RIGHTEOUSNESS

RIGHTEOUSNESS

                Jesus is the only God in human history to tell us about His righteousness and then to share with us how He will make us righteous to.  He then shared with us the standards of righteousness and when we failed to live up to them, He came to earth and demonstrated righteousness for us. And then, because the natural result of unrighteousness is death, He died in our place and then rose from the dead and went back to His home in heaven to send down His own righteousness to us.

                So He gave us His righteousness to live by and told us that we can participate in His righteousness and live by it even though it is not our righteousness but His. But if we will live by His righteousness instead of our own unrighteousness, He will begin to make us righteous too. This we do by beholding His righteousness and participating in it choosing His righteousness daily so that we are being transformed by His righteousness.

                But since we are still of flesh, we sometimes fail and so His death and His life’s blood covers us and forgives us and empowers us to pursue His righteousness once again. So we carry His righteousness within us and we are learning to live by it and to put away the deeds of unrighteousness.

                When He returns He will transform our bodies into bodies like His that will no longer desire unrighteousness and when that happens we will be just like Him. ..Righteous

                Righteousness is a sort of religious sounding word that is batted around by theologians, but it is in fact the very essence of eternal life. Eternal life is impossible without righteousness simply because unrighteousness ends in death. Being righteous is being right about human existence and what it was designed to be before we took a divergent path. Righteousness is like an arrow that hits the bull’s eye.

                Righteousness is being right about everything… about truth… about the way the universe works… about the laws of nature… about the laws of love.

                There can never be an eternal existence for people who are destructive to one another. Living in an eternity where people hate and kill each other is called “Hell.” On the other hand, an eternity where people love one another and help one another is called “Heaven.”

                The fruit of righteousness that the Holy Spirit has placed in our hearts is given to us so that by turning away from our natural tendency to be selfish and hateful and full of greed and pride, we can turn away from those things and choose His righteous ways that will prepare us for eternity. We want to live forever and now we know that righteousness is the key. It is the arrow that hits the bull’s eye. It is the path that reaches the goal. It is the stuff of which eternity is made, for like I said, anything less than righteousness tends toward death and therefore cannot be eternal.

                As Christians that have received His righteousness, we know that we are not righteous in and of ourselves. We are a fallen race. We are by nature doomed to an eternity that must be described as hell. But Jesus has other plans for all who will receive His righteousness by faith and walk in it. In living by His righteousness we are preparing to share eternity with Jesus Christ, the very source of our righteousness.

                We live in a world that hates righteousness. We live in a world in which many people choose darkness rather than light. And yet it is against this backdrop of darkness that Jesus has called us to arise and shine for His light has come. His righteousness has been given and His glory has risen upon us. We are being transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are being made right with everything that is eternal in nature.

                Soon everything that is not eternal in nature will be shaken out. Wheat and tares will be separated. Grain and chaff will be separated. Those who have chosen unrighteousness will be separated from those who have chosen righteousness. When Jesus returns those who have chosen Him will be drawn to Him. His Spirit within us will draw us home. His righteousness will be drawn home so that those who have participated in it will be drawn home with it.

                We will be changed in an eye blink. This mortal body will put on immortality and this corruptible will put on incorruption and we will rise to be like Him forever.

                This is the sermon I was preaching in a dream this morning when I woke up. Maybe it is given to bless somebody today that has lost sight of the plan. The plan is really very simple. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. As you have received Him, so walk in Him. Walk in His righteousness and truth and He will transform you into His image as you receive His righteousness by faith.

                As we have said, unrighteousness naturally ends in death. Therefore a person that is unrighteous cannot participate in eternity. So we must put away unrighteousness if we want to live with Jesus eternally. This righteousness He has given to us who choose Him, so that in turning from our unrighteousness and choosing His righteousness, we can be saved.

                Being Christians does not make us better than other people. It fact, by being a Christian we have admitted that we have no ability to be righteous. We have admitted that we need His righteousness or we are without hope. So we have received Jesus and His plan so that He can prepare us to share eternity with Him. It is just that simple my friends.

                Jesus has a calling card. It is called “Prophecy.” He is the only One that can tell us the end from the beginning. So when we see His prophecies coming true in the world, we can know that He is exactly who He says He is. And because His prophecies are coming true, we can also know for certain that He will return as promised, to take with Him all who have chosen Him and His righteousness.

                As we see His prophecies being fulfilled more and more rapidly like birth pangs leading to the final delivery, we know that His coming is on the near horizon. His prophecies are being fulfilled with ever increasing frequency and intensity. Now is the time to choose His righteousness   and to live by it instead of our sinfulness so that we can prepare for eternity. Heaven is a place in which righteousness dwells and we will dwell there too because we have His righteousness. We are learning to live by it and it is changing us. We have been born into His family. His father is our Father and like prodigals on a long journey, we are being called home.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of Me.

Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

                You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again: It is good for nothing any more except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bucket, but on a lamp stand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:3-16