A Christmas Gift To All-Our Righteousness Comes From God-Part Nine

All Scripture verses are from the Spirit Filled Life Bible published by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

James 1:18-20; "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

When we become offended in self-centeredness and selfish-ambition springing forth in anger, we are not accomplishing the righteousness of God but instead we bring forth actions that are conductive to malice and destruction.  Salvation does not come from worldly methods but from gentle and meek acceptance of the word of God that has taken root in our hearts.

1Peter 3:13-17; "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake you are blessed. 'And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.' But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evil doers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  For it is better, if it is the will og God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.'"

We are not to be afraid of the treats that unbelievers make toward us or even be troubled by them in our good conduct in Christ, for those who revile us shall be made ashamed. We are to be ready to give an answer in our defense for the reason of our hope with gentleness and reverence for God.  The Scripture uses meekness and fear which are interchangeable with gentleness and reverence.  Reverence also represents respect.

2 Peter 4-11; "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment, and did not spare the ancient world but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction; making them an example to those who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise of authority.  The are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord."

In this passage we are presented with the attitude of self-will, the disrespect for authority, and perhaps even self-righteousness.  If we take a close look to understand the passage and recall that God is the same yesterday, today and forever-meaning He is never changing, how can we believe that He will allow us to escape when He did not allow others to escape their self-will and following after the lust of the flesh-what makes you any better or greater than them?  God is not a God to be mocked. If God did not spare those before us for the same such practices that we delude ourselves with, how can we truly believe that we will escape His judgment?  And when we attack to the truth of God and the ones presenting it, doing things that even angels who have more power than us and do not do, how is it we think we will escape? Think and ponder the with a sober mind, for your life depends on it.

 2 Peter 3:13; "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

We should desire to live in the righteousness of God-for our righteousness is a gift of God.

1John 2:28-29; "And now little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.  I you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him."

We accomplish the righteousness of God in our lives through faith and obedience and can discern whether those around us are born of Him through their thoughts, actions, words and deeds.

1 John 37-10; "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the the devil are manifest; whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor he who does not love his brother."

The character of those that are born of God is not characterized by the spirit of lawlessness or the practice or powerlessly being led into a habitual practice of sin. This passage does not declare that Christians are not unable to commit an occasional act of sin, but that the act of sin is unnatural to the children of God without conviction of the Holy Spirit.  On the other than, a constant indulgence in sin contradicts ones claim to have a personal knowledge of Christ. The reference to practicing righteousness is made so that we have a full understanding that our righteousness comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ-and if we do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and have not made a serious act of inviting Jesus into our hearts, then we are not born of God and are not His because we do not have His righteousness.

Well, that concludes my study of "Our Righteousness Comes From God."  Other than a few commentaries the embodiment of this series is not my words or perceptions but the word of God which brings revelations of truth. From the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible pertaining to this subject we gain an understanding of what righteousness is and who we obtain it.  And, the truth is, outside of Jesus Christ we have no righteousness from God and no relationship to Him.