But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.”

Genesis 9:15-16

What a marvelous thing that God counts sinners as righteous based not on their own righteousness, but on the righteousness of another. Because Christ is truly and thoroughly righteous and because he took my place under God’s just wrath, an unrighteous one like me has been declared righteous. Jesus fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law and He satisfied all divine justice for me. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to me, that is, given directly, entirely, instantly and completely to me as a free gift. I am declared, counted, and credited as righteous because of Jesus.

The wonderful gift of righteousness is a gift of grace. It’s given for my righteousness, not because of it. There is no righteousness in me that prompts or merits this gift. And the gift is complete, because it was finished through Christ death’s on the cross. It is not a seed of righteousness, or a boost for gaining righteousness. Any good deeds I may do in Christ do not contribute anything to the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to me through faith. Yet upon this competed and imputed righteousness, the Lord does begin to transform my character so that degrees of observable righteousness become evident in my daily life. It is the outworking, permeating effect of established righteousness that transforms my life. And this outworking itself is a gift of God’s grace empowered by the Holy Spirit.

While Christ’s righteousness is given instantly, its permeating effects develop slowly into observable, experiential righteousness. There is therefore a massive gulf between the delightful, complete righteousness of Christ, and the small, small righteousness that is actually observable in my life on any given day. An inner groaning persists in view of the depth and breadth of this gulf. I must face many failures of righteousness throughout my days. In view of this gulf the story of Lot is an encouragement.

When the Lord revealed his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded to spare Sodom for the sake of a mere ten righteous people, if they could be found. But they came up nine short, only righteous Lot was found. Lot was the only one counted as a righteous in Sodom.

The Apostle Peter in his second epistle calls Lot “Righteous Lot.” He describes his righteous soul as being tormented by the gross immorality of Sodom. Lot did have an observable measure of personal righteousness in as much as he hatred the immorality of Sodom. But when you examine the story of Lot, observable righteousness is significantly lacking. Rather massive failures stand out strikingly.

I suspect that one reason Lot was in Sodom in the first place resulted from selfishness. When Abraham decided it would be better if he and Lot parted ways he offered Lot the choice of which direction to go. Lot had been greatly blessed having been taken along by Abraham. Here was a perfect opportunity to humbly thank him. For when he looked and saw that one direction seemed significantly more desirable than the other – he could have given the better place to Abraham, but he chose the good land for himself – not exactly the most gracious, generous act in the Bible.

Now when Lot saw the angelic travelers come into Sodom he immediately offered them hospitality – in which we see another observable measure of righteousness. But soon, when the men of the city come to molest the travelers, Lot offers his own daughters in place of his guests. Oiy! I do not want to be guilty, as a fellow sinner, of casting stones at Lot. But dang! Such a solution hardly seems a commendable example of righteousness.

From certain details in the story of Lot, it seems to me that he lacked respect from some people who ought to have respected and honored him. It can’t be absolutely determined from the text why Lot was so disrespected, but I get the sense that Lot was to some degree responsible for the dishonor he received. For example, the angels tell Lot to gather his family and take them out of the city. But when Lot appeals to his two future sons-in-law, they disregard him, thinking that he’s joking. I would expect these men to honor their future father-in-law. Instead they dismiss him flippantly. For me, this apparent lack of honor calls into question the observable measure of righteousness between Lot and his sons-in-law. I think it’s possible that their lack of respect was due, at least in part, to an observable lack of righteousness in Lot’s character.

Finally, at the deciding moment, as the angels were about to start destroying the city, they gave Lot the final word – “Go now!” And Lot hesitates. I can just imagine the angel’s looking at each other shaking their heads thinking, “can you believe this guy?” And Lot doesn’t snap out of it and come through in the end. He’s stupefied. The angels finally have to grab him by the hand and literally pull him out of the city.

I’m encouraged by the story of Lot not because I think I can look down on him to think “well, at least I’m not as bad as Lot.” God forbid! Rather I am encouraged because I know that I face many opportunities for faith in which I hesitate, or worse turn the other way. Yet I am counted as righteous in Christ, just as wavering Lot is counted righteous in Sodom.

I thank God for heroes in the Bible: David against Goliath, Gideon and his 300 men, the Apostles boldness in the face of persecution. But I am also deeply thankful that God’s Word also contains flawed and thickheaded saints like Lot, Jonah, and Thomas. Lot the hesitant is counted as righteous! And why is he counted righteous? Because, as it says in verse 16 “…for the compassion of the Lord was upon him…” Truly it is great compassion that has such longsuffering, unearned mercy upon those such as Lot, and me. What mercy! And this mercy is grounded in something else for which I am so thankful. God’s compassion upon Lot was not random compassion. No, it was based on the most concrete reality in the universe – God’s promises. Lot did not receive compassion because he was already righteous. He received compassion because God remembered Abraham (Gen. 19:29). God’s awesome promise to Abraham extended to Lot and thus Lot was counted as righteous because of Abraham. He received compassion not for his own righteousness, but by the gracious promise of God to Abraham. And this promise was ultimately the promise of Christ our Savior. Christ is the fulfillment of all God’s promises and because of Jesus – I stand under the unfailing compassion, mercy, and kindness of God – I stand counted righteous in Christ.

And now my spirit can pray like Lot…

“Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life…” Amen.

This is the second time this centurion has captured my attention. When I encountered him during my meditations in Matthew chapter eight I wrote a devotional called “A Centurion Came to Him, Entreating Him.” What originally captured my attention was Jesus’s estimation of this man’s faith – I wanted to squeeze out as many insights into what this great faith was like, so that my own faith might grow too. This time I encountered him in Luke chapter seven. Here I’ve been impressed with the kind of life that nurtured such great faith. If a soul is like soil, which, if it’s good, bears fruit according to the seed sown in it, then I want to examine the composition of this centurion’s soil. It must been some good soil for Jesus to marvel its fruit!

I see some clues as to the kind of man this must have been. His character and humility are evident. First, he was the kind of man that highly regarded his servant. I would imagine that the typical Roman centurion was not cut from the most compassionate cloth. He ordered solders all the time, maybe sometimes he even ordered them to their deaths. Yet this slave was dear to him. He liked him, and hated to see him sick, he wanted to help.

When he heard about Jesus he sent the Jewish elders to ask for Jesus’s help. Now this is remarkable to me – the Jewish elders were inclined to help him! Here was a Roman centurion, part of an occupying force, a gentile no less, who had gained the respect and commendation of Jewish elders. The elders praised the centurion’s love for the nation of Israel and they pointed out how he built their synagogue for them. There aren’t any more details offered about his relationship to the local Jews, but there must have been a lot of engagement on his part to win over such respect, from those who would otherwise be adversarial. He was a man of authority, yet he must have had great humility. He seemed to understand and respect Jewish traditions, so much so that he did not want Jesus to come in to his home. He acknowledges that Israel is God’s chosen people and that, though he was a man-in-charge, he was nevertheless a gentile, and so he gladly submitted to Jewish customs and law. He even built a gathering house for the people, even though he was not one of them.

It seems to me that the centurion exercised authority in a God fearing and humble way. His great faith is displayed in how he recognized Jesus’s total authority and His ability to simply speak a word, in order to heal his servant. He is confident in Jesus’s effective authority because he himself has effective authority over those who are under his charge. I get the feeling that his servants and his troops honored this centurion and submitted to his authority, not just because of his position, but because of his kind, humble and generous character. His first statement regarding authority is that he himself was a man under authority. He viewed his submission to his superiors in the Roman army as his first responsibility with respect to authority. After that he considered his own authority which had been granted to him, and how to put it to proper use.

This was a righteous man. He is commended by the Lord himself and pointed out as having faith greater than any he had found in Israel. This event, as recorded in Matthew and Luke, points out a pinnacle expression of faith, but I don’t think it was a spontaneous or momentary expression. This man’s life was a soil bed of righteousness, honor, humility, kindness, and good works. And when the moment of faith arose, through an opportunity to call on Jesus for help, faith bore fruit and manifest itself in a way that brought great glory and honor to the Lord.

Jesus, make my life good soil. Water and tend my garden so that faith might be nurtured and grow strong like this centurion’s did. Help me to give attention to those daily activities and opportunities to emulate his behavior. Make me tender hearted, compassionate, loving, kind, humble, respectful, submissive, confident, and God fearing. Let these qualities fertilize the ground and soften it. Let faith grow and in your mercy and by your grace let it be evident in my life that Jesus has all authority and that I have confidence in Him. To the praise of your glory, O Lord, Amen.

According to Hebrews chapter 11, faith has two primary characteristics. One, it believes that God exists and that He makes all the things that exist out of nothing. Secondly, faith believes that God is a personal, covenant-making, promise-keeping God who rewards those that earnestly seek Him. This is the character of genuine faith and it is through faith alone that God saves, justifies and imputes the righteousness of Christ to undeserving sinners like me. And God determined to grant salvation through faith for a reason, which is that it might be – in accordance with grace.

When something is given in accordance with grace, it is given freely, without compulsion, without reference to something that is due. In accordance with grace is contrasted with reckoning something due as a deserved wage. God has granted righteousness only in accordance with grace, not as the result of works, in order to remove all boasting from the lips of man.

I am saved therefore by grace, through the mechanism of faith, which looks to God, believing in Him, banking on Him and hoping in Him for eternal reward.

Romans 4:17 reminds me of the first aspect of faith when it says that God “…calls into being that which does not exist.” It is extremely reassuring to my soul that my salvation is in accordance with grace, delivered through faith which looks to God to create something out of nothing. For I know that God requires faith as the basis for my salvation, yet I also know that faith simply has no existence in me, apart from God creating it out of nothing – giving this dead man life.

The Bible describes faith, faithfulness, and the fruit of faith in Christ. It uses rich language full of experiential words and phrases like joy inexpressible and full of glory, peace that surpasses all comprehension, rejoicing greatly, glory and exulting, gladness and confidence, and love that surpasses knowledge. None of these qualities are found in my heart apart from God creating them out of nothing by His grace.

If I was required to generate this kind of genuine faith on my own, I would be left for dead. But God, who gives life to the dead, and calls into being that which does not exist, calls faith into being in my heart as a precious and undeserved gift.

Now I can have hope against hope that though I detect weakness, deadness, and weariness in my body, yet God will implant, nurture and bring to life faith which can lay hold of God’s promises and experience the genuine fruit of faith to the glory of God and the delight of my own soul.

Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking life into my dead and dark soul and for calling forth the life of faith out from the nothingness of my heart. Now I hope against hope in your promise to complete that which you started. Let me taste the fruit of faith today, and let me not waver in unbelief, but rather grow strong, giving glory to you, fully assured that what you have promised, you will perform. Faithful God, I praise your name. Amen.

It’s only my dullness that keeps my heart from shouting out for joy over the gift of righteousness given to me in Christ. Christ’s very own righteousness – for me – as a free gift? What could I give for it, how could I prepare my heart to make it worthy for this gift? I can’t give anything – I can’t do anything. The imputation of Christ’s righteousness is an inestimable gift that comes only by grace through God given faith.

The Lord loves those who pursue righteousness. But how can I pursue something that has already been completely delivered to me by grace? Clearly there is a call to pursue righteousness. There is a sense in which those who have been given righteousness as a gift are still yet to become the righteousness of God.

There is a profound danger in the pursuit of righteousness. Nevertheless all those who are called by God and given the gift of Christ’s righteousness must pursue also it. Paul testifies to the danger of pursuing righteousness the wrong way in Philippians 3:9.

…and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Paul was keenly aware of the difference between pursuing righteousness as from the law, a self-attained righteousness – from pursuing righteousness which comes from God, that is, Christ’s righteousness. In Romans Paul repeatedly contrasts the pursuit of righteousness by means of the law with the receiving of righteousness through faith.

In my human pride I am always engaged in the tension between walking in the righteousness of Christ by faith and walking in a supposed righteousness of my own human effort. I must therefore wrestle with my own motives and labor to walk according to faith, putting to death the tendency to walk according to boasting. Yet from God’s perspective there is no fine line between types of righteousness. There is only one righteousness; His righteousness. And Christ’s righteousness is our only righteousness. All other “kinds” of righteousness are, in fact, no-righteousness. They are a sham, they are a disgrace, and they are, as Paul puts it, “as dung.”

The procession of Christ’s righteousness for my righteousness is all that matters. Yet the procession of Christ’s righteousness does not conclude my pursuit of righteousness, it begins it!

All pursuit of “righteousness” that preceded receiving Christ’s righteousness was actually the pursuit of no-righteousness. All pursuit of righteousness after receiving Christ’s righteousness, but which is not pursed by faith in Christ, is the arrogant pursuit of no-righteousness. All pursuit of righteousness after receiving Christ’s righteousness that is pursued by faith – is the pursuit of righteousness that God loves!

What qualities correspond with pursuing righteousness by faith?

Humility – all such righteousness is the result of God’s gracious work, they cannot be credited to me.

Peace – “The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace,” James 3:18.

Patience – the precious produce of the soil – the harvest of righteousness comes in God’s perfect timing.

Quiet confidence – for God is the giver – he will also be the completer, “…even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21

Lord, please increase my heart’s capacity to be deeply affected by the glorious truth that Christ’s righteousness is my righteousness. Please grant me a humble faith that is able to pursue righteousness in a way that does not disgrace the glory of Christ but rather produces the fragrant aroma of pure righteousness, the righteousness of Christ. In your precious name. Amen.

To me the beatitudes are not a list of qualifications which determine my acceptance into the kingdom of God. Rather, I consider them as both gifts given to me in Christ, and powerful promises held out to me by Christ.


I see them as gifts in sense that they are spoken of as qualities granted to me as a disciple if Christ. Jesus wasn’t speaking abstractly or in generalities in the beatitudes, He associates these blessings with the “you” who were listening to Him. If I am one of the “you,” one of His disciples, I am granted and assigned these qualities by Jesus. But is it right for me to receive these blessings and identify myself with them, even if I am not really, in my experience, poor in spirit, or a peacemaker? One half of the answer to this question is yes. In as much as the beatitudes are perfect descriptions of the character of Jesus Himself, they become traits which are gloriously imputed to me also, in Him. Because I am in Christ, and Christ is perfectly poor in spirit, I can be declared to be poor in Spirit, or mourning, or gentle. I inherit these qualities in Christ. But that’s only half the answer.

The imputation of Christ’s righteousness, mysteriously by God’s grace, goes to work in me to transform me and make me progressively more righteous. God both declares that I am “of the kind (of Christ)” who hungers and thirsts after righteousness by imputation, and then begins to actually make me hunger and thirst after righteousness.

These blessings are both gifts and means, both fact and promise. The blessings are powerful promises through which I have the means of truly becoming poor in spirit, gentle, and pure in heart.

Having imputed these qualities to me in Christ, he effectually motivates my soul to experientially hunger after righteousness. For the promises held forth in these blessings, creates an object for my faith to lay hold of. As I desire to enter the kingdom of God, as I long for His comfort, as I want an eternal inheritance, as I seek satisfaction and mercy, as I look forward to the day I will see God and be adopted into God’s family, as I look joyfully and gladly to an eternal reward, God transforms me. These promises provoke my faith and cause me to pursue these blessings.

In as much as I do not see these qualities as realities in my life today, I should not reinterpret them out of fear of be excluded from the promises. Rather, I should first rejoice that my righteousness is not my own. I’ve inherited Christ’s righteousness and so I qualify based on His character and His action. Second, I should not think that such characteristics do not need to be actually present in my life. I should, by faith in the promises held forth, pursue them and watch for God, plead for Go, to produce them genuinely in my life. I should seek that my heart become consistent with these precious qualities given to me in Christ.

O Lord, “Establish Thy Word to Thy servant, as that which produces reverence for Thee.” Ps 119:38