The Righteous

[Episkopos]

OHHH! I read it again "righteousness begins with imputed righteousness."

Yeh, men are depraved without Christ...in Christ though, from how I understand it, God changes our hearts to be a reflection of Him. This reflection is accredited to us as righteousness, but it is still only God in us shining...we are completely depraved apart from Christ. And in Christ we shine His righteousness.

Actually that fruit is from the religion tree. We can do things in our own strength....but we are weak. People mix up evil with weakness.

Without Christ ALL people are weak...but not all are evil. Some are righteous. God calls the righteous into His holiness....and sinners are called to repent.

 

[Mayflower]

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Romans 12:1‭-‬3 NASB


What I want to point out from these verses:

1) it is our spiritual service of worship to present our bodies a holy sacrifice (our life/service).

I read that as the least we can do.

2)do not be conformed to the world to prove God's will, not our own. (God's righteousness)

3) God has alotted to us a measure of faith. Even this was His doing.

 

[Mayflower]

Actually that fruit is from the religion tree. We can do things in our own strength....but we are weak. People mix up evil with weakness.

Without Christ ALL people are weak...but not all are evil. Some are righteous. God calls the righteous into His holiness....and sinners are called to repent.

No one are righteous, not even one...

 

[Episkopos]

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Romans 12:1‭-‬3 NASB


What I want to point out from these verses:

1) it is our spiritual service of worship to present our bodies a holy sacrifice (our life/service).

I read that as the least we can do.

2)do not be conformed to the world to prove God's will, not our own. (God's righteousness)

3) God has alotted to us a measure of faith. Even this was His doing.

All this to people who are already Christians.

 

[Episkopos]

No one are righteous, not even one...

Acts 10:22 22The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say."

This is BEFORE he heard the gospel. He was a righteous man.

You need to learn balance and the whole counsel of God. Otherwise you are religious...and a teacher of error.

 

[Mayflower]

Actually that fruit is from the religion tree. We can do things in our own strength....but we are weak. People mix up evil with weakness.

Without Christ ALL people are weak...but not all are evil. Some are righteous. God calls the righteous into His holiness....and sinners are called to repent.

That is a verse I think where at?

But the Bible says

as it is written, " there is none righteous , not even one ; there is none who understands , there is none who seeks for God ; all have turned aside , together they have become useless ; there is none who does good , there is not even one ."
Romans 3:10‭-‬12 NASB

So how does this fit with what you are saying?

 

[Mayflower]

Acts 10:22 22The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say."

This is BEFORE he heard the gospel. He was a righteous man.

You need to learn balance and the whole counsel of God. Otherwise you are religious...and a teacher of error.

Ya read my mind. I guess Ill have to read the context again...

 

[Episkopos]

That is a verse I think where at?

But the Bible says

as it is written, " there is none righteous , not even one ; there is none who understands , there is none who seeks for God ; all have turned aside , together they have become useless ; there is none who does good , there is not even one ."
Romans 3:10‭-‬12 NASB

So how does this fit with what you are saying?

This is a defense of God's righteousness...against those who lift themselves up as being righteous. So this is against the religious ones.

 

[Episkopos]

Jesus did not come to call the righteous to repent...just the sinners. The ones who are already healthy have no need of a doctor.
(Luke 5:32)
So simple...but the religious can't stand the truth.

Go learn what this means (Mat. 9:13)

 

[Mayflower]

All this to people who are already Christians.

Exactly. As Christians, this should be our attitude concerning righteousness...not self-righteous. Because we are only righteous because of Christ.

But I was just thinking unbelievers can't be righteous without Christ either...but this would be limited will rather then free will...I think some of that Tulip theology still spins in my mind...I believed it for the longest time...

 

[Mayflower]

But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion , and not sacrifice ,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:13 NASB

Is there a spevific verse that talks about calling the righteous into holiness? I think there is, but can't find it.

 

[Mayflower]

This is a defense of God's righteousness...against those who lift themselves up as being righteous. So this is against the religious ones.

Ill have to look at that more tomorrow...I see it as no one is righteous, but that makes sense with Cornelius being a righteous unbeliever...but I'm getting all mixed up since I am tired. Have a good night.

 

[Episkopos]

If we can't understand righteousness on the human level...how will we ever understand what God's righteousness means?


Jer. 12:5"If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

 

[Philip James]

work they do is never righteous, but the right thing to do as you’ve said.

This makes no sense....

 

[Episkopos]

But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion , and not sacrifice ,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:13 NASB

Is there a spevific verse that talks about calling the righteous into holiness? I think there is, but can't find it.

The rich young ruler....obeyed the commandments all his life (he was righteous)....so Jesus called him to follow Him into holiness. But that was too far...for this man.

 

[Episkopos]

This makes no sense....

Welcome to the thread...you will hear a lot of these kind of illogical statements posing as truth.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Go learn what this means (Mat. 9:13)

A sinner needs mercy. The righteous do not need mercy, since they are already righteous in their own eyes.

 

[Enoch111]

but I'm getting all mixed up since I am tired.

Just don't allow Episkopos to confuse you. He believes that he is a bishop (episkopos) but it looks more and more like he is a purveyor of spiritual confusion.

 

[brakelite]

Righteousness is holiness; likeness to God, and God is love. (1 John 4:16) It is conformity to the law of God, for “all Thy commandments are righteousness” Psalm 119:72, and “love is the fulfilling of the law”. Rom 13:10
Righteousness is love, and love is the true light and life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ, and we receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Jesus speaking….“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.…(Matt 6:33)

Yes, salvation is only by faith, but to what purpose? Just so we can get to heaven and that’s it? We have this wonderful gift of faith and exercise it for just our benefit, for our own selfish eternal ends? Jesus said we must seek the kingdom of God yes, and we ought always be grateful for the salvation/redemption through the shed blood that makes that possible, but Jesus said that we , in equal importance to the kingdom, seek also God’s righteousness.
I think we ought to know what precisely God’s righteousness is.

1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Rom.5:17 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.

It is evident that the righteousness which comes to us as a free gift by faith is the righteousness of God….so again, what is the righteousness of God?

Psalm 119:172 ¶ My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

The commandments of God are righteousness…not just in the abstract, but they are the righteousness of God.

Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their reviling.

They who know righteousness are those in whose heart is God’s law, thus the law of God is the righteousness of God. We can prove this another way….

All unrighteousness is sin….1 John 5:17 and whosoever commits sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law 1 John 3:4

Sin is the transgression of the law, and it is also unrighteousness, therefore sin and unrighteousness are the same. So if unrighteousness is transgression against the law, surely righteousness must be obedience to the law. Now we need to know “what law”?

It is the law which says “thou shalt not covet”. because Paul tells us that it was that law which convinced him of sin. (Romans 7:7.) The law of ten commandments then, is the measure of the righteousness of God. Since it is the law of God, and is righteousness, it must be the righteousness of God. In fact, there really is no other righteousness. It is a written manifestation of the character and nature of God. God is also love, and Paul tells us that love is the fulfilling of the law. Thus if we are to seek God’s righteousness, then we are to seek obedience, through faith, to God’s law, by love. Thus rather than doing away with the law, (how can it be possible to do away with God’s righteousness?) through love we establish the law. All by faith. Not our righteousness, but God’s.

So Solomon was perfectly correct and agreed with the text of Matt 6:33 when he said:

“Let us hear the conclusion to the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.” Eccl 12:13, 14.

 

[Episkopos]

A sinner needs mercy. The righteous do not need mercy, since they are already righteous in their own eyes.

That is wrong. The righteous are righteous in God's eyes...otherwise they would be just hypocrites.

When the bible says "righteous" ...that's what it means. Don't add a false interpretation.