April 12 | EVALUATING YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6).

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Your relationship with God is the measure of your righteousness.

Righteousness” means “to be right with God.” When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you passionately desire an ongoing and ever-maturing relationship with God Himself.
Righteousness begins with salvation and continues in sanctification. Only after you abandon all self-righteousness and hunger for salvation will you be cleansed from sin and made righteous in Christ. Then you embark on a lifelong process of becoming as righteous as Christ—a process that will culminate when you are fully glorified in His presence (Rom. 8:29–30; 1 John 3:2). There’s always need for improvement in this life (Phil. 3:12–14), but satisfaction comes in communing with Christ and growing in His grace.
You can know if you’re hungering and thirsting for righteousness by asking yourself some simple questions. First, are you dissatisfied with your sin? Self-satisfaction is impossible if you are aware of your sin and if you grieve when you fall short of God’s holy standard.
Second, do external things satisfy your longings? A hungry man isn’t satisfied until he eats. A thirsty man isn’t satisfied until he drinks. When you hunger and thirst after righteousness, only God’s righteousness can satisfy you.
Third, do you have an appetite for God’s Word? Hungry people don’t need to be told to eat. It’s instinctive! Spiritual hunger will drive you to feed on the Word in order to learn what God says about increasing in righteousness.
Fourth, are you content amid difficulties? A hungry soul is content despite the pain it goes through, because it sees every trial as a means by which God is teaching greater righteousness. If you react with anger or resentment when things go wrong, you’re seeking superficial happiness.
Finally, are your hunger and thirst unconditional? The rich young ruler in Matthew 19 knew there was a void in his life but was unwilling to give up his possessions. His hunger was conditional.
Christ will fully satisfy every longing of your heart, and yet you will also constantly desire more of His righteousness. That’s the blessed paradox of hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Read Psalm 112 as a hymn of praise to God.

For Further Study: Read the following verses, noting how God satisfies those who trust in Him: Psalm 34:10; 107:9; Isaiah 55:1–3; John 4:14; 6:35.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 115). Crossway Books.

Morning, January 31 | “The Lord our Righteousness.”—Jeremiah 23:6

It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and remember that we are “perfect in Christ Jesus.” It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that “Christ is made unto us righteousness,” we shall be of good cheer. What though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all. On the cross he said, “It is finished!” and if it be finished, then am I complete in him, and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, “Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” You will not find on this side of heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ’s righteousness. When the believer says, “I live on Christ alone; I rest on him solely for salvation; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus;” then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought—“Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love him and serve him, seeing that I am saved by his merits?” “The love of Christ constraineth us,” “that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them.” If saved by imputed righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.

JANUARY 25 | The righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

God, You made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for me, that I might become Your righteousness in Him. Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law, having become a curse for me. Christ Jesus became for me wisdom from You—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according to Your mercy You saved me, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom You poured out on me abundantly through Jesus Christ my Savior.
I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from You, Lord God, by faith.

Thank You, God, that I am righteous in Christ! May knowing Jesus better be my focus in life.

ROMANS 3:22; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21; GALATIANS 3:13; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30; TITUS 3:5–6; PHILIPPIANS 3:8–9

Jeremiah, D. (2007). Life-Changing Moments With God (p. 34). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

JANUARY 14 | Spiritual Hunger and Thirst

SCRIPTURE READING: John 7:37–39
KEY VERSE: Psalm 11:7

       For the LORD is righteous,
       He loves righteousness;
       His countenance beholds the upright.

The more you learn about the Lord, the more you want to know Him. That’s what happens when you get just a taste of His goodness—you can’t get enough of His fellowship. In her book Lord, Only You Can Change Me, Kay Arthur observes:

God’s righteousness begins with a dissatisfaction, a yearning. When sin’s presence is finally realized, an inner longing is kindled and begins to burn with a slow, steady flame. A longing to be righteous! With every glimpse of God’s shining holiness and purity comes an accompanying awareness of self.
Finally the realization comes: “God, You alone are righteous.” A hunger and thirst for righteousness—His righteousness—awakens and grows. But how is that hunger and thirst to be satisfied?
We know we cannot quench it in ourselves, so we run to the fountain of living waters and receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He alone can lead us into a life of righteousness, by leading us into the truth …
Jesus is the fountainhead of God’s righteousness. Oh Beloved, do you see it? You can be as righteous as you want to be! How?
By totally depending upon God. By yearning for Him more and more. Ours is to be an ever-increasing hunger and thirst.

Satisfy my spiritual hunger and thirst for You, O God. Lead me into a life of righteousness through the continuing revelation of Your truth.

Stanley, C. F. (2000). Into His presence (p. 15). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

December 15 | The Lover of Righteousness

“‘Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy companions’” (Heb. 1:8–9).

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As the eternal God and King, Christ loves righteousness and hates lawlessness.

In these days it’s difficult for us as Christians to be totally supportive of our governmental leaders when we see so much of what God calls righteousness compromised or ridiculed. But the King of kings—Christ Himself—is the only leader who has a perfectly right attitude toward righteousness.

Christ rules from an eternal throne, and He rules eternally as God and King. The scepter He holds is symbolic of His rule, particularly as a rule of righteousness.

But there’s more to it than that. He not only acts righteously—He loves righteousness itself. How often have we obeyed without joy, expressing an attitude of willing condescension? But Jesus gives us a different model.

James 1:17 says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.” True righteousness never varies from what is true, just, and good. And 1 John 1:5 says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” God is total light and total righteousness. Everything Jesus did resulted from His love of righteousness.

Because Christ loves righteousness, He hates lawlessness. Since He loves what is right, He must hate what is wrong. The two are inseparable; one cannot exist without the other. You cannot truly love righteousness and also love sin. When there is true love for God, there will also be true love for righteousness and total hatred of sin.

The more you and I become conformed to Jesus Christ, the more we will love righteousness. Our attitudes toward righteousness and sin will ultimately reveal how closely we are conformed to Christ. Check out your attitudes and actions. How are you doing?

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Suggestions for Prayer: Like the psalmist, ask God to show you “any hurtful way” in you (Ps. 139:24).

For Further Study: Read Psalm 119, and note how many times the psalmist makes reference to either his love for God’s law or righteousness.¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 362). Crossway Books.

Morning, December 2 | “Thou art all fair, my love.”—Song of Solomon 4:7

The Lord’s admiration of his Church is very wonderful, and his description of her beauty is very glowing. She is not merely fair, but “all fair.” He views her in himself, washed in his sin-atoning blood and clothed in his meritorious righteousness, and he considers her to be full of comeliness and beauty. No wonder that such is the case, since it is but his own perfect excellency that he admires; for the holiness, glory, and perfection of his Church are his own glorious garments on the back of his own well-beloved spouse. She is not simply pure, or well-proportioned; she is positively lovely and fair! She has actual merit! Her deformities of sin are removed; but more, she has through her Lord obtained a meritorious righteousness by which an actual beauty is conferred upon her. Believers have a positive righteousness given to them when they become “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Nor is the Church barely lovely, she is superlatively so. Her Lord styles her “Thou fairest among women.” She has a real worth and excellence which cannot be rivalled by all the nobility and royalty of the world. If Jesus could exchange his elect bride for all the queens and empresses of earth, or even for the angels in heaven, he would not, for he puts her first and foremost—“fairest among women.” Like the moon she far outshines the stars. Nor is this an opinion which he is ashamed of, for he invites all men to hear it. He sets a “behold” before it, a special note of exclamation, inviting and arresting attention. “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair” (Song of Sol. 4:1). His opinion he publishes abroad even now, and one day from the throne of his glory he will avow the truth of it before the assembled universe. “Come, ye blessed of my Father” (Matt. 25:34), will be his solemn affirmation of the loveliness of his elect.¹

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¹  Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.

November 16 | The Results of True Wisdom

“The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

James 3:18

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A wise life is a righteous life.

Puritan minister Richard Baxter said, “Wisdom is honorable because it is the skill of doing good.” Like Baxter, James also sees a connection between wisdom and doing good. James 3:18 is in the present tense and literally reads, “The fruit of righteousness is being sown in peace by them that make peace.” At first glance it seems strange that James would say the “fruit of righteousness is being sown” because usually seed is sown. But harvested fruit also becomes seed for the next crop. The fruit of righteousness is sown again in peace by those who make peace.

Where true wisdom exists, true righteousness follows. And that becomes seed and generates more righteousness. That’s the law of sowing and reaping. It is a continual cycle: one righteous act harvested from the field of true wisdom becomes the seed to grow another righteous act. Those who make peace receive the benefit from it, and righteousness flourishes in a climate of peace. The bottom line is that peacemakers aren’t preoccupied with themselves.

The life of a farmer illustrates what James is saying. The seeds that a farmer plants in the spring are what he eventually harvests in the fall. Similarly, by sowing righteous deeds each day of your life, you can be assured of what you’ll reap: a life that reflects true wisdom. Make it your aim to live righteously!

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Suggestions for Prayer: Worship the Lord for being righteous, and ask Him to help you obey His Word and live a righteous life.

For Further Study: James follows a clear line of thought: if one professes to be a Christian, he must prove it by living like a Christian. According to 1 John 3:7–10, what proves a person is a true believer?¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Crossway Books.

October 23 | The Source of Righteousness

“The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether” (Ps. 19:9).

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God’s Word is true and produces righteousness in the believer’s life.

The inability of human wisdom to produce right living was reaffirmed in my thinking as I read a contemporary psychiatrist’s book on how to overcome depression. The doctor’s first suggestion was to shout “Cancel!” every time you have a negative thought. She also recommended playing a tape recording of positive messages while you sleep at night and listening to positive music during the day.

 Cultivating a meaningful spiritual philosophy was another of her suggestions. She said any will do—as long as it works for you—but cautioned against those that speak of sin and guilt. Her final point was to find the spiritual light within yourself.

That kind of advice is foolish because it has no basis in truth. The best it can do is mask a few symptoms. It cannot cure the illness.

Jesus illustrated the hopelessness of searching for truth through such means when He said to a group of unbelievers, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil … [who] does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. … He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God” (John 8:43–47).

Unbelievers don’t see the truth of God’s Word for what it is. But believers hear the truth and receive it. Like David, they acknowledge that “the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether” (Ps. 19:9).

“Judgments” in that context speaks of ordinances or divine verdicts from the Supreme Judge. “Righteous altogether” implies that Scripture produces comprehensive righteousness in all who receive it. Together these words emphasize that true righteousness originates from God’s Word and flows through His people.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for giving you the truth that produces righteousness.

For Further Study: What do the following verses say about God’s righteous Word? Psalm 119:89, 128, 137–138, 142, and 160.¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 309). Crossway Books.

20 OCTOBER | Putting on the New Man

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24

suggested further reading: John 3:1–16

Let us be fully resolved and persuaded that God will receive nothing from our hands but that which he knows to be his own. Without him, there is nothing but evil. His image was defaced in us by Adam’s sin; therefore, we must be newly created in Jesus Christ.

Paul now shows us how that is done in righteousness and true holiness. By the word righteousness, he means soundness and uprightness. So we must live with our neighbors without deceit, without malice, and without mischief, giving to every person what is due to him. When such soundness reigns in us, we will show by our deeds that we are fashioned again in righteousness after God’s image.

It is not enough for people to have what is due them, unless God also has his. For of what purpose is it for us not to steal from others while committing sacrilege against God? Or to abstain from taking our neighbor’s goods, while robbing God of his honor? Righteousness must be linked with holiness, for the two tables of the law are inseparable. In the word holiness, Paul includes everything that belongs to the service of God.

A new life, therefore, is walking in purity before God, eschewing all corruption and uncleanness, and separating ourselves from all the defilements of the world so that we may offer ourselves in sacrifice to God. At the same time, we must walk in integrity and uprightness with our neighbors. Performing these two things is what is required for perfection in the Christian life.

for meditation: Adam was created in righteousness and holiness, but his fall marred all his descendants. In Christ, we can be recreated into new men, made again in righteousness and holiness. This is an amazing truth! Many long to return to Eden, but they fail to realize that the crowning creation of Eden—righteous man—is being re-created all around them as God takes sinners and makes them new.¹

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¹  Calvin, J., & Beeke, J. R. (2008). 365 Days with Calvin (p. 312). Day One Publications; Reformation Heritage Books.

October 17 | In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted.

In You, Lord God, I have righteousness and strength. To You men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against You. In You all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory. Counted righteous, I am glad in You, Lord, and I rejoice; made upright in heart, I shout for joy!

Your righteousness, Lord, apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even Your righteousness, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. To demonstrate at the present time Your righteousness, that You might be just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.

I rejoice in You, Lord, always. Again I will rejoice! Whom having not seen I love. Though now I do not see You, yet believing, I rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.

Lord God, the salvation You provided me in Christ is a reason for joy no matter what the circumstances of life. May my joy point others to You even as it sustains me.

Psalm 89:16; Isaiah 45:24–25; Psalm 32:11; Romans 3:21–22, 26; Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8¹

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¹  Jeremiah, D. (2007). Life-Changing Moments With God (p. 312). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

October 6 | The Greatest Bargain in the World

1 Corinthians 1:30

You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

The Bible tells us that when we become Christians, we are immediately equipped with the righteousness of Christ. Paul told the Corinthians, “You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). When Jesus Christ came down to this earth as the perfect Son of God, He went to the cross and died for you.

As He hung upon the cross, two major things happened. First, He took our sin upon Himself. The Bible says He became sin for us. All the sins of the world were crucified on that cross with Jesus. Second, He imparted righteousness to us. So when we give our lives over to Him, when we put our trust in Him for eternal life, Christ not only forgives our sin, but gives to us His righteousness. We become righteous in Christ Jesus.

You know, that is the greatest bargain the world has ever known. You give up your sin and you get His righteousness in return. It is the greatest opportunity anybody has ever had, to get rid of your sin and get the righteousness of Christ imputed to your account in return.¹

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¹  Jeremiah, D. (2002). Sanctuary: finding moments of refuge in the presence of God (p. 293). Integrity Publishers.