Proverbs 2:7, “He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.”

This week we have been getting wisdom and understanding from Proverbs about righteousness. Yesterday we were reminded that the only way to be righteous before God is to trust Christ and receive His righteousness as God’s free gift. Right position—being in Christ—enables and leads to right practice. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:17, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” and in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

Justification is the gracious act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus. Sanctification is the divine process whereby God makes believers more like His Son. A right position before the Lord (that’s justification) leads to a right practice in daily life (that’s sanctification). We have nothing to do with justification. That work is all of God (Ephesians 2:4-10). We do play a part in our sanctification, and our part is only possible because of what Christ has accomplished and the Spirit is doing in the life of the believer (Philippians 2:12-13). Trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the grave and receive by faith His gracious work of justification. Then, having been made right with God through Christ, take up your cross daily (Luke 9:23-27) and follow hard after the One who has clothed you in His righteousness (Romans 8:28-39).