“…human justice derives from God’s righteousness.” — Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ
The righteousness of God isn’t about “moral perfection.”
“It is not a distant, forbidding characteristic of God that humans are supposed to try to emulate or imitate; there is no good news in that. Instead, the righteousness of God is God’s powerful activity of making right what is wrong in the world.” (Rutledge)
God is at work first. It is not us. He is the One overcoming evil, delivering the oppressed, raising the poor from the dust, vindicating the voiceless victims who have no one to defend them.
In putting down the oppressor, he is also going to remake hearts. Even the mighty and arrogant will be conformed to Christ (Rom. 12:2) as they become humble, loving, and unselfish (p. 329).
The work of God is actively making right that which is wrong. This is the work worth joining. It doesn’t start with me. I just get to join it.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.