Sermon XVIII - The Excellence of Sanctification's Righteousness - Matthew 5:6
more and more. Lord, You know that all my desires are ordered and guided by this great desire of my soul for righteousness, second only to my desires for the righteousness of Your Son. And, Lord, You know how painful it is for me to lack it. There is nothing in the world more burdensome to me than the body of death that I carry with me.
If You were to ask me from heaven what I desire, I would answer, 'Lord, grant me the righteousness of Your Son for my justification, and grant me the righteousness of Your Spirit for my sanctification, to overcome my corruptions and enable me to live for Your praise.'
And, Lord, You know that these desires have been fervent, not just temporary flashes, but consistent and settled. And they have been diligent. You know the efforts my soul has exerted and is still willing to exert, if only I could overcome these corruptions and be enabled to walk with You in holiness and righteousness. I am willing to endure any pain. And, Lord, this has been year after year. I am resolved that it will continue, by Your grace, even until my dying day. So, even if I perish, I would perish crying to You for the righteousness of Your
Son and the righteousness of sanctification for my heart. Lord, this is what You have worked in my soul." Now, if you can make such an appeal to God, blessed are you. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness in this manner. However, even though the mere mention of these things may stir some desires for the ways of God and righteousness in your hearts, the main objective is to present to you the beauty and excellence of righteousness and to comfort and encourage your soul in the pursuit of it.
SERMON XVIII
OR The Excellence of Sanctification's Righteousness "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." - MATTHEW 5:6
The third aspect presented in the exploration of this significant and weighty subject of sanctification's righteousness, or inherent righteousness, is its excellence. What is it about this righteousness that causes a soul to hunger and thirst for it? Many things that people hunger and thirst for are nothing more than vanity, not worth the expenditure of our thoughts, let alone our spirits. Surely, Christ would never declare them blessed, those who spend their time and thoughts on vanity. However, there is great excellence in this righteousness, enabling the soul to glorify and honor God as the infinite first being of all things. The excellence of this righteousness lies in the following:
First, this righteousness is the proper disposition of the soul. Just as the health of the body depends on its proper and sound constitution, when the body is healthy, it can taste and savor the sweetness of things, and it can function and perform its duties in the place God has set it. However, if a person's body is afflicted with sickness and weakness, they cannot work, enjoy anything, or find contentment in what they possess. That's why a person desires health above all external blessings. What good is wealth and a great estate to a rich person if they lack good health? What good is it to have honors, promotions, friends, and all the pleasures this world can offer if one cannot derive enjoyment from these things? Sin, on the other hand, is the ailment of the soul. It robs the soul of its taste and diminishes the excellence of everything it enjoys. Therefore, Scripture often compares sin to the most repugnant things. When grace enters the
heart, it overcomes all the soul's ill humors, bringing health to the spirit. It enables the soul to be healthy and whole in the service of God.
Secondly, this righteousness is a spark of the divine nature. As mentioned in 2 Peter 1:4, "by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature." Grace and righteousness are one and the same. They are nothing less than a glimmer of the divine nature found in God Himself. When the soul comprehends this, how can it not long for it? It perceives greater glory and worth in the tiniest spark of this excellence than in all the world's glory presented in the most captivating and beautiful display. Through this righteousness, the soul comes to live even as God Himself does. Isn't that truly desirable?
Thirdly, it is the very image of God in the soul, and an image represents something in its chief excellence. Just as an image or portrait of a person does not depict their legs and feet, which are the inferior parts, but rather their countenance, their face—the image of a person is represented by their face, which is their glory or their head. Likewise, God's image in us is this righteousness, inherent grace. All creatures bear the footprints of God, and in every creature in the world, we can perceive these footprints to some extent.
However, they do not bear God's image. If a person were to walk on the sand of the sea, only footprints would remain, not the image of the person. We couldn't say, "There is the image of that person," once they had gone. We would only see their footprints. Similarly, all the manifestations of God in the world, in creation and providence, reveal His footprints, indicating that God has been there. All creation displays the footprints of the Most High. However, when we behold a saint, we witness the glory of God. There, we behold the face of God.
In Genesis 1, where the council was called, "Let us make man," how did they fashion man? After their footprints? No. But after their own image. Now, grace is the restoration of this glorious image. We must recognize that due to the fall, this excellent aspect of God's image was defaced and marred. There was darkness and deformity upon this glorious excellence. However, grace renews this image once again.
The soul represents God in a vibrant manner. The image of a person is more vividly seen in their child than in a piece of wood. It is possible to depict it with such excellence and accuracy that it closely resembles the person, but it is still not as true to the person's image as their child is. Grace in the heart is the lively representation of God's image. God may see Himself there as a father sees himself in the face of his child. God cannot see Himself so clearly in all the world as in a saint. If God were to ask, "Where can I behold My image?" and looked to acts of providence, He might see His footprints; if He observed works of creation, He might perceive His power and wisdom. However, surely when He looks into the heart of a saint, there He sees His image most gloriously. Therefore, grace is an excellent thing. Its prototype was found in Christ without measure. He received this grace without measure, and from His fullness, we receive grace upon grace.
Fourthly, the excellence of this righteousness is evident in that it is the very life of God Himself. While a man may see His image, he cannot see His life. However, grace is God's life. We find a hint of this in Ephesians 4:18: "Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God." This implies that when the soul possesses this righteousness, it begins to live the same life as God—
His very nature. The soul, acting as God acts, lives the life of God.
When a creature acts as God does, pursues the same goals as God, and aligns its actions with His purpose, that is the life of God. God's life consists of willing Himself as the highest good, acting towards an
ultimate end, and ordering all endeavors to align with that end. This is the excellency of God. And a saint comes to live the life of God by making God the supreme good, the ultimate end of all actions, and directing all designs towards this end. Thus, the excellency of this life of sanctification lies in the fact that, to some extent, every saint attains this end. How desirable, then, is this righteousness that enables the soul to live the life it must live here and throughout eternity?
Fifthly, it is the very glory of God in the soul of man. The soul not only lives the life of God but becomes the very glory of God. Romans
3:23 states that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, or as it is in the original text, have been deprived of the glory of God.
We are now deprived of the righteousness in which Adam was originally created. Adam existed in a glorious state in Paradise, and in that condition, he was the glory of God as the most excellent creature God made. However, through sin, he defaced that excellence. Yet, when this righteousness is renewed in the soul, God's glory enters the soul. People desire glory in the world. What are the thoughts and desires of almost every person focused on if not things that may elevate their own honor and self-importance? How desirable, then, should God's glory be to us? It shines in the souls of the saints. To have a principle that enables us to manifest this glory according to the measure of grace received is truly excellent. A wretched individual reaches such a height of excellence as to display the glory of the eternal God. It is not merely God shining upon the soul; it is God shining in the soul, revealing the radiance of righteousness to the entire world. This is a great mystery of the excellence of this righteousness. It not only shines from God upon the soul but also shines in the soul, revealing the brilliance of righteousness to the world.
Sixthly, by this righteousness, the glory of God is upheld in the world. This righteousness upholds God's honor. What glory would
God have in the world if everyone were as unrighteous as some? You might think that the saints are of little worth. Let me tell you, it is for their sake that the world continues to exist. If God received no more honor from some than He does from most of you, what would become of you? The world continues not for your sake; it is not worthy of these excellent ones. Instead, God continues their existence to receive glory from them. God says, "I have created a world and filled it with a variety of creatures, but among all the works of My hands, none give Me the glory that My saints do." God instills in some individuals a principle by which they give Him the glory of their very being. Is this not a most excellent and desirable thing? For a creature to be able to fulfill the purpose for which it was created?
Seventhly, by this righteousness, all natural and civil righteousness is elevated to a more glorious condition than ever before. There is no action that a person can perform that holds any worth beyond the presence of this righteousness. In their natural state, people act based on natural principles. However, when grace enters the heart— this inherent righteousness—the soul acts on inward principles and transforms those actions into righteous ones. A gracious heart engages in its calling and pursuits in a spiritual manner. Carnal hearts are carnal even in spiritual matters, whereas gracious hearts are spiritual even in natural matters.
Eighthly, upon receiving this righteousness, every action, as far as this righteousness is present, surpasses the value of heaven and earth. You, who are saints, cherish your roles, cherish your duties.
Luther, who praised faith and righteousness as much as anyone, had a saying: every good work that springs from faith is more precious to
God than heaven and earth. Heaven and earth display God's glory passively, while these actions display it actively. An action performed for the glory of God in an active manner exhibits His glory more prominently than the entire world.
Ninthly, the excellence of this righteousness lies in the fact that it lifts the heart above all creatures and enjoyments, carrying the soul beyond them all. Before righteousness enters the heart, it remains beneath the creature, a slave to every whim. When the creature beckons, the heart obeys instantly. But this righteousness lifts the soul above them all. Now, the soul considers only God to be higher than itself. The soul acknowledges no supreme authority except God alone and submits to Him alone. The soul recognizes its own worth and excellence, understanding that no creature is fit or worthy to have communion with it. It is solely a companion for God Himself. If God desires its submission, it will obey anything He commands.
However, its submission is only in relation to Him. Thus, the good of the creature does not lie in anything the creature can provide, nor does harm come from anything the creature can do. The good of the creature lies solely in God Himself. The soul is now infinitely expanded and can find satisfaction in nothing but God. Only a God can fulfill the soul's longings. Whereas before it was content with every desire and filthy vanity, now it seeks only real enjoyments— those that are capable of satisfying the soul.
Tenthly, the excellence of this righteousness is found in its principle of union and communion with God Himself. The soul enters into a relationship and close union with the Father. When God first made man, He not only gave him a body and a soul but also provided a means for him to enjoy communion with Him. This is the essence of man's happiness—to be capable of communing with God. However, this happiness was lost. Through the fall, man became a stranger to
God. Yet, when God converts the soul, this communion is restored.
At the initial work of conversion, the soul draws near to God, who was previously distant. "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit."
Now, the soul becomes fit for communion with such a great good. No creature is suitable for communion with God except angels and humans. Communion requires a harmony of lives between those who partake in it. Communion cannot exist where there is incongruity in the manner of living. Just as a man cannot commune with beasts because they do not share the same life, and beasts cannot commune with plants because they live contrasting lives, a natural man cannot commune with God because he does not live the same life as God.
However, a saint comes to enjoy communion with the Lord by virtue of this righteousness. Previously, you wandered from God and pursued vanity without ever experiencing communion with Him.
Communion with God was a trivial matter to you. You had heard of it and could discuss it, but it held no value for you. You did not appreciate it. But now, the soul enjoys something more precious than a thousand worlds. The more righteousness the soul possesses, the deeper its communion with God becomes. This is why the soul hungers and thirsts for more righteousness—for the more it enjoys
God, the sweeter it becomes.
Eleventhly, this righteousness sanctifies all our actions to God and imparts worth to them. Before, our actions were not accepted and were regarded as filthy and polluted. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and polluted, all things are filthy. Thus, God saw them as such. To sanctify something means to set it apart for God. It is grace that sanctifies the soul. Whereas the soul was previously engaged in common uses, it is now set apart for God. Just as the vessels of the temple were sanctified and set apart for holy use, a godly person is separated for God, taken out of the world, and engaged in holy services. In Psalm 4:5, the soul is not only set apart
for God by an act of God upon the soul, which has occurred from all eternity, but it is also sanctified by grace. Something is placed within the soul that enables it to set itself apart for God. As a result, it grows in grace and is able to sanctify all that it enjoys. It knows how to use all things for the glory of God. Whereas the world once had use of the soul, the soul now declares, "I am set apart for lofty purposes, for the glory of the God from whom I receive my being."
Twelfthly, this helps the soul to overcome the greatest evil in the world. Sin is the greatest evil, and one who is truly enlightened would rather suffer anything than be overcome by the slightest sin. A gracious heart looks upon the smallest sin with more indignation than any suffering. Only the Holy Spirit can overcome sin; it is the Spirit alone that can subdue iniquity. The soul possesses a principle within itself that overcomes sin and continues to do so until the work is perfected. Therefore, a gracious heart not only overcomes sin with the help of the Spirit but also from an inward principle that works against anything contrary to God.
Thirteenthly, its excellence lies in the fact that Jesus Christ achieves the purpose of His death through it. Surely, that in which Jesus
Christ accomplishes the purpose of His death must be very precious.
It is a part of the reason the Father sent Jesus Christ into the world: that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve
Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives (Luke 1:74). Christ came into the world to have a people to serve
Him, to redeem a chosen generation. Who are they? They must certainly be a special people to have such a Redeemer. Man had lost all his holiness and righteousness that he had from the beginning and was covered in filth and misery. However, God's love for righteousness was so great that He said to Christ, "My Son, you must go into the world to restore righteousness. Such is My love for
righteousness that you must go, even though you are the beloved of My soul." Christ responded, "Father, I am willing to go, and even if it costs Me My life to procure righteousness and righteous ones as subjects for Your mercy to triumph in, I am willing to die." How excellent, then, is the righteousness in which Christ achieves His end in dying!
Fourteenthly, this righteousness is the only thing, second only to the righteousness of Christ, that will be of value at death and judgment.
When the world fails and their hearts tremble within them, all their civil righteousness, formality, and foolish pomp in the world—those things on which they placed their hope, the rock of their confidence and their support—will all crumble beneath them. However, next to the righteousness of Christ, this righteousness will sustain and comfort you. It will hold your head above water. Oh, how desirable it is! "O that we had oil in our lamps and grace in our hearts." When the foolish virgins saw the glory possessed by the wise virgins, they realized their folly in neglecting their own preparations and cried out, "Oh, that we had grace, oh, that we had oil in our lamps."
Certainly, that which will be of such excellence then is no less valuable now.
Fifteenthly, this righteousness is an immortal seed. Once the soul is sealed in righteousness, it remains righteous forever. Even the smallest seed of it endures to eternity. The lastingness of a thing adds value to it. If you possess this righteousness, you have something that all the devils in hell cannot overcome. They may assault, trouble, and disturb your peace, but they can never undermine this righteousness. They can never undo you in that which is your righteousness, your happiness. This, too, is another excellence of this righteousness.
Lastly, this righteousness is nothing less than the beginning of heaven. In that golden chain in Romans, sanctification is not mentioned. Sanctification is heaven begun. Calling, justification, and glorification are mentioned, but sanctification is not. Therefore, sanctification is heaven itself, not just the way to heaven. Certainly, this is highly desirable. So, when we put all these things together, we can understand the meaning of the Scripture in Proverbs 12:26: "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor." The righteous person is more excellent because:
He is a healthy man.
He possesses the divine nature.
He bears the image of God.
He lives the life of God.
He partakes in exceeding great and precious promises.
His sins are pardoned.
He is accepted by the Father.
In all these ways, the righteous person is more excellent than his neighbor. It may be that his neighbor is a wealthy man, his landlord, his boss, or the most prominent person in the parish. But even if he is poor, if he is godly, he is better than his neighbor. Even if his neighbor is a lord or a prince, no matter how great he may be, the righteous person is more excellent than him. For you who hunger and thirst after this righteousness, behold the glorious object upon which your thirst is fixed.
Abundant comfort flows from this point to those who can prove themselves to be hungerers and thirsters. We see some excellence in it, and we desire more. If you say so and desire to have more, then know:
First, your hungerings are better than all the world's fillings. Your desires are better than all the cravings of those consumed by worldly pursuits. The worldly person says, "Who will show us any good?" But you say, "Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon me. Clothe my soul with righteousness. Bring me to a state where I can boldly stand at the throne of Your grace." Know that your hungerings are better than the world's fillings.
Secondly, your desires are better than all common gifts. The greatest talents and natural endowments possessed by the most glorious hypocrite in the world are nothing compared to your hungerings.
Many can pray excellently and speak at length, and you may think, if only you had their gifts and abilities, how happy you would be. But your hungerings are better than those outward expressions. Those are just common workings, lacking distinguishing characteristics.
However, your hungerings and thirstings for this righteousness are the breathings of the Spirit of God, the special workings of the Spirit.
Thirdly, this is the thing that has brought comfort to the most precious saints in the world, those who now rest in the bosom of the Father. They have found comfort in these hungerings and thirstings.
Perhaps you cannot see the full manifestation of it or have full assurance of it yet, but they hungered and thirsted for God to lift up the light of His countenance upon them. Consider that chosen
Scripture and meditate upon it as your portion. See how Nehemiah expressed himself: "O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear
Your name." It is as if he said, "Lord, You know that even though we have many weaknesses, the desires of our souls are to fear You." Find comfort in this Scripture when you cannot find the righteousness you desire. When you have sad and dejected thoughts within you, thinking that God may reject you, use this Scripture: "Lord, You