Firm Foundations – Session 2 : Righteousness

Notes:

Righteousness

‘…those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ’ (Rom.5:17).

  • Through the gift of righteousness and the abundance of God’s grace to us in Christ, we are enabled to reign in life.
  • If Satan can keep from us the truths of righteousness and grace he will prevent us from entering into every blessing; because we will believe that it is our behaviour which qualifies us for these things.

In this lesson we will look at the New Testament teaching of righteousness.

Abraham is our example

  • Abraham is called ‘the father of us all’ (Rom.4:16). He is a model of our relationship with God.
  • But in what way is he an example to us? Are we to try to live as he lived?
  • He got many things wrong; but he got the most important thing right! He had a revelation that God’s way of righteousness is through Jesus.
  • God promised him that through his Seed many nations would be blessed with righteousness.
  • He clearly understood that the ‘Seed’ was a reference to Christ. ‘Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one,“And to your Seed,” who is Christ’ (Gal.3:16).
  • God preached the gospel to Abraham! ‘And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand,saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed”’ (Gal.3:8). Jesus said to the Jews, ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad’ (Jn.8:56).
  • Abraham believed the same gospel we heard and believed.
  • By believing the good news about Jesus he was made righteous. ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness’ (Rom. 4:3). So are we.

The Great Exchange

The righteousness of God is the foundation of our relationship with God. It qualifies us for every good thing. It is based upon ‘The Great Exchange’. ‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him’ (2 Cor.5:21). This means:

A) God Imputes Our Sins To Jesus (see Rom.4:7&8)

  • David committed two sins which were unpardonable under the law; yet they were not imputed to him.
  • Even though David stood before God in his sins God justified him. God ‘justifies the ungodly’ (Rom.4:5). How can He do that?
  • Our sin was imputed to Christ and He bore its full judgment.
  • At the River Jordan, Jesus announced that His baptism symbolized that He would fulfill all righteousness. ‘Jesus answered and said to him,“Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”’ (Rom. 3:15).
  • In His baptism He demonstrated what would happen at the Cross. He would represent a race of sinners, die for their sin, be buried and raised again as the Head of the new creation who are righteous and in whom God is well pleased.
  • Thus, the judgment for all our sin – past, present and future – has been imputed to Him. ‘Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all (peoples) to Myself’ (John.12:31-32).

B) God Imputes The Righteousness Of Christ To Us (see Rom.4:6)

  • The Jews were ignorant of God’s way of righteousness and thought that they could be righteous by their obedience to the law. ‘For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God’ (Rom. 10:3). Many make the same mistake.
  • We are not made righteous by our obedience, but His. ‘…as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous’, (Rom.5:19).
  • We do not behave unto righteousness; we believe unto righteousness.

Innocent or righteous?

The foundation of blessing is a right relationship with God. Adam was blessed while he was in relationship with God. But he experienced the curse after he sinned. We are not in Adam – innocent until proven guilty; we are in Christ – righteous, even when we sin.

There is a difference between innocence and righteousness:

  • When an innocent person sins, their sin is imputed to them.
  • When a righteous person sins, their sin has been imputed to Christ. They are still blessed. ‘Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin’ (Rom.4:8).
  • ‘…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them…’ (2 Cor.5:19).
  • ‘For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more’ (Heb.8:12).

Example#1. Gen.12:10-20; 13:1-2. In this passage:

Who sinned?

Who did God rebuke?

Who did God bless?

Example#2. Gen.20:2-7, 14-16. In this passage:

Who sinned?

Who did God warn?

Who was blessed?

God could bless Abraham even when he sinned because he was righteous through faith in Christ. This is not a licence to sin. There are always consequences for sin. But God blesses us on the basis of our righteousness in Christ, not on the basis of our behaviour.

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