RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT A BEHAVIOUR!
INTENTION:
We should never
believe that who we are is what we do.
As a believer,
regardless of what you do, it cannot take away your God-Gifted Title of
Righteous.
If you are a non-believer,
you don’t have to change your behaviour (“get right”) before believing.
I.
TOPIC:
We want to look at Righteousness, as well as Holiness and
Sanctification.
For me, I grew up believing righteousness was my responsibility…
that I had a duty to perform to a standard of righteousness. Yet, every time I
tried to live a life never sinning (i.e. breaking an old-testament Law), I
failed. And this failure always led to extreme feelings of self-disappointment,
guilt, and shame. What I tried to do I did in the confidence of my own ability…
confidence in my own flesh’s ability to achieve it.
But righteousness is not some moral compass or means to achieve something; righteousness must be viewed as what it really is: a state of existence. This existence can never be achieved through our own means-and-methods, it can only manifest itself upon you in believing in Christ Jesus. When you believe and are “Born-Again”, you are:
- Sanctified (G37 – to be Holy; to purify by {reparations}: free from the guilt of sin – from G40: Most Holy).
- Justified (G1344 – to render righteous, to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous).
This Righteousness is gifted upon you, not because you
“earned” it, but because you deserve it as a child of God! This is how much He
truly Loves you—that He crowns you with righteousness and defines you as Holy.
You are given these titles that cannot change based on your behaviour; as it is
not based on what you do or don’t do, but it is based on whom Jesus Christ is.
Our behaviour cannot change that Jesus Christ is Holy and Righteous… for “as He
is in this world, so are we” (1
John 4:17).
This is how we can see Christians faulter in their
behaviours, yet still seem blessed and cared for by the Lord. For we can live
the most sinful life as a Born-Again believer and still experience the complete
presence of the Lord in our life. Sin can never undo the titles of
Righteousness and Holiness. We covered much of this in previous lessons
regarding our already-forgiven sins of the flesh at the Cross; and the forgiven
Sin of Unbelief at being Born-Again. As well as the three types of Christians
Jesus spoke of with the parable of the seeds and sower (Mark
4:1-20).
As a non-believer (non-Christian), we can never reach a
level of “right living” that will elevate us into heaven or some “higher plain
of existence” with the Lord; nor can it bring about our salvation. The first
mistake we make in life takes away any righteousness, which can never be undone—except
by belief in Christ Jesus, inheriting His Righteousness.
And as Christians, we must never see our personal self as
anything short of (less than) Righteous and Holy. Let us stop trying to achieve
those through actions or inactions (of the flesh) when we already have been
made them.
This is what we will see in Paul’s life as he shares in Philippians
3 (following). As a “Pharisee of Pharisees”, he attempted salvation by
self-righteousness through his flesh. But came to realize that his self-attempt
was but worthless (garbage / dung) to the achievement of inheriting Christ’s
Righteousness.
II.
READING: Philippians
3:1-11 (AMP) {PoG}
Finally, my fellow believers,
continue to rejoice and delight in the Lord. To write the same things again is
no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Look out for the dogs [the Judaizers, the legalists], look
out for the troublemakers, look out for the false circumcision [those who claim
circumcision is necessary for salvation]; 3 for we [who are born-again have
been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His
purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and
glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what
we have or who we are] in the flesh— 4 though I myself might have [some grounds
for] confidence in the flesh [if I were pursuing salvation by works]. If anyone
else thinks that he has reason to be confident in the flesh [that is, in his
own efforts to achieve salvation], I have far more: 5 circumcised when I was
eight days old, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews [an exemplary Hebrew]; as to the [observance of the] Law, a Pharisee; 6
as to my zeal [for Jewish tradition], a persecutor of the church; and as to
righteousness [supposed right living] which [my fellow Jews believe] is in the
Law, I proved myself blameless.
7 But whatever former
things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as
advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless]
for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life]. 8 But more
than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and
supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply
and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequalled]. For His sake I have lost
everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may
be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of
my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing]
that [genuine righteousness] which comes through {the faith of Christ}, the
righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 And this, so that
I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him,
understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in
that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is
active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings,
by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying
as He did]; 11 so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me]
from the dead.
III.
RELATED VERSES AND QUESTIONS:
A. Many
of the opening lines in the letters of the New Testament contain the phrase “to
the saints in”. This word saint does not refer to some individually-selected
believers or higher-up Christians. This word saint is the word holy—the exact
same word in the Greek: hagios (G40)
– most holy. As a Born-Again believer, you have been Sanctified and are
perpetually Most Holy!
1
Corinthians 1:2 (AMPC) {PoG}
To the church (assembly)
of God which is in Corinth, to those consecrated and purified and made holy {sanctified}
in Christ Jesus, [who are] selected and called {to be} saints (God’s people), together with all those who in
any place call upon and give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both
their Lord and ours.
Ephesians
1:1 (AMP)
Paul, an apostle (special
messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the
Anointed), by the will of God [that is, by His purpose and choice], to the
saints (God’s people) who are at Ephesus and are faithful and loyal and
steadfast in Christ Jesus.
Jude
1:1 (AMP) {PoG}
Jude, a bond-servant of
Jesus Christ, and brother of James, [writes this letter],
To those who are
{sanctified (God’s chosen ones, the elect)},
dearly loved by God the Father, and kept [secure and set apart] for Jesus
Christ.
Question: Do you think and consider yourself as
Holy (seeing yourself as a saint)?
B. We
personally cannot sanctify ourself (make ourself holy), it is only Christ Jesus
that can (and did—by His Faith). No matter how much we do “good”, or how
much we observe the Law (the doing or not doing of something), nothing we do or
do not do can ever justify us. Even as we read in Philippians 3, Paul claims
that his (our) self-attempt at achieving or maintaining righteousness is but
garbage and dung (animal excrement).
Galatians
2:16-21 (AMP) {PoG}
Yet we know that a man is
not justified [and placed in right standing with God] by works of the Law, but
[only] through {the faith of} [God’s beloved Son,] Christ Jesus. And even we
[as Jews] have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by {the
faith of} Christ and not by works of the Law. By observing the Law no one will
ever be justified [declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty]. 17 But
if, while we seek to be justified in Christ [by faith], we ourselves are found
to be sinners, does that make Christ an advocate or promoter of our sin?
Certainly not! 18 For if I [or anyone else should] rebuild [through word or by
practice] what I once tore down [the belief that observing the Law is essential
for salvation], I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the Law I
died to the Law and its demands on me [because salvation is provided through
the death and resurrection of Christ], so that I might [from now on] live to
God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His
crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I
now live in the {flesh, I live by the faith of} the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of
the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favour], for if righteousness comes
through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and
death would have had no purpose whatsoever.]”
Question: If justification and righteousness are
not through our actions / inactions (i.e., the Law), do you still find yourself
trying to live a “righteous” life out of a fear that God is upset at you if you
aren’t living a certain way?
C. Our
justification and righteousness are only through Christ Jesus in what He
accomplished. The book of Hebrews shares that process done by Christ and how we
as believers inherit this upon being Born-Again.
Hebrews
2:9-11 (AMP)
But we do see Jesus, who
was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations
of humanity], crowned with glory and honour because of His suffering of death,
so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for
[the sins of] everyone.
10 For it was fitting for
God [that is, an act worthy of His divine nature] that He, for whose sake are
all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory,
should make the author and founder of their salvation perfect through suffering
[bringing to maturity the human experience necessary for Him to be perfectly
equipped for His office as High Priest]. 11 Both Jesus who sanctifies and those
who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart
for God’s purpose] are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed
to call them brothers and sisters.
Hebrews
10:10 (AMP)
And in accordance with
this will [of God] we [who believe in the message of salvation] have been
sanctified [that is, set apart as holy for God and His purposes] through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) once for all.
Hebrews
10:14 (AMPC)
For by a single offering
He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and
made holy.
Question: What does it mean to you that you have
been sanctified once-and-for-all-time [that is, spiritually transformed, made
holy, and set apart for God’s purpose]? Can you lose it by your own actions /
inactions; or is it completely dependent on what Christ has already done (and
can’t undo)?
D. When
we look at the word Holy, we must accept and acknowledge in our hearts that
there is only one kind of Holy. This is not only what is and is defined by the
Lord, but is the same Holy applied to us as Born-Again believers. As such,
there are not varying types or levels of “holiness”, there is only one Holy.
So, when we are made Holy, it is the exact same Holiness that exists for God
the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We all (whether male/female,
young/old, Jew/Gentile) share that same Holiness! We have the Spirit of God
indwelling us (as His Holy Temple)—He could not do so if we did not have His
Holiness; nor if it could not be maintained.
Ephesians
1:3-4 (AMP)
Blessed and worthy of
praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ, 4 just as [in His
love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own]
before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is,
consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In
love.
Colossians
1:19-23 (AMPC)
For it has pleased [the
Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection,
powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently.
20 And God purposed that
through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should
be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as
through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross.
21 And although you at one
time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind
in your wicked activities,
22 Yet now has [Christ,
the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in
order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the
Father’s] presence.
23 [And this He will do]
provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith [in Christ],
well-grounded and settled and steadfast, not shifting or moving away from the
hope [which rests on and is inspired by] the glad tidings (the Gospel), which
you heard and which has been preached [as being designed for and offered
without restrictions] to every person under heaven, and of which [Gospel] I,
Paul, became a minister.
1
Corinthians 3:16-17 (AMP) {PoG}
Do you not know and
understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? 17 If anyone
destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy
the destroyer {the defilement}; for the temple of God is holy (sacred),
and that is what you are.
Question: How is it that I am still Holy, even
when I sin? And if your sin can’t change your Holiness, what is (what defines /
makes) your Holiness?
E. Just
as we are made Holy when we believe and are Born-Again, the same is true for
Righteousness. This understanding that our own means-and-methods to try and
obtain self-righteousness cannot in any way compare to the righteousness we
receive from Christ Jesus. This is a free gift from Him—gifted out to anyone who
wants it, but only manifest upon the people who chose to believe in Him.
Romans
3:20-24 (AMPC) {PoG}
For no person will be
justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by
observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law
is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an
acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy
character].
21 But now the
righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from
the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,
22 Namely, the
righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident
reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). {It is given out for everyone, and gets
placed upon} all who believe. For there is no distinction,
23 Since all have sinned
and are falling short of the honour and glory which God bestows and receives.
24 [All] are justified and
made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His
grace (His unmerited favour and mercy), through the redemption which is
[provided] in Christ Jesus.
Question: If a person is made righteous by
believing in Christ Jesus, then why do we think it has to do with our behaviour?
F. Since
our right-standing with the Lord (as well as our holiness) are independent from
our behaviours, it simplifies our life as believers (taking the religious worry
out of sin). But, moreso than for believers, that Christ Jesus did the
Righteousness and Holiness on our behalf (gifting it to us), it truly
simplifies the process to actually believe on Him to be Born-Again. There is no
requirement to “get your life right” before coming to Him; all the work is done
for us—you just have to believe. It really is that simple: both to believe, and
as living as a believer.
John
3:16-18 (AMPC)
For God so greatly loved
and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique)
Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall
not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
17 For God did not send
the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass
sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made
safe and sound through Him.
18 He who believes in Him
[who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him
never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he
incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in
Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received
his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the
only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest
in Christ’s name.]
Matthew
25:46 (AMP)
Then these [unbelieving
people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are
righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace]
into eternal (unending) life.”
Question: Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you
feel you have to change your behaviour to be accepted first? Have you ever been
told (or led to believe) that you need to change to avoid God’s wrath or to go
to heaven?
IV.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
A. When
you study-out all the verses pertaining to righteousness (including
sanctification and holiness), it may seem like it is talking about an action
(often interpreted this way), instead of as an identity. Some of this can be
seen in a few passages in 1
John—of which we will tackle some definitions and clarifications.
Of note: when I mention
the phrases “that is to continue in belief” and “abides as righteous”, I
am referring to the state of remaining and continuing to be Born-Again (which
happened upon believing in Christ Jesus). This is how John defines abiding:
“Whoever confesses that
Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he {abides} in God” (1
John 4:15).
·
Refer also: https://cbadenhorst.blogspot.com/2019/06/forgiveness.html
Bible Study Lesson 018 – Believing in
Christ Jesus & Forgiveness of Sins
Bible Study Lesson 019 – Taking the Worry Out of Sin (Religiously)
Bible Study Lesson 040 – Final Judgement
(WEB)
1
John 2:1-2 (AMPC) {PoG}
My little children {whom
John disciples}, I write you these things so that you may not violate God’s
law and sin {miss the mark of Love}. But if anyone should sin, we have
an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father {someone who is
a comforting reminder to us and the Father that Christ bore all our sins of the
flesh}—[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who
conforms to the Father’s will in every purpose, thought, and action] {that
as believers, we have also obtained that same righteous title as Jesus Christ
(1
John 4:17)}.
2 And He [that same Jesus
Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for
ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world {believers and
non-believers}.
1
John 2:26-29 (AMPC) {PoG}
I write this to you with
reference to those who would deceive you [seduce and lead you astray].
27 But as for you, the
anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) {the Holy Spirit} which
you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need
that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you
concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide {G3306: remain
in a state or condition} in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in
Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do].
28 And now, little children,
abide {G3306:
remain in a state or condition—that is to continue in belief} (live,
remain permanently) in Him, so that when He is made visible, we may have and
enjoy perfect confidence (boldness, assurance) and not be ashamed and shrink
from Him at His coming.
29 If you know (perceive
and are sure) that He [Christ] is [absolutely] righteous [conforming to the
Father’s will in purpose, thought, and action], you may also know (be sure)
that everyone who {does righteously (practices
righteousness) has been made and abides as righteous—that is having
been Born-Again—} [is therefore in like manner conformed to the divine
will] is born (begotten) of Him [God].
1
John 3:4-9 {PoG}
Whoever commits sin also
commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was
manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides [remains
in a state or condition—that is to continue in belief] in Him does not
sin [that being the sin of not believing in Him]. Whoever sins [that being
the sin of not believing in Him] has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no
one deceive you. He who [practices
righteousness has been made and abides as righteous] is righteous, just
as He is righteous. 8 He who sins [that is the sin of not believing in Him]
is of the devil, for the devil has sinned [not believed God] from the
beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin [that
is the sin of not believing in Him], for His seed remains in him; and he
cannot sin [that is the sin of not believing in Him], because he has
been born of God [Born Again].
1
John 4:12-17 (AMP)
No one has seen God at any
time. But if we love one another [with unselfish concern], God abides in us,
and His love [the love that is His essence abides in us and] is completed and
perfected in us. 13 By this we know [with confident assurance] that we abide in
Him and He in us, because He has given to us His [Holy] Spirit. 14 We [who were
with Him in person] have seen and testify [as eye-witnesses] that the Father
has sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whoever confesses and
acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16
We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have
believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love,
and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in
him. 17 In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and
perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with
assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.
Thoughts: When we understand that
righteousness is not something achieved or lost through action / inaction, we
can acknowledge it as a state of existence. Our IDENTITY is righteous, and as a
believer, we always (perpetually) abide in Him as righteous (exist as
righteous). This same identity-title also applies to us regarding being Holy
and Justified where none of our behaviours can change this reality.
A thank you to Kelly and Joshua who are inspirational in this life-journey. And to all the family, friends, sponsors, and donors who have fed into this ministry and outreach.
If you would like to support this ministry and outreach, you may do so via our website or at:
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