Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 71:16b, where we read these words (of David):
" . . . I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only."This little phrase (above) is a good reminder that The *Only* One who has any inherent "righteousness" is The Triune God of glory alone. All of *our* righteousness is derived from God, through the agency of The God/Man Second Person (Christ). Ever since Adam’s Fall in the Garden, we have pos-sessed no inherent righteousness at all. When it comes to the *greatest* form of righteousness (i.e. justification before God), this is imputed to the regener-ate churched Christian; and it is experienced by faith in Jesus.
Let us who have been given this priceless gift of faith in Christ bless God that we own *His* (Jesus') Own righteousness. This is the singularly-great advan-tage of the true church; and it is cause for our exuberant rejoicing.
[Puritan quote of the day: "The truth is, we should listen as much to the voice of God in the ministry of His Word as if the Lord should speak out of the clouds to us.” —Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "Gospel Worship"]
