JEHOVAH TSIDKENU: The LORD Our Righteousness - Shawn Farris

Jul 15, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Broken Arms and Misguided Desires: Longing for Righteousness

A child’s envy for a cast led to a painful lesson: misplaced desires often bring unintended consequences. Just as a broken arm couldn’t satisfy a longing for attention, human efforts to manufacture righteousness fall short. The heart’s cravings, untethered from God’s design, lead to cycles of emptiness. Yet God’s promise remains—a new heart, not earned but given. His righteousness replaces our striving, transforming misguided yearnings into holy alignment. The question isn’t what we chase, but who we trust to make us whole. [34:48]

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
(Jeremiah 17:9–10, NKJV)

Reflection: What desire in your life feels like a “cast” you’re chasing for validation? How might surrendering it to Jehovah Tsidkenu shift your focus from performance to His finished work?

Day 2: Positionally Married, Behaviorally Distant: Two Kinds of Righteousness

A marriage license doesn’t guarantee faithful actions, just as positional righteousness doesn’t erase daily choices. God declares believers fully righteous in Christ, yet behavior matters—not to earn love, but to reflect it. The tension isn’t a contradiction but an invitation: live from identity, not for it. Like a spouse who strays yet remains legally wed, Christians can neglect their holy standing without losing it. Grace empowers alignment, turning legal reality into lived truth. [27:41]

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
(2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV)

Reflection: Where does your behavioral righteousness feel disconnected from your positional standing? What one step could you take this week to bridge that gap through the Spirit’s power?

Day 3: Words as Creative Forces: Speaking Righteousness into Reality

Science confirms what Scripture declares: words shape reality. Neurons fire, chemicals release, and bodies respond to declarations—for good or ill. When a tired “I’m exhausted” reinforces weariness, faith-filled “I am righteous” rewires identity. This isn’t positive thinking but prophetic agreement with God’s truth. Just as a childhood wish for a cast became a painful reality, so declarations of Christ’s righteousness can forge new neural pathways of grace. [31:32]

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
(Proverbs 18:21, NKJV)

Reflection: What phrase have you repeated this week that contradicts your righteous identity? How might rewiring it with 2 Corinthians 5:21 shift your spiritual atmosphere?

Day 4: Casts, Cousins, and the Remnant: Living as God’s Set-Apart People

Matching casts symbolized misplaced belonging—a child’s cry to fit in. Yet God’s remnant isn’t marked by outward signs but inward surrender. Like Jeremiah weeping over Judah, they carry holy dissonance in a culture of compromise. Their “cast” isn’t a prop for attention but the unseen mark of the Spirit. To blush at sin while others shrug, to hunger for righteousness when others feast on compromise—this is the remnant’s quiet revolution. [11:40]

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
(1 Peter 2:9, NKJV)

Reflection: Where do you feel most like a “mismatched” remnant in today’s culture? How can your unique positioning proclaim Christ’s righteousness this week?

Day 5: Stopping the Spin: Repentance as Turning Toward Righteousness

The childhood “airplane game” became a dizzying cycle—spinning until collision. So sin’s cycle disorients, but repentance stops the spin. It’s not mere guilt management but axis realignment: turning from rebellion to face Love Himself. Every “I’ll do better” chains us to the merry-go-round; “I am Yours” plants feet on solid ground. Righteousness isn’t maintained through perfect balance but received through humble turning. [42:45]

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
(Acts 3:19, NKJV)

Reflection: What sin cycle leaves you spiritually dizzy? What would it look like today to “stop the spin” through repentance, trusting your position more than your performance?

Sermon Summary

Jehovah Tsidkenu comes as the name of God that speaks right into a dark hour: the Lord who is righteousness for his people. Jeremiah receives his call as a young man, known before the womb, set apart as a prophet to the nations, and his life carries a Christlike ache because he warns people who mistreat him and still weeps over them. The Lord names the plight of mankind through Judah: prophets prophesy falsely, priests rule by their own power, and the people “love to have it so.” The text sounds like today, y’all, because sin can get so normal that people no longer know how to blush.

Judah had gone after other gods, walked in stubbornness, and kept repeating the old cycle of sin, repentance, sin, repentance. God still had a remnant, though, a people who kept turning toward him when the nation looked doomed. The blood of bulls and goats could not change the heart, so God revealed Jehovah Tsidkenu in the very place where judgment was coming. The new covenant promised something deeper than outward religion: God would put his law in minds, write it on hearts, give one heart and one way, and put holy fear inside his people so they would not depart from him.

Jeremiah 23 brings the solution in the promise of a righteous Branch from David’s line. The Branch is Jesus, the King who reigns with justice and righteousness, the fulfillment of God’s promise that David’s throne would be established forever. Christ clothed himself in flesh, grew like a root out of dry ground, and carried all iniquity to the cross. Christ did not merely take sin like a package laid on him; “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin” so that believers might become the righteousness of God in him.

Righteousness then has a fullness that many Christians can miss. Positional righteousness is God’s gift in Christ, settled and legal, like a marriage covenant filed away even when behavior does not match the position. Behavioral righteousness is the daily walk, the choices, the obedience, and the Holy Spirit is the helper who teaches God’s people to behave according to their position. Self-righteousness is the trap on the other side, where right choices turn into judgment and criticism. Words matter too, because thoughts become words, words become actions, and life and death are in the power of the tongue. Confessing God’s Word is not about getting stuff; it is about agreeing with truth until head knowledge becomes heart transformation. Repentance breaks the cycle, and God’s heart is freedom for his people.

Key Takeaways

1. God names the dark hour God reveals Jehovah Tsidkenu when Judah looks spiritually wrecked, not when everything looks tidy and clean. The name comes into false prophecy, corrupt leadership, idolatry, and a people who do not know how to blush anymore. God’s righteousness is not a decoration for good times; it is the rescue announced when human righteousness has run out. [13:25]
2. Christ is righteousness received Righteousness begins with what Christ has done, not with what a person can perform. The cross makes the great exchange: the sinless One becomes sin so believers become the righteousness of God in him. That truth removes the little word “just” from identity, because grace does not leave a saint trapped under the old name of sinner. [19:36]
3. Position must shape behavior Positional righteousness is settled in Christ, and behavioral righteousness is learned in daily choices. The marriage picture makes the point plain: a covenant can be real even when conduct does not honor it. The Holy Spirit helps God’s people live like what God has already made true. [25:23]
4. Words should agree with God Words are not empty sounds, because Scripture says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Confession is not a trick for getting personal wants, but a way of partnering with God’s truth and bringing the heart into agreement with his Word. Head knowledge informs, but heart knowledge transforms. [30:20]
5. Repentance breaks repeated cycles Repentance is not just feeling sorry after sin; repentance turns around and faces God. A cycle of sin, repentance, sin, repentance will keep spinning until a person chooses help, healing, deliverance, and truth. God’s heart is not shame for the stuck person, but freedom for the beloved one. [42:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:47] - An Embarrassing Mic Story
[01:57] - Matching Casts Introduction
[02:35] - Jehovah Tsidkenu Defined
[03:40] - Jeremiah Called Before Birth
[05:34] - Plight, Solution, Fulfillment, Fullness
[06:34] - Judah’s Plight and Today
[12:59] - But God and the New Covenant
[14:44] - The Righteous Branch Promised
[17:35] - Fulfillment in Jesus Christ
[21:32] - The Fullness of Righteousness
[25:23] - Positional and Behavioral Righteousness
[28:16] - Beware Self-Righteousness
[30:20] - Thoughts, Words, and Destiny
[40:41] - Confessing Righteousness in Christ
[42:13] - Repentance and Freedom from Cycles

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Observation questions

What specific problems in Judah’s leadership and society does Jeremiah 5:30-31 highlight, and how does the sermon compare this to today’s world? [06:34]
According to Jeremiah 31:33-34, what does the new covenant promise about how God’s law will relate to His people?
The sermon uses a marriage analogy to explain positional vs. behavioral righteousness. What contrasts does this illustration highlight? [25:23]
What example from Proverbs 18:21 does the sermon give to emphasize the power of words? [30:20]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think God chose to reveal Himself as Jehovah Tsidkenu (“The Lord Our Righteousness”) during a time of spiritual collapse in Judah rather than in a season of revival?
The sermon states, “Righteousness begins with what Christ has done, not with what a person can perform.” How does this truth challenge common misconceptions about earning God’s approval?
How does the Holy Spirit’s role in behavioral righteousness (as described in Ezekiel 36:26-27) differ from merely trying to “be good” through human effort?
The pastor warns that “confession is not a trick for getting personal wants” but about partnering with God’s truth. What dangers arise when people misuse the concept of “speaking things into existence”? [37:28]

Application questions

In what areas of life have you noticed “sin feeling normal” (e.g., no longer “blushing” at compromise)? What practical step could help reawaken sensitivity to God’s standards? [09:00]
The sermon warns against saying, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” How might replacing phrases like this with “I am God’s righteousness in Christ” shift your daily choices or self-perception?
Share a recent situation where your words either spoke “life” (alignment with God’s truth) or “death” (complaint, criticism, negativity). How could you intentionally redirect your speech in similar future moments? [32:14]
What recurring sin-repentance cycle have you struggled to break? Who could you invite to pray with you or walk with you toward lasting freedom? [42:13]
The marriage analogy shows that positional truth doesn’t negate the need for behavioral change. What one action this week could better align your behavior with your identity as “righteous in Christ” (e.g., forgiveness, integrity at work, purity)?
When have you slipped into self-righteousness while pursuing holiness? How can you balance zeal for obedience with humility toward others? [28:16]

Sermon Clips

75s

#RighteousSeedMessiah

“``How could this be? Because of the righteous seed that came from King David's line. That is how. The righteous branch is the fulfillment of God's promise to David, and he will reign as king and do justice in the land. And he is God incarnate, the Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ our Lord. Give him praise. Praise God. descendant of David by Mary would clothe himself in flesh and be born and grow as a root out of dry ground. That's from Isaiah fifty three two. And the Lord would cause the iniquity of us all. Iniquity is a word that encompasses all sin, all of it. Of us all to fall upon him. That's from Isaiah fifty three six. He would be the sinless lamb of God that would save his people from their sin. That's from Matthew one twenty one, first Peter one eighteen and nineteen.”

45s

#RemnantAndRighteousness

“here's the remnant. We love that. Yet the nation of Judah seemed doomed. But God. But God. The Lord knew that the blood of bulls and goats could not change the heart of man. And in this dark hour of impending judgment, it was here that God revealed to his people another one of his names, Jehovah Siddiquanu, the Lord our righteousness. And with that revelation came a promise of a new covenant of grace. Hallelujah. And with it, a new heart.”

76s

#BreakTheCycleInChrist

“if you have a sin in your life that's tripping you up and you're coming to God and saying, God, please forgive me. Please forgive me. Guess what? He does. But when you go back out and it happens again and again and you repent and sin and repent and sin, that's a cycle that will not stop unless you choose to stop it. And you you need help. If you need to go to counseling, go to our inner healing, deliverance, do it. I want to see all God's people free because that's God's heart. He wants us free. He don't doesn't want us carrying around our junk, our baggage from the past. And if we are caught in that cycle and we can't get off of it, find somebody. Find somebody to help. There's no shame in that. The enemy is after us. He wants us to not be victorious, but there is an end to that. And part of that end is believing who you are. Just right there. Believing who you are in Christ. I am righteous. I am more than a conqueror. I am an overcomer. I am beloved. Those are things you need to believe to be victorious on this earth.”

46s

#IdentityInChrist

“Find somebody. Find somebody to help. There's no shame in that. The enemy is after us. He wants us to not be victorious, but there is an end to that. And part of that end is believing who you are. Just right there. Believing who you are in Christ. I am righteous. I am more than a conqueror. I am an overcomer. I am beloved. Those are things you need to believe to be victorious on this earth. So please be open to learning, growing, knowing who you are in him. It's not you. It's not you. It's him.”

86s

#WalkByFaithNotFeelings

“The fullness. In my grace group, I talk about the fullness of his word. We don't leave anything out. We give it all, and they say, okay. Okay. May not have heard that before, but okay. So here's a question. Can you be born again on your way to glory with Jesus one day? Can you be born again and not truly know that you are the righteousness of God in Christ? What do you think? It's a yes, no question. Answer. Yes. You are right. Why do I need to believe this and therefore know this truth? Because I could be a Christian without knowing this. I could. You can. But do you want to? No. I hope not. Because we as Christians are called to walk by faith and not by sight. That means if we don't feel righteous because maybe our actions have not been righteous, that doesn't make us any less righteous. We walk by faith and not by what we see, not by what we feel. Okay? Those emotions are of God, but sometimes they lie to us. And just because you don't feel saved or even feel righteous doesn't mean it's true. Now if you haven't said yes to Jesus, you come up here in a little bit.”

77s

#HeartKnowledgeTransforms

“So here's the thing. You can have all kinds of head knowledge and not a lot of heart knowledge, or you can have both head knowledge and heart knowledge. Head knowledge brings information. Yay for information. Heart knowledge brings transformation. Come on. You want that better. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That's the word of God. That's how we're transformed. So I want you all to participate. like I said, we're spirit, soul, and body. If you wanna get your body involved, you can stand. You don't have to do that. But sometimes there's just that oomph of getting your body going and speaking the word and then believing it. I want everyone to participate, everyone to speak these words out of your mouth whether you believe them or not. The cool thing about the Bible is we believe it before we understand it, we'll still believe it. You don't have to understand the Bible to believe it. You can just say, here I am, God. I believe you. You said it in your word. I believe it. So this is the heart posture we want right now.”

59s

#ConfessGodsWord

“So I like to speak the word out of my mouth. I'm not doing it to get what I want. Do you know that this confession of the word thing has been misused? You know that. You know that. Forgetting what we want. No. That is not God's purpose. That is not God's plan at all. But he does want us to speak his word, to bring forth his kingdom to this earth. We are co partners with him in doing that. Praise God. We have that awesome job to do. I like it. So I want us to confess the word. Okay? I'm not confessing that you'll get the big house you want next year. No. We're gonna take something from the word on our topic, and we're going to read it speak it out of our mouth and hopefully believe it in your heart.”

64s

#DeclareScriptureDaily

“we are at a place where I want to help you to believe this powerful truth that you are righteous. And I want us to speak the word of God out of our mouths. I do this regularly. People in my life don't really know because it's when I'm alone. I will walk around the house. I get my body moving. I start declaring the psalms. I start praying out loud, and we know what happens is I start getting charged up in my spirit because I'm involving my body, soul, and spirit because we're a three part being. So I like to speak the word out of my mouth. I'm not doing it to get what I want. Do you know that this confession of the word thing has been misused? You know that. You know that. Forgetting what we want. No. That is not God's purpose. That is not God's plan at all.”

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What does Jehovah Tsidkenu signify for believers

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JEHOVAH TSIDKENU: The LORD Our Righteousness - Shawn Farris

Devotional

Day 1: Broken Arms and Misguided Desires: Longing for Righteousness

Day 2: Positionally Married, Behaviorally Distant: Two Kinds of Righteousness

Day 3: Words as Creative Forces: Speaking Righteousness into Reality

Day 4: Casts, Cousins, and the Remnant: Living as God’s Set-Apart People

Day 5: Stopping the Spin: Repentance as Turning Toward Righteousness

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

JEHOVAH TSIDKENU: The LORD Our Righteousness - Shawn Farris

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