A tucked away gem in Isaiah has me thinking this morning. It’s a verse out of context but it’s a truth for eternity. And, while I’ve yet to experience it to its undiluted fullness, I’ve tasted it enough of it so as to long to know it more and more.

The result of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.

(Isaiah 32:17 CSB)

Peace and quiet confidence. Who doesn’t want some of that? Well, it’s the result of righteousness, it’s the effect of righteousness. Righteousness brings with it peace and quiet confidence.

The prophet is talking of a day when “a king will reign righteously” (32:1) in Israel. A day when “the Spirit from on high is poured out on us” (32:15a). And in that day, the land which God had planted to be His vineyard — the one He had tended and caused to flourish, the one which rebelled and was then abandoned by God and became a wasteland (Isa. 5:1-7)– that land will again “become an orchard” (32:15b), or as the ESV puts it, it will again be “a fruitful field.” And on that day, “righteousness will dwell in the orchard” (32:16b).

And the result of righteousness? Its effect? Peace and quiet confidence.

For believers, today is that day even as we wait for that day to be fully known. Followers of Jesus are fruitful fields (Jn. 15:5). Thus, we are dwelling places for righteousness.

Not our own (though we would hope there would be more of our own righteousness apparent as the Spirit’s sanctifying work has its way with us). But the righteousness that dwells in these fruitful fields is the righteousness of Another. It is the righteousness of Christ — a righteousness imputed to, or credited to the account of, all who believe.

God made Jesus “to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2Cor. 5:21). If we are in Jesus, then we are righteous — “not having a righteousness of [our] own . . . but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Php. 3:9). Our trust in the finished work of the cross and in the power of an empty tomb places us “in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Cor. 1:30). Our faith in Jesus “is counted as righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

And the result of righteousness — Jesus’ righteousness imputed to me? Well, at the end of the day (or at the beginning) even though I may find my own righteousness wanting . . .

The result of Jesus’ righteousness will be peace;
the effect of Jesus’ righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.

Gonna take a few moments this morning just to chew on that. To believe that. To experientially know that. To rejoice in that. To praise God for that.

Only by His grace. Only for His glory.