Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The LORD Our Righteousness.

This is a significant Scripture, certainly fulfilled in Christ. In this series on righteousness I keep coming back to 1 Corinthians 1:30. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” The longer you live as a genuine Christian, the more you are aware that “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) That is one of the huge differences between true Christian faith and every other religion, even some that masquerade as “Christian.” The Bible is clear that we can never be “good enough” in our own efforts to be acceptable to God. That’s why God had to send His Son. The point is, it’s all grace. That of course is no excuse for sin, as Paul had to point out to the Romans. (Romans 6:1~) Our righteousness is never good enough, but when we are abiding, resting, in Christ, His righteousness covers us, and we are acceptable to God.

I have experienced this from just about every angle. At this point I am actively seeking to abide in Christ, but even so, every once in a while I discover I’ve let my focus wander, and I’m called to repentance. That’s almost amazing to me, because I’ve experienced the grace of God so much that it should logically be out of the question for me to fail to trust and obey, but I’m still very much an inhabitant of my flesh. That’s why God’s grace is all the more precious to me! As a pastor, I deal with other people’s need for repentance all the time, and sometimes am called on to hear their confessions of sin. I am never to do so in pride, but in gratitude that God’s grace in Christ Jesus is sufficient for us all.

Father, thank You for what You’ve allowed me to go through in the past 24 hours. Probably few would think of it as sin, but it was certainly a failure to trust You fully and release everything to You. Help me grow from this lesson so that I my walk more and more consistently in the righteousness of Christ, for the blessing of those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!