Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry… It appears from a comparison of many texts of Scripture, that when the word "righteousness" is connected, as in this passage, with "salvation," it does not mean the Divine attribute of justice or rectitude, but the work of righteousness wrought out by the Lord Jesus Christ, and which it is the grand design of the Gospel to reveal and make offer of to sinners of mankind for their justification — their salvation. I. Let us inquire with reference to THE RIGHTEOUSNESS SPOKEN OF, why it is termed, in this and so many other parts of Scripture, "the righteousness of God"? The Lord terms the work of His Son Jesus Christ — His obedience unto death — His whole endurance of the curse, and fulfilment of the precept of the law, His own, God's righteousness. There is no difficulty in seeing why it should be called Christ's, because He wrought it out. Our question is, Why the obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ is termed "the righteousness of God"? 1. It is so called, in marked contrast and opposition to man's own fancied righteousness (Romans 10:3). 2. Because it is that which God has, for the sinner's justification, devised, provided, and stamped with the seal of His approabation and acceptance. 3. Because it was wrought out by God in the person of His eternal Son — Emmanuel, "God manifest in the flesh." II. WHERE, HOW, AND TO WHAT PARTIES OR PERSONS THE LORD BRINGS THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS NEAR? 1. Where? In the Gospel (Romans 1:16). 2. How? In the free and earnest character of the offers and invitations of the Gospel. 3. To whom? "Ye stouthearted that are far from righteousness." Ye that not only have no righteousness but are living at ease, — "stout-hearted," careless, and indifferent, for the present, at least, about finding one — "I bring near My righteousness" to you.While ye despise it, "stout-hearted," I offer it to you; while ye are "far from righteousness," righteousness is brought near to you — it is pressed and urged upon you. Improvement — 1. It may occur to some as an objection, What use in bringing near, and freely offering, a salvation to men wholly indifferent about it? There can be no doubt, that so long as men are "stout-hearted, and far from righteousness," they cannot, in the very nature of the thing, embrace this righteousness; and the offer of it to them is thus, in one sense, to no purpose. But only in one sense. For, not to speak of believers, who often find their hearts so hard, that till they see invitations to the "stout-hearted," they cannot perceive their warrant at all to trust in Christ — the very freeness and universality of the offer, coming with overwhelming grace upon the "stout-hearted" sinner, may just be among the most powerful means blessed of the Holy Ghost for awakening him to deep and serious concern and thought. 2. That you may see how little weight there is in the objection to the doctrine of Christ's righteousness as the ground of justification, observe that we read comparatively seldom in Scripture of the righteousness of Christ — generally of the righteousness of God. 3. We might have remarked, on the question, how the righteousness is brought near, that, besides the freeness and urgency of Gospel offers, the Lord comes specially near at particular seasons, in the events and dealings of His providence. (C. J. Brown.) Parallel Verses KJV: I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. |
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