Christ our righteousnessChrist our righteousness

Bro JosphertBro Josphertjosphert@yahoo.com

www.josphert.org2626thth July 2009 July 2009

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Matthew 5:20Matthew 5:20

For I say unto you, That except yoyour righteousnessur righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Raising the standard!Raising the standard!

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Matthew 6:33Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

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Romans 5:17Romans 5:17

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

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Romans 5:21Romans 5:21

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord

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John 16:8John 16:8

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

The ministry of the Holy SpiritThe ministry of the Holy Spirit

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Lets reason on righteousnessLets reason on righteousness

• Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee

• Lost opportunities!Lost opportunities!

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The basis of our approach to GodThe basis of our approach to God

• With what kind of righteousness should we come to God?"

• "What is my basis for coming to God?"

• How do we “dress” before going to meet God?....Amos 4:12 prepare to meet thy God..

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What a believer should knowWhat a believer should know

1. Should know he is a son of God.

2. Should know God's righteousness.

3. Should know the righteousness of Christ

4. Should know the believers' righteousness.

We know that the most crucial matter in the Christian faith is the possession of a new life from God.

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Some basic teachingsSome basic teachings

• 1st is the forgiveness of sins : whether rash and ugly sins or indulging in more refined and subtle ones . The outward manifestation of our life is sinful. We sin against ourselves, we sin against others, we against God. A God who is righteous. He cannot bypass our sins. His righteousness does not permit Him to do so. …. …..

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The wages of sin is deathThe wages of sin is death

• Sins must be punished. Your repentance may guarantee your future innocence, but it can never remove your past guilt, nor can it deliver you from the judgment of the law.”

• Conscience may sleep but one day it will wake up and condemn sins one day.

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JustificationJustification

• We not only received forgiveness in our salvation, but we obtained justification as well.

• The first Adam was a huge man incorporating the whole of humanity .

• Christ, the last Adam also is a huge corporate man. Those who are included in Him bear all the judgment of God in Him.

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The crossThe cross

• 2nd the very life which activates sins must be dealt with thoroughly.

• Then God can freely dispense a new life to us in Christ, and then we can walk and fulfill God’s purposes on earth.

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2 Peter 1:12 Peter 1:1

• Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

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A Great verse in New TestamentA Great verse in New Testament

•  1 Corinthians 1:30

• But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

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Philippians 3:9Philippians 3:9

• And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

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THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRISTCHRIST

• Most people think that after we become a Christian, everything of Christ becomes ours. IS IT TRUE?

• The phrase the righteousness of Christ is only used in 2 Peter 1:1, in reference to Christ's own righteousness

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As a SaviourAs a Saviour

• Without the righteousness of Christ, we cannot have a Savior.

• Christ is the Savior because He is righteous.

• But His righteousness is only related to Him. The righteousness of Christ qualifies and enables Him to be our Savior. [the Lion of the tribe of Judah]

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The narrow pathThe narrow path

• By what righteousness are we saved? • We are saved by the righteousness of

Christ. True or false?• We are saved by our own righteousness.

true or false?• We are saved by God's righteousness.

true or false?• We are saved by faith in the righteousness

of Christ. true or false?

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When do we join up with Christ?When do we join up with Christ?

• The righteousness of Jesus was the qualification which the Lord had before God when He was a man. This righteousness has absolutely nothing to do with us.

• We are not joined to the Lord in His walk in this world; we are joined to Him on the cross.

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Following from farFollowing from far

We Christians were joined to Christ at His death, not at His birth.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem and lived on the earth, men could only follow Him from afar. They could only say,

"Behold, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:29).

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Christ HimselfChrist Himself

• Only when we come to Romans 6 do we see that we are joined to Him in the likeness of His death and resurrection (v. 5). Therefore, a Christian does not become righteous in the eyes of God through the righteousness of Christ, but through Christ Himself. We are saved through receiving Christ Himself.

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Romans 6:3-6Romans 6:3-6

• Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

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CHRIST BECOMINGCHRIST BECOMINGOUR RIGHTEOUSNESSOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

• The Bible does not say that we have put on the righteous garment of Christ. It only says that we have put on Christ."

• Galatians 3:27

• For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christhave put on Christ.

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Past, present and futurePast, present and future

• The righteousness of Christ is something that is in Christ Himself, and it is history.

• Today Christians come to God through putting on Christ. Christ Himself has become our righteousness, and we can come to God at any time because Christ lives forever

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RevelationRevelation

• This verse reveals that a Christian does not come to God through his own righteousness. Neither does he come to God with his many sins. Rather, he comes to God through Christ alone.

• When Christ Himself becomes our righteousness, God receives us !

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Own righteousnessOwn righteousness

• If we behave well today and think that we are more qualified to come to God, we are coming to Him by our own righteousness.

• A Christian does not become more unrighteous through sinning, nor does he become more righteous through doing good.

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What is the Christian What is the Christian righteousness?righteousness?

• Righteousness is a person

• It is not a thing.

• The righteousness that a Christian has is the living Christ.

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Putting on ChristPutting on Christ

• Jacob's brother Esau was a hairy man, but he was a smooth man.

• Rebekah gave to Jacob the coat of Esau and covered his hands and neck with the skin of goats in an effort to steal his father's blessing.

• But, we have not put on a robe of righteousness; we have put on Christ Himself

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Baptized into ChristBaptized into Christ

• We have not put on the garment of Christ; we have put on Christ Himself.

• Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

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We are perfect!We are perfect!

The righteousness which we now have far exceeds our own righteousness. It is Christ Himself becoming our righteousness.

Hence we are perfect, and God can now accept us.

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What is our basis?What is our basis?

• What is in our mind when we come before Him?

• Are we fearful when we think of our sin

• or

• Are we bold when we think of our righteousness?

• Or

• Do we think of Christ?

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The righteousness that God has The righteousness that God has given us is Christ.given us is Christ.

My problem of sin has been dealt with by Christ on the cross,

WHILE,

the problem of righteousness has also been settled by Christ on the throne.

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RIGHTEOUSNESSRIGHTEOUSNESSAND OUR CONDUCTAND OUR CONDUCT

• My conduct as a Christian has changed over the years, but my righteousness has never changed and will never change.

• I can advance in my holiness, spirituality, or maturity, but I cannot advance in righteousness

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No change in righteousness!No change in righteousness!

• Even if I become as fallen as Demas or Alexander the coppersmith, I will not be more unrighteous .

• Or

• if I suffer as much as Paul did, love the Lord as much as John did, and am as bold as Peter was, it will not increase my righteousness at all.

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The most righteous personThe most righteous person

• I am the most righteous person on earth because my righteousness is Christ .

• HENCE, Righteousness has nothing to do with sin.

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Beating the accuserBeating the accuser

• If our coming to God is based on Christ as our righteousness, Satan can do nothing to accuse us .

• We have to see that man's condition (2) before God can be good or bad, but man’s position (1) before God can never change.

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Matthew 5:6Matthew 5:6

•  Blessed are they whicBlessed are they which do hunger and thirst h do hunger and thirst after after righteousnessrighteousness: fo: for they shall be filledr they shall be filled .