Reflections on the Cross: Christ Our Righteousness

Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALMS 62:5-8; 87:7; ISAIAH 1:18; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30

Sure is the hope of our righteousness,
pure is the Word of the Lord;
He is the rock of my salvation,
He alone is my reward.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
…they shall be like wool.” *
My soul waits in silence for God only,
His face, as the morning sun;
In Him my refuge and my salvation rest,
He is the Eternal One.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
…they shall be like wool.” *
He is the fountain of all our joy,
He is the song that we sing;
Jesus the Son of Righteousness—
our God, the glorious King!
* Isaiah 1:18

Bible scholars describe the gift of Christ’s righteousness in different ways: some picture it as being washed clean in God’s eyes; others say it is to be in right standing with God—like a person on trial being found not guilty. Receiving Christ’s righteousness certainly includes these truths, but it goes a step further. It not only means we are set free from guilt and punishment—that is, we are “free to go”—it also means we are joyfully welcomed into the fellowship of God’s family. Here, we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness: our place is set, our name is known, and we never need to prove our worth. In Christ, we are Home indeed. • G. Kam Congleton

• Because Jesus has made the way for us to be transformed and made new, as Christians, we can freely confess our failures, while at the same time rejoicing confidently in Christ’s love, for we have received His gift: the sure hope of His righteousness. How is Jesus our ultimate refuge from sin, guilt, and fear? Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind to Jesus, resting in His forgiveness. (For more about the gift of Jesus’s righteousness, see our “Know Jesus” page.)

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (NIV)