Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
I'm glad you could join us. And if you'd like to follow along
in your Bibles, I'll be preaching from the Old Testament book of
Isaiah chapter 51. Isaiah chapter 51. And my text
is verses 7 and 8 of Isaiah 51. And the title of the message
is, Do You Know Righteousness? Do You Know Righteousness? Now,
often I'll have people ask me why, when I preach, when I teach
from the scriptures, why I speak of righteousness so much. And
I do, admittedly, and I do it on purpose. It's certainly no
accident. And the reason I preach on righteousness
so much is because righteousness is the key subject and the key
truth of the Bible when it comes to understanding salvation by
God's grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the apostle Paul made the statement,
he said, I strive not to know anything among you save Jesus
Christ and him crucified. And that's what I preach. I preach
Christ. Salvation is by Christ. I had one man accuse me, he says,
you don't preach Christ, you preach righteousness. Well, here's
the thing about that. You cannot preach Christ without
preaching righteousness. And you cannot preach righteousness
without preaching Christ because what the Bible calls righteousness
is wrapped up in the glorious person and the finished, completed,
victorious, successful work of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem
His people from their sins. In fact, everything that He did
in His obedience unto death to accomplish salvation and ensure
the salvation of all for whom He died, all whom the Father
hath given Him, is summarized in the phrase, the righteousness
of God. Now, before I get to my text,
let me prove that to you from the scripture, and I'll just
quote Romans 1, 16 through 17 for you. Paul starts off the
book of Romans about talking about the gospel of God, which
is the revelation of the person of Christ, who is Jesus Christ. He is God manifest in the flesh. God with us. He's God and man
in one person. That's who Jesus Christ is. And
you cannot preach Christ without preaching the glorious constitution
of his person. Those who deny his deity deny
him. And those who deny his, and let
me emphasize this, those who deny his sinless humanity deny
him. His name shall be called Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. His name shall
be called Emmanuel, which being interpreted as God with us. And
then Paul goes on to show that the gospel of God has to do with
the person of Christ, the glorious person of Christ, the revelation
of who he is, and the revelation of the success of his work of
redemption as the surety, the substitute, and the redeemer
of his people. Now a surety, he was set up before
the foundation of the world to be the surety of his people.
Now what does a surety do? A surety takes legal responsibility
to pay the debt of those for whom he stands surety. And that's
what Christ did. and does. The Lord chose a people
and gave them to Christ and put all the responsibility of their
salvation, the payment of their sin debt upon him. And that's
why he said, all that the father giveth me shall come to me and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. So that's
a surety. Now in order to pay the debt,
he had to be my substitute. That means he had to take into
union with himself a perfect, sinless human nature, and the
humanity of Christ, the incarnation of Christ, we call that. He was
conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit,
and born on that day, whatever day it was, and came forth from
her womb, and that's the makeup of his person. And in order to,
he had to become man, the Word made flesh, in order to die for
the sins of God's chosen people given to him. Take their place,
die in their stead, suffer the wrath of God for them, okay? And then he's the redeemer. He
bought and paid for his people. He didn't try to save anybody.
These preachers who are telling you that, oh, Christ died for
you, but it's no good unless you seal the deal with your faith.
No, no, no, no. No, His death is the sure salvation
of all for whom He died, including their faith. They will come to
Him. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. How are they gonna come to Him?
By God-given faith, they're gonna be born again. Now that whole
transaction in Romans 1, 16 and 17, listen to how Paul puts it,
by inspiration of the Spirit, he says, for I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, It is the power of God, that word power
means like the dynamite of God. That's how big this thing is.
It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it.
You see, not to all without exception, but only those who believe, and
man by nature won't believe, but we'll get to that in a minute.
To everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and to the Greek
also, that's Jew and Gentile, and verse 17 puts it this way.
For therein, in that gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith, as it is written, the just, the justified,
or you could say the righteous, same word, shall live by faith. That is, if you're justified,
you live by looking to Christ, resting in Him, clinging to Him. That's what that means, to live
by faith. It doesn't mean to live on a wish or a whim. It
doesn't mean to live blindly. There's no such thing as blind
faith in the Bible. So, that's the key. Those who are justified. What
does it mean to be justified? It means to be forgiven of all
my sins. based upon a just ground. And
what is that just ground? The blood of Christ. A righteous
ground, you might say. To be justified is to be declared
righteous in the sight of Almighty God. You see that? And based on what? The righteousness
of Christ. The merits of His obedience unto
death. And I use this word because it's
a biblical word and a lot of people don't know it today. It's
called imputed. In Romans four and six, four
verse six, Paul quoted David saying, blessed is the man to
whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works. So it's imputed,
that means it's charged, it's accounted, all right, it's laid
to my account, his righteousness. And that's how I'm declared righteous
in the sight of God, based upon Christ's righteousness. imputed
to me. As my surety, my sins, my sin
debt, was imputed to Him. As my surety, my substitute,
and my Redeemer, His righteousness is imputed to me. And so, summarized
in that phrase, the righteousness of God. Now, if you go back to
the text now, verse Isaiah 51, this is a prophecy of Christ.
And you'll see the reason I chose this Old Testament prophecy.
The whole chapter is a prophecy of Christ telling Isaiah, the
prophet, telling the Jewish people, the Israelites, to look forward
to the promise of the coming Messiah for righteousness, for
salvation. That's what righteousness is.
It's salvation by Christ. Christ is our righteousness.
Our righteousness is Christ. And look at verse seven now.
This is Isaiah 51. He says, hearken unto me. Hear
me, listen to me. Don't let this go in one ear
and out the other. You that know righteousness. Now there's the
key. Do you know righteousness? The people in whose heart is
my law, He says, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither
be ye afraid of their revilings. And verse eight says, for the
moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like
wool. That's a symbolic language of
their destruction. That is those who do not know
righteousness and hate the people of God. But he says in verse
eight, but my righteousness shall be forever. and my salvation
from generation to generation. Now that verse there, the name
Jesus and the title Christ is not explicitly spelled out in
these verses, but that's exactly who it's talking about. Jesus,
who is my salvation, that's what his name means. He shall save
his people from their sins. Christ, that is the anointed
of God, And he is the salvation of God's people. That's what
his name means. And so, he is their righteousness. Now, he says, hearken unto me,
ye that know righteousness. Do you know righteousness? Now,
let me say this. If you know righteousness, you
know God. And if you don't know righteousness,
you don't know God. God is a just God. He is a righteous
God. He is both a just God and a savior. Back over in Isaiah 45, he mentions
that. You see, what we're talking about
is who God is, according to how he reveals himself in his word,
and that's the problem with people today. They don't wanna bow to
the God of the Bible. They wanna bow to a God of their
imagination, a God who thinks like they do, who acts like they
think he should act. and not as he is. For example,
we hear a lot of messages talking about the love of God today.
And I want to preach the love of God. But if you preach the
love of God without the justice of God, you're not preaching
the God of the Bible. See, God is a loving God. He is love, the scripture says. But his love can only be found
and experienced and enjoyed as sinners look to Christ. There's
not, listen, and I'm not here just to try to offend people.
But we think about evangelism today. That is preaching the
good news to lost people. And we see all these different
formulas and step one, step two, step three things. We preach
this message and then we say, now say with me, sinner, you
know, blah, blah, repeat after me and pray this prayer. My friend,
that's not biblical. And preachers will stand in front
of people and they'll just blanketly say, now God loves you and he's
trying to save you. and they'll go to John 3.16,
which they take out of context. God so loved the world. I love
John 3.16, but it's not talking about all everybody in the world
without exception that has ever been born or ever will be born.
That's not what it's saying. He says, God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The world
there is the world of those who come to God by faith through
Christ. That's what he's talking about.
And I don't have time to go to all the scripture that I could
show you that. But here's the point. There's not one example
in scripture where an evangelist stood before a crowd and blanketly
said, now God loves you, Christ died for you, now the rest is
up to you. You won't find that in the Bible.
Now they stood up and they said, God is holy and just and righteous. And God saves sinners in mercy
and love and grace. But His mercy, His love, His
grace is in Christ. And outside of Christ, there's
no love from God. Outside of Christ, there's no
mercy from God. Outside of Christ, there's no
grace from God. Romans 5.21 says grace reigns
through righteousness. Now there's where we gotta get
to. Do you know righteousness? Grace
reigns, for as sin hath reigned unto death, Romans 5.21, grace
hath reigned through righteousness unto eternal life. And where
are we gonna find righteousness and eternal life? Through Jesus
Christ our Lord. You wanna experience the love
of God? Run to Christ. So when we preach God's love,
we must preach it in the context of God's justice. 1 John 4, I
believe it's verse 10, it says, herein is love, not that we love
God, but that God loved us, talking about His people now, not everybody
without exception, and sent His Son to be the propitiation. for
our sins. Now what is that propitiation?
That's a sin-bearing sacrifice that brings satisfaction to justice. It's righteousness. That's what
it is. And so if you know righteousness,
you know God. God is both a just God, as well
as a savior. God is both a righteous judge,
as well as a loving father. He must be both, a just God.
How's he gonna be both? through the righteousness of
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you know righteousness, you
know the law. Back here in Isaiah 51, verse
seven, he says, hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law. Do you know righteousness? If you do, you know the law.
And what do you know about the law? You know that you cannot
be saved by your works of the law. The law demands perfection
of righteousness and you don't have it, I don't have it. Romans
3 10 says that there is none righteous, no not one. That's talking about us by nature.
And if you know the righteousness and you know the law, you know
that your efforts to make yourself righteous aimed at attaining righteousness before God, aimed
at earning God's favor, earning God's blessing, that they are
dead works, evil deeds, and you cannot do it. If you look back
at Isaiah 51, verse one, listen to what he says here. He says,
hearken to me, you that follow after righteousness. Now how
do you follow after righteousness? You that seek the Lord. You see
that? He says, look unto the rock which
you are hewn. And he says, and to the hole
of the pit which you are dig. What is the rock from which I
was hewn and the hole of the pit which I was dig? I fell in
Adam. I fell in Adam into sin and death.
I was born spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. And it's
impossible for me to save myself. I cannot by my works. I want
you to go to Romans chapter nine with me. And I want you to look
at this. This is how the Apostle Paul,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, summed up the whole problem that
Israel had with their misunderstanding of the law, which means they
didn't know righteousness. The nation as a whole. Now there
were a few. There was a remnant according to the election of
grace. But look at what he says in verse 31 of Romans 9. He says,
but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, now
remember over in Isaiah 51, one, you that follow after righteousness.
All right, he says, Israel, verse 31 of Romans 9, which followed
after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law
of righteousness. They didn't make it. They followed
that. They were trying to be good.
They were trying to be moral. They were trying to be sincere.
Well, is there anything wrong with that? Now think about this. Is there anything wrong with
me trying to be moral and trying to be good and trying to be sincere?
Not in and of itself. But if I expect that to earn
my way to God, earn my salvation, then there's a lot wrong with
it. It's dead works. It's works of unrighteousness
because it denies the glory of God. It elevates me to a place
where I do not belong. And it's nothing more but boasting
in the works of unbelief. But let's go back to Romans nine.
I want you to see the whole point here. Verse 31, but Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, have not attained to the law
of righteousness. Wherefore, verse 32. In other words, why
didn't they make it? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled
at that stumbling stone. Now what is it to seek righteousness
by faith? Okay, now think about it. He's
not saying that your act of believing makes you righteous. What he's
telling us is the person in whom we believe, if he is righteous,
that's what makes us righteous. And he says in verse 33, as it
is written, behold, I lay in Zion, that's the church, a stumbling
stone. This is quoted from Isaiah. And
a rock of offense, and whosoever believeth in him, on him, that
is on a person, who is that person? Christ, shall not be ashamed. And then look at chapter 10 of
Romans, verse one. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved, for I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. Now, back in Isaiah 51, he's
talking to those who know righteousness. But there's a big portion of
Israel and there's a big portion of humanity today And it's always
been the same in every generation who do not know righteousness.
And that's what he's talking about here. He says, for I bear
them record, they have a zeal of God, Romans 10 too, but not
according to righteousness. Verse three, for they being ignorant
of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own
righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God. Now what is the righteousness
of God? Well, here's what I've said, now think about it. If
you know righteousness, you know God, a just God and a Savior. If you know righteousness, you
know the law, and you know yourself. You see, I'm a sinner. And if
I'm going to be saved, it must be totally, 100%, every part
of it, by God's grace, based upon the righteousness of Christ.
And I'm telling you, here's how far that goes. I should try to
be the best I can be in every way, morally, responsibly, sincerely,
but that's not gonna make me righteous. You see, righteousness,
now listen to this very carefully. Righteousness is the perfection
of the law that can only be found in the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at Romans 10 and verse
four. Here's where he says, he said, they followed after righteousness.
They didn't make it because they were seeking it by their works.
And they stumbled at the stumbling stone. Who is that? That's Christ.
And what did Christ tell him? Matthew 5, 20, except your righteousness
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you
shall in no case enter the kingdom of God. So here in Romans 10,
four, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone that believeth. There it is. The perfection of
righteousness which God requires and which we must have if we're
to be saved can only be found in the glorious person and finished
work of Christ. He's the end of the law. He's
the finishing of the law is what that means. Back over in Isaiah
chapter 46, verse 12. Here's a prophecy of Christ.
Listen to what it says. Hearken unto me, this is Isaiah
46, 12. Hearken unto me, you stout-hearted that are far from
righteousness. You know what he's talking about
there? Self-righteous people who are trying to make themselves
righteous by their works and think they've done enough to
please God. They don't know their sinfulness.
They don't know God, they don't know the law, they don't know
themselves. And he says in verse 13, I bring near my righteousness,
God's righteousness. It shall not be far off, and
my salvation shall not tarry, and I will place salvation in
Zion for Israel, my glory. You know who that's talking about?
That's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Two times in the
book of Jeremiah, Christ, the Messiah, is identified by the
Hebrew term Jehovah Sid Canu. And you know what that means?
The Lord, our righteousness. That's what he is. So go back
to Isaiah 51 now. He says, verse seven, let's look
at it again. And back up here in Isaiah 51,
look at verse four. Listen to this, hearken unto
me, my people, give ear unto me, O my nation, for a law shall
proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light
of the people. Verse five, my righteousness
is near, my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge
the people. The isles shall wait upon me,
and on mine arms shall they trust. And then he tells them, verse
six, lift up your eyes to the heavens. In other words, don't
look for righteousness down here on earth in yourself, by your
works and in other men and women. Look under the heaven, look to
God by faith, according to his way of righteousness, which is
Christ. Look upon the earth beneath. See it in light of what God says. For the heavens shall vanish
away like smoke and the earth shall wax old like a garment
and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. Talking about
the physical universe. But my salvation shall be forever
and my righteousness shall not be abolished. That's Christ. And so hearken unto me, you that
know righteousness. Now do you know righteousness?
My friend, if you're trying to work your way into God's favor
to earn his salvation, to earn his blessings, his benefits,
you don't know righteousness. You may think you do, and people
may tell you they do. You know, Christ said the Pharisees
appeared righteous unto men, but they were not. Do you know
righteousness? If you know righteousness, you
know God. You know the law, you know yourself, and mainly, you
know Christ. You know that his blood is the
full payment of all my sins. His righteousness is my only
perfection before God. His righteousness imputed to
me. And when you come to Him by God-given faith, you look
to Him for righteousness and you repent of all that other
stuff, those dead works. Hope you'll join us next week
for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
a copy of today's program or to learn more about Reign of
Grace Media Ministries or Eager Avenue Grace Church, write us
at 1102 Eager Drive, Albany, Georgia, 31707. Contact us by
phone at 229-432-6969 or email us through
our website at www.TheLetterRofGrace.com. Thank you again for listening
today and may the Lord be with you.