Under Grace, Righteousness Finds Us and Blesses Us Through Christ Jesus

"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour." (Proverbs 21:21)

The word "follow" also means pursue or hunt down.

David uses the same Hebrew word when he writes "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." (Psalm 23:6)

So, what's going on? We are called to follow righteousness and mercy, which also pursues David in Psalm 23.

There has been a change, and it all happened at the Cross, when God' Son died for our sins, and was raised from the dead for our justification.

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.." (Matthew 26:28)

Today, we are not supposed to rush after righteousness.

Righteousness has found us!

Christ Jesus is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), and He came to us because we could never come to Him:

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)

and

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

So that today, we receive and keep receiving God's grace and His gift of righteousness:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive [lit. are receiving] abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 517)