
The sons of ignorance and night
May dwell in the eternal Light,
Through the eternal Love!

Tomorrow the righteousness of God part 2.