Day 8 - Hope of Righteousness

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Hope of Righteousness

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:5

Have you ever looked forward to receiving something, only to discover that it was already yours? In a way, an inheritance is like this. The moment a will is signed, and the intention of the owner made clear, the inheritance is sure, providing that another will is never made! A better example might be a characteristic that you have admired in another person, never realizing that the same trait was developing in your life. And so you ask God to make you patient, not understanding that this is the very thing that others see in you.

Righteousness, as the condition for which we hope, falls into this category. To be righteous is to be in a right relationship with God. It is the result of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Unlike sanctification, the process of holiness, which takes a lifetime, righteousness happens only once. Actually, it would be better to say that it happened once – on Calvary. On the cross our sins were laid upon our Savior; the Innocent One was pronounced guilty and the guilty ones were declared innocent. All this is the gift of Christ, and it is ours by grace, the unmerited love of God.

So why do we hope for righteousness? Because we do not appropriate God’s gift all at once. We have been justified by grace, through faith; but we don’t get our heads around this completely because, secretly, we still think there is something we need to do in order to gain peace with God. Paul looks forward to the Day of Christ’s coming when we shall not only be completely justified, declared righteous by God, but we shall know it, and be at peace.

Prayer of the Day
Merciful God,
teach us to open the gift of the righteousness of Christ,
which You have placed into our hands.
Help us to clothe ourselves with His goodness,
His purity, and His grace.
So may we become what we hope for –
children of the Covenant
judged acceptable through His blood.
For His name’s sake.
Amen.