“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
Romans 10:1-3
- When we establish our own righteousness (rightness), we have not followed the Word/Will of God.
- When we don’t know, we then begin to establish our own righteousness (self-righteousness/rightness).
- Romans 3:10.
- His righteousness gives us right standing before God (His Blood).
- I John 1:9.
- II Corinthians 1:20.
- Access was provided through Jesus’ shed blood.
- Just because you have been given right standing doesn’t mean you are standing right for God.
- Relationship and Representation are the two keys.
- What is disciplined and what is celebrated – any culture can be defined by these two things.
- Matthew 5-7 – laying out the culture of His Kingdom.
- Romans 12:2.
“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.)”
Romans 5:17
“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:18-21
- The Bible is God’s instruction manual for righteousness.
- II Timothy 3:16 – instruction in righteousness (comes from the Word).
- When you have the written Word of God on anything, you don’t need anything else.
- Adam made me a sinner, Jesus made me righteous!
- The name of Jesus gives us right standing and access.
- Matthew 7:21.
- Why aren’t more believers living out or standing up for the righteousness of God?
- Vs 14 – death reigned on all men (the penalty fell on all men and payment for that sin became available to all men).
- Jesus died for what I used to do.
- God doesn’t hear us because of rightness, but because of right standing through Jesus.
- Jesus keeps us in right standing all the way to Heaven.
- Proverbs 23:7 – we become the product of what we think.
- If you don’t want something in your life, you can’t let it in your heart.
- Relationship with Him gives us the ability to live out a life for Him.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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.”
Romans 6:1-4
- We’re raised to walk in newness of life!
- There is no new life until we’ve associated with His death. We have to die to our old self.
“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”
Romans 6:5-9
- When we associate with His death, it means we are no longer serving sin.
“For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Romans 6:10-14
- Baptism does not seal our salvation. Jesus is the author and finisher of our salvation.
- Newness of life transitions flesh to honoring God rather than self.
- There is a danger of returning to what God delivered you from.
- God never changed the authority of scripture, He never made the law illegal.
“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.”
Romans 6:15-20
- I show the world who I serve by what I yield to.
- Your testimony is greater than your vengeance.
- It’s more important that you represent the Father than your rightness.
- Iniquity always leads to greater iniquity.
- Romans 1:17.
- Faith always leads to faith.
“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:21-23
- The result of the right standing Jesus gave me should result in right standing for God.
The only people who see the Kingdom of God are those that have been born again!
The power of the Gospel saves you but also changes you.
If your representation of righteousness convicts me, that’s not your fault, that’s my sin.
When Churches change doctrine, we damage society.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-12
- Romans 3:23.
- Jesus offers a free gift called right standing.
- When you come to Jesus, you walk away different than you were before you came.
The conviction of sin causes you to go see Jesus.
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Matthew 25:31-41, 46