Perfect Righteousness

In Christ, I have the perfect righteousness of God. This is a righteousness that cannot be made more righteous; it cannot be improved on because it is the very righteousness of God. It is like saying that a person cannot be more human than he is, even though, he may have many defaults, yet, he is a human. In the same way, when we are born again, we instantly possess the righteousness of God, even though, we may have many defects common with all humans. So, I may be a possessor of divine righteousness, I am an imperfect person. I am, by the help of the Holy Spirit, growing in the perfect righteousness of God, even though the righteousness, in itself, is not growing, because it is perfect.

The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in me will continue until Christ returns. So, I can rightly say that because of what Christ did on the cross for me, and my subsequent faith in it, God's perfect righteousness is imputed to me. But I must also say that because of what the Holy Spirit is doing in me, I am growing in righteousness. It must, however, be noted that it is not the righteousness in me that is growing, but I am the one who is growing in that perfect righteousness of God that is in me. Because God's righteousness is perfect, nothing can be added to it or removed from it.

The way that I grow in this righteousness is by what the bible calls the practice of righteousness (1 John 3:9-10). The desire to do right is proof that God's perfect righteousness has been imputed to me, and a lack of it shows that the perfect righteousness of God has not been birthed in me. This is because it is impossible for me to have God's righteousness, and not desire to do right. Yet, it is not doing what is right that births the righteousness of God in me. No good that I do can confer on me God's perfect righteousness, I receive it by faith, and I grow in it by faith; it is from faith to faith. This should not be mistaken to imply that I am perfect because I desire to do right. Righteousness is the nature of God implanted in my spirit because of my faith in what Christ did on the cross for me.

Toni