Section 4
high. How high is God's righteousness? It is un limited! Can you be approved by God according to your own righteousness? This is impossible. Although you may be right with everyone—with your parents, your children, and your friends— your righteousness will never justify you before God. You may justify yourself according to your standard of righteousness, but that does not en able you to be justified by God according to His standard. We need justification by faith. Justifica tion by faith before God means we are approved by God according to the standard of His right eousness.
How can God do this? He can do it because our justification is based upon the redemption of Christ. When the redemption of Christ is applied to us, we are justified. If there were no such redemption, it would be impossible for us to be justified by God. Redemption is the basis of justification.
THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST
The Atonement in the Old Testament
As we come to the subject of the redemption of Christ, we need to consider the atonement in the Old Testament (Lev. 16:34; 25:9).