+I. That righteousness is the personal characteristic of God and of
His redeemed people.+ 1. _God is righteous._ "Thou most upright." He
is perfectly righteous. It is essential to the Divine nature; the
contrary cannot be supposed; as heat is natural to fire. God Himself,
His laws, His providential government, even His redeeming mercy, all
are characterised by perfect rectitude. So prominent is this idea
that we are taught to exercise simple faith in God, and assume that
we are imperfectly informed if we are unable to reconcile anything in
our experience with His perfect righteousness. 2. _His people also
are righteous_--here called "the just." It is suggestive when God's
people are thus called by a name similar to His own. They share in
the same righteousness, although in different degrees. More is
intended than that they are in a justified state. That is implied.
They are justified by the grace of God through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. But the text refers to the righteousness which
assimilates them to the Divine nature. The grace of God produces a
new nature. Saul of Tarsus became a new man on his conversion. A
savage adopts the habits and forms the tastes of civilised Christian
life. It is a new nature. 1 John iv. 4: "Ye are of God." As children
partake the nature of their parents, His nature is in them, though
not yet perfected. Their sympathies are with Him. In so far as they
are unrighteous, they are inconsistent with their true selves. The
life of God in the regenerated soul is a principle ever tending
toward the perfect righteousness of the Divine nature from which it
comes.
+II. When righteousness characterises a person, it will dictate his
conduct.+ 1. _The conduct of the righteous man._ "The way of the just
is uprightness;" his course of life. He is erect in his moral
manhood, as contrasted with one who is bent and crooked. Men's ideas
of uprightness are apt to become partial and one-sided. Some seem to
imagine that all demands of righteousness are met by the acceptance
of Christ and the experience of spiritual feeling, while they
overlook the demands of human relationships. Others confine their
view to men. They imagine all demands are met, when they are fair and
honourable in their dealings with men, while God is left out of
consideration. The Divine idea of righteousness is not thus partial.
It takes in the whole of our moral relations our relations both to
God and an. And the good man strives to bring his whole life into
conformity to it. [Work this out in detail: "The way of the just is
uprightness" (1), in regard to God; (2), in regard to man.]
2. _The conduct of the righteous God._ "Thou most upright dost weigh
the path of the just." At first sight like confusion of metaphor. It
means to ponder it. The heathen symbol of Divine righteousness is
that of justice holding the scales (Dan. v. 27). The conduct of the
righteous is weighed. God observes it; His honour is concerned in it.
He will eventually pronounce upon it (2 Cor. v. 10).
Examine, then:--1. Are you among the just? Have you experienced a
change of heart? 2. Are you pursuing the path of the just? This
applies to your actual dealing with God and with man. Consider how
far imperfection may be consistent with reality. Do not try how far
you may go safely. There comes a point at which a man must be
condemned, at which he must condemn himself. At that point he will
either repent or harden himself. Let us cultivate the highest measure
of practical uprightness.--_J. Rawlinson._