Jan 16
31
The Righteousness of God
One of the more important phrases in our English Bibles is the phrase,
“The righteousness of God.” Martin Luther claimed that a proper
understanding of this phrase led to his salvation. But a word or phrase
has no power unless we understand what it means. There are at least
three ways the Scriptures use this phrase:
1) God’s essential righteousness that directs all His works. In all God
does, He is righteous, for righteousness is among His essential
attributes. When He condemns, He is righteous. When He saves, He is
righteous. His wrath is a righteous wrath and His love is a righteous love.
2) The gift of righteousness that comes from God to all who believe.
This is the righteousness of the Gospel and is set forth as distinct
from the righteousness of the Law. In the Law, we must render
righteousness to God; in the gospel, we receive righteousness from God.
In the book of Romans, this righteousness is seen primarily as the
righteousness of justification. That is, it describes the righteousness
imputed to every one of God’s elect which makes them accepted by God and
legally secures to them all the blessings of God.
3) A righteous nature given to every one of God’s elect. The “legal”
righteousness of God makes every elect accepted by God. But salvation
goes beyond making us accepted; it also includes fellowship with God.
“Fellowship” means “to have in common.” For a man to know, love, believe
and communicate with God, he must have a nature in common with God’s. 2
Corinthians 5.21 says that all for whom Christ died are made to be the
righteousness of God in Him. The word translated “made” is the word the
Scriptures use for the creation of the universe, and is also the word
Satan used when he tempted Christ with, “Make these stones into bread.”
This word goes beyond what a thing is merely declared to be and touches
the very being or essence of a thing. Because of Christ’s work on the
cross, every believer’s essential nature is changed: At regeneration,
every one of God’s elect is created in Christ with a new and sinless
spiritual nature which is created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness. It is from this new nature that we know, love, believe and
communicate with God. In the flesh, we can do none of these things, but
from a regenerated spirit, every one of God’s people does all of these
things. In time to come, this work begun in us in our spirits will be
brought to perfection as even our bodies will be made like Christ’s
glorious body, and will no longer be a hindrance to our regenerated
spirits. In that day, we will no longer feel compelled to cry out, “O
wretched man that I am,” for in that day, we will be, body and spirit,
like Christ. –Joe Terrell
TRUE Righteousness
Most modern preachers are preaching against sin without declaring the
true nature and character of God, and it just comes out as dos and
don’ts and decisions and reformations. The whole process is merely
peripheral. Their message reaches only to that which they have done; and
consequently, that which they can change. They have never seen what they
are; and that which no man can change. Such religion breeds
self-righteousness and makes converts who do not need the full, free
justifying righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just give them a plan, a proposition, a few things to do, a few rules to
follow, a few commandments to keep, and they rest very comfortably. You
will hear them talking about free grace, but all the while they are
thinking about what they have done or are doing; and this is contrary
too grace! TRUE grace brings a TRUE knowledge of God, a TRUE knowledge
of self (sin), and leaves the sinner’s attention focused upon TRUE
righteousness, righteousness through the doing and dying of the Lord
Jesus Christ, righteousness which is obtained through faith alone—a
sinner trusting Christ!
Maurice Montgomery
Law Established
Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid:
yea, we establish the law.”
Faith does not add to salvation but through faith we trust Christ who is
our Salvation. We see the grace wherein we stand. Thusly, the law is not
made void but in every way established.
Faith establishes the law as the embodiment of God’s character. A
believer knows what the law of God requires thus seeing God as holy,
holy, holy. What righteousness!
Faith establishes the law in that the law finds natural man totally
unrighteous, unfit, incapable of approaching God. “…for by the law is
the knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:20) Saving faith compares my deeds to what
the law demands, showing me my need of a substitute.
Holy law is a magnificent steed
Too many hands high
For me to mount and ride to glory
No matter how I try
Faith establishes the law as the witness to Christ’s perfect obedience.
Made of a woman, made under the law, Christ fulfilled the law in every
respect. The sinner saved by grace delights to hear the law declare
Christ righteous for He is our Righteousness.
Faith establishes the law as a witness that God is both just and
justifier. The law reveals sin in us and the wages of sin are death. God
can in no wise clear the guilty. But by the wisdom of God, Christ is the
spotless Lamb, set forth to be the propitiation through faith in His blood.
Faith establishes the law because the believer’s sincere desire is to
obey the law for the sake of Christ who loved us and gave himself for
us. Not that we might obtain a righteousness; our righteousness has been
obtained. Not that we might become holy; in Christ we are holy. But
rather, the true desire toward obedience to God in every believer is the
fruit of the Spirit with which we have been sealed. Because of all that
Christ has accomplished, God by the work of the Holy Spirit, writes his
law upon the heart of every believer. There is no longer a spirit of
bondage but a spirit of adoption, whereby we desire to be like Christ.
And thanks to the faithful Abba, Father in which we worship, one day we
will.
Clay Curtis
Enemies of the Cross
Because he was a man devoted to the gospel, zealous for the glory of
Christ, and concerned about the souls of men, the apostle Paul clearly
identified men in the early church who were “the enemies of the cross of
Christ” (Philippines 3:18). Sometimes, he even called them by name!
Those enemies of the cross were preachers and teachers who came in the
name of Christ, professing to be followers of Christ, and pretending to
preach the gospel of Christ. But they were offended by the cross of
Christ. The fact that Christ died on the cross did not offend them; but
the doctrine of the cross they could not and would not endure. Because
of their great hatred for Paul’s message, the doctrine of the cross,
they sought to destroy his ministry by raising smoke screens and clouds
of dust around it, falsely accusing him of many hideous things. Some
said, “Paul is not a true apostle.” Others said, “Paul is an
antinomian.” Another raised the cry, “Paul is a preacher of
licentiousness.” And some said, “Paul is lording over God’s church.” By
these things, the false preachers and teachers in the early church tried
to discredit Paul’s ministry, and sought to excuse their rebellion and
enmity toward the doctrine of the cross.
We have such men in the church today. Some are preachers, some are
teachers, some are deacons, and some are in the pews. They falsely
accuse God’s faithful servants of many evil things. They raise many
false issues in an attempt to hide the one real issue. They are “the
enemies of the cross of Christ.” What is the source and cause of their
anger, wrath, and hostility toward those who faithfully preach the
gospel? What are the real issues?
The real issue is this— Who is God? Is he totally, absolutely, and
universally sovereign; or is he not? The Word of God says that he is;
and the natural man hates that fact (Isa. 46:10; Dan. 4:35-37; Rom.
9:11-23). God is sovereign in all things: creation, providence, and
salvation. God does what he will, when he will, with whom he will, in
the way he will, and gives account of his actions to no one. Either God
is absolutely sovereign, or he is not God.
The real issue is this— What is man? Is man good, or is he vile? Is man
weak; or is he depraved? Is man sick, or is he dead? What does the Bible
say? You do not have to read much to find out (Rom. 3:9-19; 5:12; Eph.
2: 1-3). These things are true concerning all men by nature, no matter
what their age, their race, or their condition in life: All men are
spiritually dead, without life toward God. All men are morally depraved.
Their hearts are evil, vile, wretched, and incapable of doing that which
is good in the sight of God (Mt. 15:19). There is nothing you can or
will do, of yourself, by your own power, of your own accord, to change
your nature. And all men are justly condemned. Unless God Almighty
intervenes and does for you what you cannot do for yourself, you are
going to wind up in hell. And if you do, it will be right and just, you
have well earned it.
The real issue is this— How is salvation accomplished? Man will accept
any method of salvation which allows him some part in the work. And he
naturally rebels against any method of salvation which denies him all
pride and dignity. The scriptures are clear – “Salvation is of the
Lord.” “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Salvation is not an offer; it is a free gift. Salvation is not
accomplished by the gentle persuasion of the Holy Spirit, never invading
the territory of the sinner’s free-will; but it is accomplished by the
sovereign power of God the Holy Spirit, irresistibly drawing sinners to
Christ and creating faith in their hearts. Salvation does not come by
the decision of man, but by the revelation of God. Salvation is not
walking down an aisle; it is bowing to Christ the King. The new birth is
nothing less than an effectual awakening of dead sinners by God the Holy
Spirit. It is God giving life to the dead. It is a spiritual resurrection.
The real issue is this—Who is Jesus Christ? Modem day preachers have
made a conscience-soothing, fire-escape from hell and named it “Jesus.”
The modem preacher has made Jesus a pathetic, helpless beggar at the
sinner’s heart’s door. The preacher of easybelievism and decisionism has
made the will of Christ, the work of Christ, and the glory of Christ
subject to the sinner’s will. He has put the Son of God into the
sinner’s power, saying, “What will you do with Jesus? “Will you accept
the Lord? Won’t you let Jesus come into your heart? Let him have his way
with you.” It’s all a lie, a blasphemous delusion, a snare of hell.
My friend, Jesus Christ is God, the sovereign Lord and King (John 17:2).
He has you in his hands. You don’t have him in your hands. The question
is not, “Will you receive Jesus?; but “will Jesus receive you?” The
question is not, “Will you accept the Lord?”; but “Will the Lord accept
you?” He has the authority, the right, and the power to save you or to
damn you. The one thing you can and must do is bow down to him. Bow down
before the great King and sue for mercy “Lord, if you will, you can make
me whole.”
The real issue is this—What did Jesus Christ do? Did the Son of God die
to make salvation a possibility for all men, or did he make an infinite
satisfaction to divine justice, accomplishing the eternal redemption of
his people. The modem theory of the atonement is this-the Lord Jesus
Christ died at Calvary to make it possible for all the people of the
world to be saved, though he did not actually secure and make certain
the salvation of any. And when any sinner believes on Christ, the blood
of Christ becomes powerful and effectual to save him. This notion makes
the blood of Christ a dormant and useless thing until the sinner’s faith
makes it meritorious and effectual. But what does the Word of God say?
If there is anything plainly taught in the Bible, it is this – the Lord
Jesus Christ did actually put away the sins of his people, and did
actually obtain eternal redemption for us when he poured out his life’s
blood unto death at Calvary (Rom. 3:24-26; II Cor. 5:21 Heb. 9:12,26).
Though the doctrine of the cross offends unbelieving men and stirs up
their wrath. I must go on preaching it with boldness. This is the only
hope of my soul. And, though you may not know it, is your only hope too.
Don Fortner.
If ask’d what of Jesus I think,
Though still my best thoughts are but poor,
I’d say, He’s my meat and my drink,
My life, and my strength, and my store,
My Shepherd, my Husband, my Friend,
My Saviour from sin and from thrall,
My hope from beginning to end,
My Portion, my Lord, and my All.
John Newton