Many Christians do not have a clear understanding of righteousness. So, today we shall look at another enemy to faith – “FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND RIGHTEOUSNESS!”
The only fight the believer is called to fight is “the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). To win in this battle of faith, you MUST have a sound understanding of righteousness. Failure to understand righteousness is a major enemy to faith.
“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
You must have His righteousness. Why? Because (1) you need it to be able to walk in faith; and (2) eternity depends on it.
The Bible declares that you will die one day and then stand before God to be judged.
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
Therefore, nothing in your entire life could be more important than to be ready for that day, for it will determine whether you’ll spend eternity in heaven or hell.
On what will the Judgment be based? This judgment will be based on “righteousness.”
In Acts 17:31 the Bible says, “He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world IN RIGHTEOUSNESS by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
Who is the Man spoken of in the above Scripture? The Man spoken of in this verse is Jesus Christ.
Let me ask you: can you make it through your entire life without committing a single sin? Even if you could do that, the moment your father and mother met to give birth to you, you were conceived in sin. You were born a sinner. Jesus Christ is the only one that was not conceived in sin. His conception was immaculate. He went through this life without a single sin, and He is the only one that you’ll be compared with at your judgment.
None has this righteousness we are talking about. Nobody but Jesus Christ could ever live a life without a single sin.
In Romans 3:23 the Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Nobody but Jesus is that righteous. In Romans 3:10b the Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.”
If you claim to be righteous, you are only deceiving yourself, and making God a liar.
1 John 1:8 says, “If you say that you have no sin, you deceive yourself, and the truth is not in you.”
In 1 John 1:10 the Bible says, “If you say that you have not sinned, you make God a liar, and His Word is not in you.”
Beloved, without the righteousness of Christ you’ll go to hell at the end of your life on earth!
In 1 Corinthians 6:9a the Bible says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?”
Faith in Jesus Christ alone is the only way to get it. The Bible says that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins and purchase the righteousness of God for humanity. You must stop trying to earn it, and put your complete faith in Jesus Christ in order to receive it.
This righteousness is a Gift from God the Father (Rom. 5:17). People are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.
In Romans 4:5 the Bible says, “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted [credited] for righteousness.”
In Romans 3:22 the Bible says, “Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.”
Righteousness is the gift of God the Father to you. You can’t earn it! Beloved, Jesus Christ has already paid the full prize for eternal life. You need only receive it as “a gift” by putting your entire faith in Him.
In Romans 6:23b the Bible says, “…but THE GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In Romans 5:16-19 the Bible says, “THE GIFT is not like that which came through the one [Adam] who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand THE FREE GIFT arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one [Adam], death reigned through the one [Adam], much more those who receive THE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE AND OF THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS will reign [rule] in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's (Adam’s) disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One (Jesus Christ) the many will be made righteous.”
You cannot earn (work for) righteousness! In Titus 3:5a the Bible says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
If you could earn the righteousness of God, then Jesus Christ would not have had to die on the Cross.
In Galatians 2:21 the Bible says, “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
In other words, without any plan to treat the grace of God as meaningless, if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die.
Beloved, you cannot earn “the righteousness of God” by leading a good life, or through good deeds, tithing, singing in the choir, helping the homeless, church membership, sacraments, baptism, or by anything that YOU do. None of these can make you righteous. You can be a nice person, but your niceness without Christ doesn’t count! In Romans 5:17 we read that because of one man’s offence, Adam’s treason, death reigned in the world. Satan became the lord over mankind and everything man did was in response to fear of death.
This Scripture says, “…much more they which RECEIVE abundance of (1) grace, and (2) the GIFT of righteousness SHALL REIGN IN LIFE by one, Jesus Christ.”
Jesus brought a free GIFT of righteousness which was more real, and much more abundant than death.” The fear of death is driven away by life in Christ Jesus.
The Bible says, “O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55).
The power of righteousness completely overcomes the power of sin and death. We have more power over our lives as the righteousness of God in Christ than the devil had over us while we were in sin.
The Amplified Bible says, “… much more surely will those who receive (God’s) overflowing grace (unmerited favour) and the free gift of righteousness…reign as kings in life through the One, Jesus Christ the Messiah, the Anointed One.”
When you receive this gift, you’ll not have to fear your judgment day because you know in your heart that you’ll “Be found in Him, not having your own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:9).
In Matthew 5:6 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they will be filled.”
In 1 Corinthians 15:34 the Bible says, “Awake to righteousness and sin not…”
In other words, become fully aware of what true righteousness is so you can refrain from sinning.
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
• Your friend: I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor) April 5th, 2020!
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