Rev. Claudia & Dr. Timothy Emerick
Missionaries of the Cross
I Corinthians 1:18
The Beauty of His Righteousness
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.” Psalm 45:7–8.
These words are spoken prophetically by the psalmist about the Lord Jesus. They paint a vivid picture of Christ—His character, His heart, and the reason the Father exalted Him.
It is important for us to understand that Jesus was not treated as a favored Son who received promotion without cost. He was exalted because He earned that exaltation. The reason given here is His attitude toward moral matters. Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Through His sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled every requirement of the Law. He knew no sin, yet He became sin for us, taking our place as the sacrificial Lamb. The wrath due to sin, as described in Scripture, fell upon Him instead of us. Because of this, His redemptive work cannot be added to. Nothing was left unfinished.
When Jesus completed His work on Calvary, He ascended on high and sat down at the right hand of Father God—because the work was finished. Now, the beauty of His righteousness has been imparted to the resurrected Church so that we may carry it into the world by spreading the Good News of salvation.
The psalmist declares, “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” It was Jesus’ uncompromising attitude toward righteousness and wickedness that resulted in God’s exaltation of Him. There is no neutrality here. If we truly love righteousness, we must also hate wickedness. We cannot compromise with it.
Notice the beauty that accompanies righteousness: the fragrance of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; the melody of stringed instruments; the splendor of ivory palaces. What a breathtaking picture this is—righteousness expressed not only in holiness but also in beauty, joy, and exaltation. Righteousness delights the heart of God. And righteousness, when practiced without compromise, is something He delights to honor.