It is evident there are two aspects of righteousness—justice as against evil, and adequate appreciation and even recompense of good. “Vengeance is mine; I will recompense, smith the Lord,” is a different thing from “the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance beholdeth the upright,” though both are abstractedly the just estimate of good and evil.
As regards the former, God has the character of a Judge, and His righteousness as a Judge is in Scripture connected with blood, as in Rom. 3, and so in the Passover. But as to the principle, no man could ever plead a part in the second dealing of righteousness, save Christ Himself; for all are sinners. Christ even as a man down here could be accepted as perfectly agreeable to God. But then Christianity, and even Judaism in its figures, goes a great deal farther; for grace reigns through righteousness, and sinners were to be justified or accounted righteous. To be justice, in the common sense of the word, it must be the just estimate of conduct itself or adequate satisfaction for the fault. Thus a man, owing me nothing, renders me service: I am just in recognizing this I owe him in the place wherein he stands. If he owes me money and another pays it, or has done a wrong and another repairs it, he is clear. In the case of material service, another’s doing a man’s duty may suffice, though of the service be owed by the man I am not bound to accept it; still in material service, if the service only be due, and the man not in responsible relationship to me, I may be perfectly satisfied.
But in relationships and moral right and wrong, this is not so. I cannot accept what my son owes and be satisfied with my son. Righteousness here requires the duty to be fulfilled or is not satisfied. To be atoned for and put away as guilt can be rightly, because the guilt is owned; but not a doing the work or duty, so that there should be no guilt. The latter weakens the personal obligation and sets it aside; the former owns and atones for it.
But in Christianity there is more; for God is to be displayed, grace to reign, and man to be brought to God Himself. Hence the measure is God’s glory as in Christ; not man’s duty, as in the law. But any attempt to meet responsibility in relationship by another’s fulfilling the claims tends to destroy the sense of guilt in it and is morally heinous. If another has done my duty, and it is as if I had done it or better—the claim satisfied then, I have done it as to justice and I am not guilty. The idea turns what is due into a material debt and destroys the moral nature of failure—becomes doing, not conduct. I ask if another’s doing my child’s duty would in any way affect the relationship of my child to me?
This I see in the figures of old. Propitiation must have an altar or blood shedding. Wrongs may be repaired toward man or toward God: and so it was ordained under the law; but in questions of obedience and relationship not so. There is guilt, and atonement must come in: omission or commission is all one here. Do I fail in worship? Can another act for me? Now all our questions are questions of obedience and relationship. Though all be done according to the glory of God (for indeed it is one act—the death of Christ), yet the application of the work to man is different. The brazen altar met man’s sin, coming as a sinner. The mercy-seat was introduction into the presence of God; it was a golden throne; it was judgment against sin and righteousness to enter into His presence. So it was in Christ. He was both. He made propitiation for our sins; He is our righteousness in the presence of God, in virtue of His sacrifice wherein God was perfectly glorified. There is the firmness of God’s judgment against sin, and perfect access to Him in light and glory. But then, note, it is in either case grace—God acting sovereignly for Himself, and hence all must have the value of this. Our very forgiveness is God’s righteousness. We have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins. Hence God shows His righteousness in forgiving—is righteous and justifies, according to this, the believer. God’s righteousness is upon all that believe.