Easter Sunday is a celebration of the righteousness that we have been given in Christ. When you finally own the gift of righteousness, what else can you do but explode with joy?

I’ve got to be honest with you. Although I have been writing about righteousness all these weeks of the Lenten season, I can’t say that I fully comprehend what righteousness is all about and why it is so essential to being in relationship with God. I can tell you that I know enough to know that I’ve been given it through Christ and that is one of the most precious and costly gifts that has ever come my way.
I realize that it is something that I would be without if it weren’t for Christ’s compassionate obedience. I know that since it came at great sacrifice it would delight God most if I received it with great joy!

Psalm 71:19-24 celebrates righteousness with these words:

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God?
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered.
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

Celebration of righteousness is a joy that could fill the heavens. Even though life is hard and bitter at times, the reality of righteousness causes a soul to sing praise to the Holy One of Israel. Lips sing praise for the righteous acts that God has done.

Imagine this world without God’s presence and righteousness. What would it be like if no one cared for the poor? Even the rich would become poor in their quality of life. It does so much good for our souls to love and care for others. Imagine if everyone was only out for himself in this world—that is, more than we are now. Imagine if there was no hope after earthquakes and tsunamis. That would be a world with nothing to celebrate.

Righteousness is mysterious and wonderful. It is completely unattainable by self-effort, yet wonderfully abundant through faith. It has inestimable value in heaven, while seemingly overlooked on earth.
There is no better day to fully celebrate the gift of righteousness than on Easter Sunday,--the day that Christ’s righteous life, burial and resurrection created the kind of righteousness that could be transmitted to all men who believe. Fill the earth with your celebration of your own mysterious, wonderful, abundant righteousness through Christ!