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RIGHTEOUSNESS

2Co 5:21 For He {i.e. God} has made Him who knew no sin {i.e. Jesus}, to be sin for us; so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Over the past decades, we have had an over abundance of sermons on how to live right, on character; on honor; on faith; on love; healing; prosperity, marriage seminars, and yet there is very little fruit. And its not because people are bad, its because they don’t know what else to do, because their belief system has not changed over the years.

This is simply human reasoning. Men trying to explain things they don't understand. This will be proven as we get further in the message.

What about right doing? Under the old covenant you do right in order to be right. But under the new covenant, doing right is the result or the fruit of, being made right.
Rom 10:5-6 For Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law, That the man who does those things {written in the law} shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaks this way, Don’t say in your heart …. One is a servant, the other is a ruler, a king as in Rom. 5:17 “For if by one man's offence death reigned by {that} one; {how} much more shall they who receive {an} abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, reign in life by one, Jesus Christ”.

Righteousness is not a fruit. It produces fruit. Another reason it cannot be right doing. It’s missing from Gal 5:22,23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance {or self control}: against such there is no law”. Fruit goes through a process of growing, and its also affected by its enviroment.
Heb.12:11 Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto those who are exercised by it.
Jam.3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

What about Sin? How can I be righteous when I know that I sin?
Question: Did you ever do anything good before you were saved? YES, but did it change who you were? No! What if you were to renounce satan? Would that change your state of sinnerhood? No!
Question: Did you ever do anything bad after you got saved? Yes! Did it change who you are? No! What if you had a little temper tantrum like a small child and decided to renounced Jesus. Would that change who you are? No! Why?
Rom 5:19 For {just} as by one man's disobedience {i.e. ADAM} many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one {i.e. JESUS CHRIST} shall many be made righteous.
You were not a sinner because you committed sins. You were a sinner, because of what Adam did. Sinners sin because they are sinners, not because they sin. By the same token we just read, that by one man’s obedience, many will be made righteous.
Question: Who’s obedience made you righteous? Your’s or Jesus’?
So righteousness is not what you are; it is who you are. If it’s what you are, then it’s based on YOUR obedience. If it’s who you are, it’s based on HIS obedience at the cross. You are not righteous by your performance. You are righteous by what JESUS has done. Under the law your obedience causes you to be blessed (Deut. 28:1), but under the new covenant the grace God blesses us first and obedience is the fruit of it. (Gal. 3:13-14 ; Eph 1:1)

What does it mean to be dead to sin?
Rom 6:2-3 …How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it? 3 Don’t ye know, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:8-11 Now if we are dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; [because] death has no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died once unto sin: but in that he lives, he lives [forever] unto God. 11 Likewise, ye also reckon {or consider} yourselves to be truly dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Bottom line: You are not dead to sinful deeds, but you are dead to the condemnation, imputation, and punishment of sin.

So what’s the big deal about righteousness? Let’s go over a few verses to see.
2Ti 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow {or pursue} righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. [righteousness is first, before faith, love etc…]
Isa 32:17 And the work of righteousness will be peace {shalom}; and the effect of righteousness quietness {i.e. rest} and assurance {of your salvation} forever.
Isa 54:14 In righteousness you will be established: you will be far from oppression; because you will not fear: and you will be far from terror; because it will not come near you.
Heb 5:13-14 For every one that uses milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a {spiritual} babe. 14 But strong meat belongs to those who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their {spiritual} senses - {NOT their feelings} - exercised to discern both good and evil.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation [i.e. whatever you need saving from] to every one that believes it…
Rom 1:17 For {or Because} in it {i.e. in the gospel of Christ} the righteousness of God is revealed…
What gives the gospel of Christ its power? [The revelation of righteousness, i.e. that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.]

Before we can understand Righteousness, lets first cover some basics. You ARE a spirit, you HAVE a soul, you LIVE in a body.
1Thes. 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Illustrate this using the O.T. temple: The Outer court is a picture of your body; the Holy place is a picture of your soul; and the Holy of Holies is a picture of your spirit.
- When you believed in Jesus, and gave your life to Him, your spirit was perfected and sealed by the Holy Spirit, but your soul & body remained relatively intact.
ALL THE “YE ARE” or “YE WERE” APPLY TO YOUR SPIRIT MAN - NOT TO YOUR FLESH!
- Eph. 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
- 1Cor.3:16 …ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
- 1Cor.5:7 …ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
- 1Cor. 6:11 … but ye are {fully} washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
- Col. 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

YOU ARE NOT YOUR FLESH (BODY)! YOUR FLESH IS NOT YOUR FRIEND.
- Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will {or the willingness to do good} is present with me; but as to how to perform that which is good I do not find.
- Rom. 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye will die: but if ye, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, ye will live.
- Jam 3:6a And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body…
- 1Pet. 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

You [the spirit man] are JUST AS RIGHTEOUS AS JESUS IS

1John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He {JESUS} is righteous.

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