The Righteousness of God

[Sue J Love]

“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26 NASB1995)

What is meant here by “the Law”? It is speaking of the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel, who were Jews only at that time. Under the Old Covenant, the people of God were required of God to obey a long list of liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, circumcision, dietary, and Sabbath laws. But when Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him so we might die to sin and live for him and his righteousness, he did away with the Old Covenant Law, but he did not do away with God’s moral laws which remained intact under the New Covenant.

And the Lord makes it quite clear, all throughout the New Testament Scriptures, that under the New Covenant God has with his people (Jew and Gentile by biblical faith in Jesus Christ) we do not become lawless. We are still required of God to submit to him as Lord and to obey his commands and to die with him to sin and to live for him in righteousness – all in the power of God by biblical faith in Jesus Christ which comes from God and is not of our own doing. For if sin is what we obey and not obedience to God and to his commands, we will not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

Now, all of us who were born into this world (with the exception of Jesus Christ) were born with sin natures, in the image of Adam, the first man God created, and the first man to sin against God. Thus, we were separate from God, and we were unable in our own flesh to be acceptable to God. So, by the grace of God, via Jesus’ death and resurrection, by God-gifted faith in our Lord, we can be delivered from our slavery to sin and now serve the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. (Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and not of man, so he was not born with a sin nature as we are.)

Now, when Jesus Christ (God, the Son) died on that cross, it was to put our sins to death with him. And then he rose from the dead in victory over death, hell, Satan, and sin, on our behalf. And all this was so that, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, we will now die to sin and live for God in walks of surrender to his will, in obedience to his commands, by the grace of God, and in the power of God, according to the will of God for our lives. Sin is to no longer have mastery over our lives, but God only should be our Lord and master. And obedience to him and to his commands is required of him.

So, please know that God’s gift of grace to us, via Jesus’ death and resurrection, is not permission for us to continue in deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord, in direct defiance of him and his commands. God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is instructing and training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await Jesus Christ’s return. For not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones doing (obeying) the will of God the Father, who is in heaven.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

In Faithfulness He Leads Me

Based off Various Scriptures:
(Psalms 26:3; Psalms 86:11; Psalms 91:4-5; Psalms 111:7-8; Psalms 119:73-76; Isaiah 25:1-9; Isaiah 42:6-7; Hosea 2:16-20)
An Original Work / March 20, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Teach me Your ways, Lord, and I’ll walk in them.
Give me a pure heart. I’ll fear Your name.
Your love is always, ever before me.
Continually I’ll walk in Your truth.
You will cover me with feathers.
Under Your wings I’ll find refuge.
My Lord’s faithfulness will be my
Comfort and my shield.
The works of His hands are faithful and just.
Trustworthy are all of His precepts.

Your hands have made me, and they have formed me.
Give understanding of Your commands.
I have put my hope, O Lord, in Your word.
Your teachings, O Lord, are righteousness.
Lord, in faithfulness You have
Afflicted me so I may learn of
Your unfailing love and comfort
And Your truthfulness.
You are my husband; You have betrothed me
In love, compassion and faithfulness.

O Lord, You are my God, I’ll exalt You.
In faithfulness You’ve done wondrous things.
You’ve been a refuge for those who’re needy;
A shelter in storms; shade from the heat.
This is the Lord, we trusted in Him,
Let us be glad and rejoice
In His salvation which He
Provided through the Lamb.
Open the blind eyes; free all the captives.
Tell them of Jesus: “Be born again!”

The Righteousness of God
An Original Work / April 13, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

[NBTT]

Thanks for this reminder. Pastors today focus only on saying a prayer and you're done. One sign that the Holy Spirit is in us is that it grieves us when we do something that hurts God and also ourselves also since we are in Christ.

I see God/Jesus as outside of time. "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." JN 8:58

If I have a hateful thought about someone tomorrow as a believer, Jesus pays the price of the wrath of God for every bit of that sin. To God/Jesus who are outside of time it all happens now. Everything and every time to God is as crystal clear and as real as now is to us. It's not like Jesus suffered once 2000 years ago and filled up a huge container of forgiveness that we help ourselves from whenever we sin. Every sin we commit as believers contributes directly to the wrath of God that Jesus suffers. When we sin, we hurt Jesus and add to his suffering now.

Unsaved people will pay the price for their sin themselves when the wrath of God falls upon them. We believers are 100% responsible for what Jesus suffers in payment for sin. Understanding this helps me be more grateful and obedient to Jesus but not as much as I should.

 

[Sue J Love]

Thanks for this reminder. Pastors today focus only on saying a prayer and you're done. One sign that the Holy Spirit is in us is that it grieves us when we do something that hurts God and also ourselves also since we are in Christ.

I see God/Jesus as outside of time. "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." JN 8:58

If I have a hateful thought about someone tomorrow as a believer, Jesus pays the price of the wrath of God for every bit of that sin. To God/Jesus who are outside of time it all happens now. Everything and every time to God is as crystal clear and as real as now is to us. It's not like Jesus suffered once 2000 years ago and filled up a huge container of forgiveness that we help ourselves from whenever we sin. Every sin we commit as believers contributes directly to the wrath of God that Jesus suffers. When we sin, we hurt Jesus and add to his suffering now.

Unsaved people will pay the price for their sin themselves when the wrath of God falls upon them. We believers are 100% responsible for what Jesus suffers in payment for sin. Understanding this helps me be more grateful and obedient to Jesus but not as much as I should.

NBTT, I am not quite following you here. Jesus already paid the price for our sins. By faith in him we are forgiven of our sins. His grace covers our sins, but not all sin. The Scriptures make it clear that we must no longer walk in sin, that sin must no longer be our habit, and that obedience to God and to his commands must be what we practice. This does not mean we will be perfect or that we will never sin (1 John 2:1-2). But if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of obedience to his commands, then we do not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. So, with regard to the "unsaved," they are all who deliberately and habitually sin against God and who deliberately and habitually disobey God's commands, and that includes many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips.

 

[NBTT]

My STEM background causes me to see time in a different way than what is intuitive to everyone. This is absolutely not necessary for Christians. The bible actually encourages us to become like children and simply trust Jesus but I can't help see the common truth between science and the bible. For me it deepens my faith to see the same awesomeness of God expressed in His word and his creation.

People I share the gospel with tend to object: "even if the story of Jesus is true, what does his crucifixion 2000 years ago have to do with me?". We are body and spirit. When we believe, our spirit joins with Christ who is outside of time and we literally are crucified and risen as part of Him. Born again. This is not 2000 years ago for God. This is.

What I was trying to express (poorly) in the previous post is that our sins that Jesus pays for by absorbing the wrath of God outside of time. There is no difference to God between today, tomorrow and 2000 years ago. If I have a negative thought because someone calls me names on this forum, I'm directly responsible for Jesus suffering the wrath of God. I love Jesus and don't want his/my suffering as believers are part of Him. Our bodies and entire lives are inside of time so it's impossible to understand our God who is outside of it and created time and space itself.

 

[Sue J Love]

My STEM background causes me to see time in a different way than what is intuitive to everyone. This is absolutely not necessary for Christians. The bible actually encourages us to become like children and simply trust Jesus but I can't help see the common truth between science and the bible. For me it deepens my faith to see the same awesomeness of God expressed in His word and his creation.

People I share the gospel with tend to object: "even if the story of Jesus is true, what does his crucifixion 2000 years ago have to do with me?". We are body and spirit. When we believe, our spirit joins with Christ who is outside of time and we literally are crucified and risen as part of Him. Born again. This is not 2000 years ago for God. This is.

What I was trying to express (poorly) in the previous post is that our sins that Jesus pays for by absorbing the wrath of God outside of time. There is no difference to God between today, tomorrow and 2000 years ago. If I have a negative thought because someone calls me names on this forum, I'm directly responsible for Jesus suffering the wrath of God. I love Jesus and don't want his/my suffering as believers are part of Him. Our bodies and entire lives are inside of time so it's impossible to understand our God who is outside of it and created time and space itself.

NBTT, thank you for your thoughtful response. I apologize that I am not quite able to comprehend what you are saying here in entirety. But that is nothing against you. I do have difficulty understanding some things sometimes. But that's okay.