June 19, 2025 - Isaiah 45:24 - "The LORD My Righteousness and Strength"

Isaiah 45:24

"Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed."

Many endeavor to work out a righteousness of their own that they believe is well-pleasing to God, all the while claiming that salvation is by grace alone. As the apostle writes, "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:2–3). They rationalize this foolish thinking by asserting that the death of Christ dealt with past sins, but that, with the Spirit’s help, they must deal with their present and future sins themselves, attempting to overcome them through what they call "means of grace." The depraved reasoning of the heart is that, through personal efforts at obedience—assisted by God, they can somehow gain victory over the sinful flesh and gradually sin less and less.

    All such foolish reasoning stops, however, when it pleases God to begin His work of grace in the elect sinner's heart, by His Holy Spirit. Then that sinner will be persuaded that there is NOTHING in the sinner that can be counted for righteousness, for even as the apostle Paul declared “...in me, (that is in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18) Having been redeemed and justified by Christ’s precious blood, those taught by the Spirit of Christ will say with the apostle Paul, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).

    The Glorious, Joyful Truth in which we as the LORD’s people delight, when taught by the Spirit of God, is that although poor, destitute and having no righteousness of our own, we find Righteousness and Strength in Him and His finished work already accomplished for us at the cross. What we are as sinners by nature and practice, our LORD took on Himself and by imputation, the debt and guilt of our sin was completely put away. Simultaneously, His righteous obedience was imputed to our spiritual account upon completion of His work at Calvary, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Taught by the Holy Spirit, we continue to confess that we have NO ability, NO strength and NO righteousness in ourselves but in the LORD Jesus, we have a sure, immutable Righteousness, answerable to God’s justice and holiness in every way.  

    Our assurance against every accusation of the enemy is: "In the LORD Jesus have I righteousness and strength." He conquered sin, Satan, the flesh, the world, and death so that we may boldly say: "In the LORD Jesus I have strength." There is everything in this flesh to condemn us. Yet, Glorious Truth! There is everything in the LORD Jesus and His finished work that has justified us fully, freely, and forever, as God's elected sinners. We are therefore accepted in the Beloved, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). and complete in Him, ""And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" (Colossians 2:10).

This is no mere aspiration—it is the blessed reality accomplished through the finished work of Jesus Christ. In Him, the elect of God find not only the righteousness imputed by grace, but also the strength to stand justified before the throne of judgment. This prophetic declaration, fulfilled in the redemptive work of Christ at His first coming, silences every boast of the flesh and exalts the LORD alone as the Source of Salvation. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth (Romans 10:4), and in Him alone we rest. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.