Through Righteousness

Romans 5:1-2 NASB

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

What is faith?

Biblical faith is from God, it is gift of God, and it is divine persuasion as to God’s holiness and his righteousness, and of our necessity to turn from our sins and to turn to God to walk in his ways, in his truth, and in his power.

And, what is grace? God’s grace to us is his favor to us, which we do nothing in our flesh to earn or to deserve. It is his gift to us. But, what exactly is the gift? This is where it gets sticky.

His grace to us is not merely an escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we die or when Jesus comes back to take us to be with him forever. It is forgiveness of sins, but it is not the promise of forgiveness of sins without us coming to repentance and to obedience to Christ and to his cross and his Word (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 6:7-8).

His gift of grace to us, resulting in our salvation from sin, is the power of the cross in our lives to turn away from our sins and to follow Jesus Christ with our lives, in obedience to his commands. It is dying with him to sin so that we might live with him to righteousness. It is not merely forgiveness of sins, but it is deliverance from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin, too.

Romans 5:3-5 NASB

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Followers of Jesus

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to our old lives and taking up our cross daily and following Jesus Christ with our lives. When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us, meaning that we are now God’s temple, his church, his body in which his Spirit dwells. We put off the old self, and we now put on Christ, who IS OUR LIFE. And, because the life of Jesus now lives within us, and we are his body, we also suffer as he suffered that we, too, might learn obedience through our suffering.

Thus, if we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives, we should not be surprised when we encounter trials, tribulations and persecutions, which try our faith. And, we should not let them undo us, either, for they are for our good, to teach us perseverance, to conform us into the likeness of Christ, to mold our characters to be godly and not fleshly, and to increase our faith.

Romans 5:6-11 NASB

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Not of The Flesh

Again, in our flesh we can do nothing to earn God’s grace and our salvation. We are not saved because of our righteousness, but because of God’s righteousness. Jesus took us from our lives of sin, he transformed our hearts and minds away from sin and to him, and he is the one who has given us new lives in him, created to be like him in true righteousness and holiness.

But, this does not mean nothing is required of us. Or that our salvation is a one-time deal and then we are “in” for life and that nothing can ever take it away from us. And, this goes back to “What is faith?” and “What is grace?” Both are from God, but they have to be received by us. And, the way we receive them is via submission to Christ and to death to sin and to living to his righteousness (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Eph. 4:17-24).

Romans 5:12-17 NASB

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Sinful from Birth

Because the first man Adam sinned against God, we are all born with sin natures, separate from God, destined to die in our sins, and unable to be acceptable to God in our own flesh. This is why God the Father sent Jesus Christ, God the Son, to die on a cross for our sins, so that he might become sin for us in putting our sin to death with him on that cross.

But, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, not just to give us a free pass so we can escape hell and go to heaven. He died on that cross and became sin for us, so that he might put sin to death in our lives, and so that we might live with him to him and to his righteousness and to his holiness. He came, not just to forgive us, but to transform us!

Romans 5:18-21 NASB

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through Righteousness

When we are still bound in our sins, giving way continually to our fleshly desires, without thought of whether or not our actions are pleasing to God, we are destined to spend eternity in hell, in eternal punishment.

So, the purpose of God’s grace to us is to deliver us out of our bondage to sin and to empower and strengthen us in the faith to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. The way in which God’s grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life, for us, through Jesus Christ, is not only through his death and his resurrection, but it is through us dying with him to sin and living with him to righteousness, for this is why he died.

So many people have the wrong idea about God’s grace, our salvation from sin, and our eternal life with God. They think that a mere acknowledgment of who Jesus is and to what he did for us is enough to secure them heaven, no matter how they live their lives from this moment on. They think that God requires nothing of them in the way of repentance or obedience and that faith is more like a religion than a relationship.

And, so they claim to have faith in Jesus Christ while they still live not much differently than they did, or even worse than they did before they “believed” in Jesus. And, that is because they have bought into Satan’s lies.

But, the truth of the matter is that God’s grace commands that we say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and that we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s soon return. The truth of the matter, too, is that if we walk according to our flesh, we will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God, and that we will reap what we sow. For, if we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8).

So, if you are living to please your flesh while you claim heaven as your eternal destiny, then please know that you are believing a lie. So, believe the truth, instead, for your life and your eternity depend on it.

Broken Cord

An Original Work / August 29, 2018

Your bond is broken

With your Lord and Savior

And, your testimony is

Separate from Him.

Your words not matching

Your actions today.

Repent of your sin and

Bow down and pray.

Live what you testify

In truth always.

Purity’s lacking in

Your life and witness,

For you profess one thing,

But other you do.

Not moral, spiritual.

Still of the flesh.

Not living in truth to

What you confess.

Lying about it

Puts you in a mess.

Living a lie is your practice,

‘tis true of you.

Masquerade righteousness –

None of it true.

Your heart is not given

To your Lord God.

Because of how you live,

You are a fraud.

Turn from your sin and

Give your life to God.

https://vimeo.com/287303934

Sunday, September 23, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for dying for us so that we could die with You to sin and live with You to righteousness. Amen!