or
in his vision heard an angel proclaiming, "Thou art righteous, O Lord."
Rev. 16:5. The Psalmist in exalting the righteousness of the Lord said:
"Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high." Psa. 71:19. It is far above
the ways and life of natural man: "For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts." Isa. 55:9. All of God's ways are in righteousness: "The Lord is
righteous in all his ways." Psa. 145:17. God's acts are done in
righteousness: "Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you
before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord which he did to you
and your fathers."

Oh, the sublimity of the righteous character of God! How lofty and high.
How far above the ways and acts of natural man. Man in his natural state
does not possess any of the righteous principles of God: "There is none
righteous, no not one." But God in the incarnation of his Son is both God
and man, and through this means the righteousness of God is delegated unto
man. In Jesus Christ we have the combining of man and God--the
righteousness of God and humanity of man. Through the death of the man
Christ Jesus and his resurrection the way was prepared for mankind to
receive the righteousness of God. "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
Cor. 5:21. Jesus in his innocency and righteousness bore the sins of the
guilty, so that in him we can experience a cleansing "from all
unrighteousness" and receive instead "the righteousness of God."

Jesus likens himself and his people to a vine and its branches. He says,
"I am the vine, ye are the branches." It is through the vine that the
branches receive substance and strength and life from the soil. It is
through Jesus that we receive righteousness, grace, and strength from God.
It is only in Jesus' name that we receive anything from the Father. The
branches bear the fruit. Receiving the righteousness of God through Jesus
we bear the fruit of righteousness. The more of this fruit we bear the
more we show forth the praise of God. When there is a large yield of grain
we conclude it was sown in good soil, and thus the soil gets the praise.
We "being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus
Christ" do show forth "the glory and praise of God." Phil. 1:11. "Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." John 15:8. Though the
gra