“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.”
Psalm 7:17
We have so many reasons to thank God. We thank Him for our families, our homes, and our many blessings. We thank Him for answered prayers. We thank Him for many facets of His character: His love, compassion, grace, and mercy.
But does it ever occur to us to thank Him for His righteousness?
As I consider my salvation, I realize that God’s righteousness—combined with His love—is what makes my destiny for eternity a reality.
I have thanked and praised Him often for His love, but His righteousness is equally important.
If He was loving but lacked righteousness, the requirements of the law would not be satisfied in Jesus; the law required a righteous sacrifice be nailed to that Cross. But if He was righteous only, not loving, He may have declined the Cross altogether.
It’s not either/or … it’s both/and!
Because Christ Jesus is both loving and righteous, we must thank Him. Our Savior is perfectly righteous – without blemish – and perfectly loving. Only Jesus satisfies both requirements.
For each of us, our natural temperament or personality may lead us to focus more on His love or on His righteousness. But, like two sides of the same coin, He is both.
Thankfully, He is both.
Please just stop for a few moments and allow that truth to settle in. Acknowledge He is both. Choose to be grateful that He is both. Thank Him for being both.
Only in Jesus, the God-Man, are the righteous requirements of the law satisfied. Only in Jesus do we have hope for eternity. Only in Jesus can we be declared righteous in God’s eyes.
Thank you, Jesus, for being righteous. Thank you, Jesus, for being loving.
Let’s proclaim with the Psalmist:
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Our latest teaching video features thoughts from Molly Duddleston from Cross Church Pinnacle Hills, on I Corinthians chapter 15, where Paul refuted false teaching that had crept into the church at Corinth. We hope you’ll listen now as Molly addresses one of the foundational truths of Christianity: the resurrection.
Have you downloaded our March Write the WORD bookmark and (optional) S.O.A.P. Bible study pages? If not, we hope you’ll jump in today and join us for the rest of the month as we read, write, and meditate on verses about righteousness. Visit our Downloads page for these and other free resources to help you balance your heart for God and His children, with the many commitments of your busy life.
