“Their righteousness is from Me!” Isaiah 54:17
The longer the Christian lives, the more he learns. And the more the Spirit teaches him, the more he loathes himself and renounces his own righteousness as filthy rags.
He hoped sensibly . . .
to grow in holiness,
feel his corruptions subdued, and
to enjoy the presence of his God without interruption.
But instead of this:
the depravity of his nature appears more and more dreadful!
He thinks himself to be a monster of iniquity and wonders how God can possibly love him or show any favor unto him.
Yet, this heart-felt experience . . .
endears God’s free grace,
renders Christ unspeakably precious.
And the gift of righteousness is invaluable!
How can such a man be just before God?
Where is his righteousness to come from?
Jehovah answers, “His righteousness is from Me!”
Jesus wrought it;
the Father imputes it to us;
the gospel reveals it; and
faith receives it, puts it on, and pleads it before God.
Precious Jesus! In You alone, I have righteousness and strength!
Earth’s broken things
“This man welcomes sinners—and eats with them!” Luke 15:2
“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you!” Matthew 21:31
Christ is building His kingdom with earth’s broken things.
Men want only the strong, the successful, the victorious, the unbroken—in building their kingdoms. But God is the God of the broken, the unsuccessful, of those who have failed. Heaven is filling with earth’s broken lives, and there is no ‘bruised reed’ which Christ cannot take and restore to glorious blessedness and beauty. He can take the life crushed by pain or sorrow—and make it into a harp whose music shall be all praise. He can lift earth’s saddest failure—up to heaven’s glory!