the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Mornings and Evenings with Jesus
His great love wherewith he loved us. - Ephesians 2:4.
THE Saviour is always alive to the welfare of his people; and hence we here read of the greatness of his love towards them. What is love? Some are so insensible as to be incapable of feeling it, or of comprehending its nature; and for their sakes we say what it is. Love leads us to look out for objects of distress, labours to do them good, and exults when it succeeds. We talk of love: there are tender, very tender, hearts to be found in our world. But you Jonathans and Davids-yes, and you mothers- must all cease comparison here.
Here is love beyond compare! Is he abased? “For our sakes he became poor.” Does he suffer? He bears our sorrows, and for us he dies. Does he go away? It is expedient for us. Does he appear in heaven? He appears in the presence of God for us. Does he establish the ministry of the gospel? It is for the perfecting of the saints. Are they succoured? “Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.” Are they injured? “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.” Are they afflicted? “In all their afflictions he is afflicted.”
Why does he express himself pleased with their progress and grieved at their deficiencies? “Can a man be profitable to God?” Can their goodness extend to him? No; but he knows that they only who walk uprightly walk surely; he knows that if they forsake him they despise their own mercies; he knows that they cannot fall without breaking their bones. Why, “he takes pleasure in his people;” he makes all things subservient to their welfare.
Other people are the subjects of his providence; but his people are at the end of it. For them his “eyes run to and fro through the earth.” In all their perplexities, distresses, and losses, in all their trying circumstances, in all that is painful and grievous to them, he has a regard to their salvation. “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,” but not as the fathers of our flesh: “they chasten us for a few days for their own pleasure, but he for our profit,” &c. His object is the salvation of the soul.
He prunes the tree not to injure it, but to make it more fruitful; he lops off the suckers that would steal the sap; he uses the ploughshare that he may break up their hearts; he uses the crucible to clear away the dross, that the pure metal may appear to his glory; he brings them into the wilderness, that he may “speak comfortably to them, and give them vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope.”
This is his name whereby he shall he called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:6.
OBSERVE his RELATIVE CHARACTER, or what he is to us, “The Lord our righteousness.” The former would have filled us with terror, but this softens down the effulgency, this throws a rainbow around his head, and tells us we need not be afraid of another deluge. He is our righteousness in two ways-by his making us righteous by a change of state and by a change of nature, for the latter is as really derived from him as the former. Our sanctification comes to us from his suffering and his dying for us. Nothing can be more expressly declared than this: “He gave himself for our sins,” says the Apostle, “to deliver us from the present evil world.” “He loved us, and gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works;” for by his death he not only satisfied Divine justice, but he obtained the dispensation of the Holy Ghost. Therefore “the Son quickens whom he will.” And true it is, as Watts expresses it,
“’Tis by the merits of his death
Who hung upon the tree,
The Spirit is sent down to breathe
On such dry bones as we.”
But now, though this change of state and change of nature be indispensable, they are very distinguishable. Every Scripture should have its own legitimate meaning given to it, and no more. In the passage before us, the reference is to the change of state, the righteousness of justification; “And Christ,” says Paul, “is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Righteousness by his performing the precept and by his enduring the penalty of the law.
Thus he is “the Lord our righteousness;” our righteousness to the exclusion of every other.” As there is salvation, there is righteousness “in none other.” “He trod the wine-press alone” in the procurement of it, and we thus plead it, as David did, “I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.” It is ours by imputation, “Yes,” the Apostle says, “he hath made him to he sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” He was made “sin,” and we are made “righteousness,” in the same way both by imputation. Our guilt was reckoned to him, and he transferred his righteousness to us, and we are absolved.
Therefore the Apostle desired that he might be “found in him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” It is ours perfected. He said, when he expired, “It is finished;” and it was finished, and nothing now can be added to it. It yields all the claims which God demands. It magnifies the law and makes it honourable. In the parable it is called the “best robe.” David tells us that in this righteousness believers are exalted-not only justified, but exalted-raised above Adam in paradise and the angels in heaven. The obedience of Adam was but the righteousness of a man; the obedience of angels was but the righteousness of creatures; but the believer has “the righteousness which is of God by faith”-a Divine righteousness-and therefore infinitely perfect and infinite in its value. It is. ours for ever. This “adds bliss to bliss.” Daniel tells us that the Messiah was to “make an end of sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness.” “My righteousness,” says God, “is for ever and ever”-for ever in the doctrine and in the experience and in the enjoyment of his people.
“This glorious dress the same appears
When ruined nature sinks in years;
No age can change its glorious hue,
The robe of Christ is ever new.”
