DAVID DECLARES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS Devotion 21 of 28 The importance of being blessed cannot be overstated. Jacob, you will remember, refused to let the heavenly messenger go until he was "blessed" by him (Gen 32:26). Jabez, an unknown but powerful man of God, once prayed, "Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" It is written, "And God granted him that which he requested" (1 Chron 4:10). – Tomorrow:
"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." (Romans 4:5-8, NKJV)
God specializes in blessing. The creation was marked by blessing. "Of mankind it is said, "And God blessed them" (Gen 1:22,28; 5:2). God also "blessed the seventh day" (Gen 2:3). After the fall of man, we hear nothing about blessing until after the flood around 1,600 years later. "And God blessed Noah and his sons" (Gen 9:1).
It was over two hundred years before the blessing of God was mentioned again. That occurred when the Lord called Abraham. "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 12:2-3). From that time, references to the blessing of God were more frequent.
The culmination of blessing is associated with the Son of God. Of Him, it is written, "God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26). Under the administration of Jesus, Divine blessing has become the standard, and is common in the household of faith.
THE MAN
The Spirit will now place a single individual before us. It will not be a specific person, like Abraham, Peter, or Paul. YOU can be this person! Further, the reference will not be to a single blessing, but to a state, or condition, of "blessedness." It is a situation that continues, a bright and refreshing ray of glory in which the person can bask.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED?
"Blessing" speaks of advantage and joyful benefit. It speaks of a happy frame of mind that results from favorable circumstances. Blessing not only makes the person better, it also produces a joyful demeanor in the one being blessed. Solomon once said, "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Prov 10:22). That condition is brought to its apex in Christ Jesus.
Lest we be tempted to degenerate into fleshly assessments, the Spirit is very specific about the blessed person. It is identified as "the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works." Two conditions are declared. (1) First, righteousness is "imputed," reckoned to, or credited to. (2) Second, it is credited to the individual "apart from," or independent of, the "works" of man.
Some people equate the ultimate blessing with health. When asked concerning their state, they will say, "At least I have my health." During his trial, Job was not able to say that (Job 2:7). Neither, indeed, could Paul say this at the height of his prodigious ministry (2 Cor 12:7-10) Timothy was not able to make such a confession (1 Tim 5:23). Trophimus and Epaphroditus could make no such boast (2 Tim 4:20; Phil 2:25-27), nor could the mighty prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 13:14). We must be careful not to adopt sayings that are in conflict with the Word of God.
Others see the ultimate blessing as having a good and godly family. Thus, they say, "Well, at least I have my family, and that is the important thing." Aaron could not make such a confession (Lev 10:1-2). Eli, who faithfully raised mighty Samuel, had sons described as "the sons of Belial" (1 Sam 2:12). Make no mistake about this, a family that is united in the Lord is a blessing – but it is not the ultimate blessing.
The consummate blessing is to be received by God even though we nothing can be found in us that merits such a benefit. To receive the impeccable righteousness of God "apart from works," equips one for life, and prepares one for judgment. It is a blessed state indeed!
This is the blessedness of which David spoke when he confessed, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" (Psa 40:2). It is what drove Paul to acknowledge, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim 1:12-13). The knowledge of this blessedness is expressed by the Spirit in these words, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet 2:9-10).
No form of religion is safe that allows a person to forget "the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged" (Isa 51:1). As soon as the heart becomes insensitive to justification, or the imparting of righteousness apart from works, a gigantic door is opened for the wicked one. Under such a circumstance, the heart is easily diverted, commandments become burdensome, and heaven seems far away.
I am concerned about the growing absence of songs of thanksgiving about being accepted by God. I have long been discontent with the lack of personal testimonies in gatherings of believers. It is not that the absence of such things are to be viewed as sin. No person should attempt to correct such a situation by some form of legislation, or weighing down the people with heavy burdens. The lack of heartfelt expressions betrays a condition for which God has provided a remedy. When once the "blessedness" of receiving the righteousness of God registers upon the human spirit, it at once stimulates the heart. The stammering tongue is enabled to speak, and the lame can then leap as a versatile deer (Isa 32:4; 35:6). The one who is so blessed, himself becomes a blessing.
PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ, I thank You for blessing that transcends circumstance.