THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:5–6).
God gave the prophet Jeremiah a revelation of Jehovah Tsidkenu (pronounced Je-HO-va Sid-KAY’-noo) in a time of crisis similar to the one we face today. So, what does this mean for us, in practical terms? What is this righteousness he’s the Lord of—and how are we to know and understand Jesus in this role?
Paul gives us some insight into God’s definition of righteousness in several passages.
- “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3).
- “Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness” (Romans 4:9).
- “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).
Each of these verses refers to one thing that Abraham did to attain true righteousness: he believed.
Finally, Paul provides the Lord’s definition of righteousness: “[Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:20–22).
The Bible could not make this matter any clearer. Righteousness is believing the promises of God, being fully persuaded he’ll keep his word.