JOHN CHAPTER 3 VERSE 16 [four]

(…continues from part three…)

4)            Hebrews 10:38-39, ³⁸ “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. ³⁹ But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Staunch believers of the Remonstrants’ (5^th point) stance of Arminianistic ‘Perseverance of the saints’, evidently first taught in Augustinianism, will love to pull out the 38^th verse to inform the unwary Christian of apostatical contingency. But, thank God for the immutability of the Scripture; the 39^th verse teaches: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Now, who are the ‘we’, the Apostles or the Hebraic Christians? The answer is in Hebrews 3:1 “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;” where we have ‘holy brethren, and ‘partakers of heavenly calling’ whose Apostle and High Priest is none other than Christ Jesus. Jesus is the first to call His followers ‘brethren’ in Matthew 28:10 meaning ‘one born of the same parents or sharing a parent’ from the Greek adelphos (ad-el-phos’) thus constituting the sacredness of our lives before the Most High. The word ‘partakers’ is the Greek metochos (met’-okh-os): ‘sharing in, partaking; a partner (in a work, office, dignity).’

                Only born again Christians wield the empyreal qualifications of brotherhood and partakers of celestial citizenry with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Pauline ‘we’ is, most definitely, in reference to Christians. ‘Draw back’ of Hebrews 10:38 is a perditionable hupostellō (hoop-os-tel’-lo): ‘to withdraw one’s self, i.e. to be timid, to cover, shrink; to shrink from declaring, to conceal, dissemble.’ The ‘draw back’ of Hebrews 10:39 is hupostolē (hoop-os-tol-ay’): ‘the timidity of one stealthily retreating; shrinkage (timidity), that is, (by implication) apostasy.’To the peddlers of perseverance of the saints true Christians can never be found in the web of the apostatical slant leading to being hurled into bottomless perdition, turning the Christian into an inmate of eternal hell fire.

                The strength of the Christian belief which is of Scriptural facticity is that “the saving of the soul” is based on the substitutionary death of the Golgotha cross which purchased the redeemed. The cost of this redemption is too expensive to make an availability of a repurchase of the redeemed soul of the Christian – it is absolutely God’s property –; also because God will not change His mind concerning the intent of His divine pronouncement. In this purchase, the good thing about it is its eternality – “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. The reason why we, the true Christians, cannot ‘draw back’ is the eternality of the purchase. The cost of this redemption is too high to allow the object of this salvation to be lost. Love without measure. What is the cost? God Himself! Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” The active word ‘purchase’ is peripoieomai (pe-riy-poi-ye’-o-mai): ‘to make around oneself, i.e. acquire (buy).’      

    Ephesians 1:14 “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The words ‘purchased possession’ are one Greek peripoiesis (pe-riy-poi’-yee-sis): ‘1. acquisition (the act or the thing). 2. (by extension) preservation.’ The seriousness of this ‘purchase’ is in the word ‘earnest’ in this empyrean transaction. ‘Earnest’ is the Greek word arrhabon (ar-rha-ɓōn’): ‘a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest.’ The ‘Earnest’ from Pauline exegesis, is the Holy Spirit, found in the preceding verse. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Almighty is, most definitely, an uncreated Being. An uncreated One is eternal. How much will God cost, and what is the measure of global cash or wealth which equals the Holy Spirit? If the Holy Spirit will serve as a down payment, where are the resources of repurchase? Non-existent! 

                It must be understood that if the Purchaser were not God His blood could not be divine enough for this acquisition. The purchase is both a sole ownership and the preservation by the Divine Owner – the Church having been wrapped around the divine Purchaser. A transiency of the acquisition will definitely portray a wrong notion of the LORD’s parochialism, ergo, the purchased Church is of eternality; no one, not even God Himself will get it lost: and this is one of the objectives of John 3:16. Amen!

                This birth is wholly a perfection of grace transaction. Romans 4:22-25 ²² “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. ²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; ²⁴ But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; ²⁵ Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” ‘Imputed’ of verse 22 is logizomai (lo-ǰiy’-zo-mai): ‘to take an inventory, i.e. estimate.’ Spiritual regeneration comes with righteousness. Righteousness becomes an irremovable essence of the born again believer in the finished work of the gory cross.

                The righteousness that the Adamic race lost in the Garden of Eden received only a fugacious right standing before the Lord God which must be constantly renewed with the sacrificial butchery of another lamb. The seemingly inconsequential act of the belief in the word of God is all one needs to have ones account credited with righteousness. How can a seemingly ineffective act of faith make one a righteous person in the sight of God? The grace (an unmerited favour) of God is the response of divine beneficence to those who choose to expend the faith engendered by believing God’s word. The rebirth is not by works of morality; it is strictly by grace lest anyone should boast.   

Get born again. Say this simple prayer, believing it with all your heart. Say:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(Concluded)

Read part three here

EXISTENTIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (5)

(…continued from part four…)

5)            Galatians 3:21-23 “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

                Jeremiah 23:6 “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Is this verse a pertainment only to the physicality of the Judean of Israel? Certainly not. It pertains more to the Christian than to any race. The name Judah means ‘praise’. Israel means ‘a prince, or better still, a ruler by God’s side’. The Christian is one creation brought into being to offer true praises to the Most High Jehovah. Who are referred to as the spiritual children of God? They are the Christians. 1Peter 2:9-10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10) Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” ‘People’ from this verse is the Greek laos (lah-os’): ‘a tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.’ Who, therefore, are these Christians? We are the next of kin to the LORD God Almighty. It is on account of this kinship that the Scripture says, “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7).

Jesus is the key to the righteousness of God

                Let us understand what “righteousness which is of God by faith” in Philippians 3:9 is. Romans 10:3 “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Ignorance of scriptural facts leads so many people into believing that their hands and acts will make them righteous before the LORD God. Romans 10:10 reveals, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Believing is an act of faith. The ‘faith’ in this verse is not unconnected with the finished work of Jesus, in His divine bid to save mankind. Faith is the key; inserted into man’s predicament, the key of faith turned, an ignition is in force, and the Holy Spirit perfects the act of faith. Faith in Jesus, when it has to do with salvation comes with a total package which include justification, sanctification, power and righteousness.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus (1Corinthians 1:30)

                1Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” In this verse we see the First and the Second Members of the Trinity making sure of the actuating the inherent righteousness. Our righteousness leads to other spiritual benefits of the above verse of the Bible. Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Should a verse like this not sum up the whole disquisition? But, unfortunately, many Church people want to prove that they must have a hand in this matter of righteousness which only the Divinity alone bestows.

 The unity of the Divinity consummates creationism

                2Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” The righteousness is never our making, God, who fashioned it in our genes, is the One who enhances its ignition. Galatians 4:4-7 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” This is a joint effort of the Trinity: the Lord Jesus, God the Son comes down from heaven to walk, on our behalf, the walk of redemption for us; the Holy Spirit is sent to midwife the regeneration our rebirth; and the end result makes us the heir of God the Father Himself. Ponderous! It speaks of eternality of heirship, most definitely.

                The good Shepherd, as the Eternal LORD, can only wrought an eternally secured salvation (if indeed He is a miracle Worker). Amen. All the Lord God did was to go back to the Eden right standing of Adam, carry out its evocation then wraps it around the redeemed soul, who happened to have it in his genes.

                If the creation of Adam (made from an unconscious gathering of dust) came with the bestowal package of righteousness, which he did nothing to earn, it should follow that the righteousness of his progenies of regeneration, through the sacrificial Lamb of God, cannot be earned as well. In the Eden he fell as the lord of the earth, because he could not save himself, cutting his supposedly immortality short. As a born again Christian, Adam is no longer his own lord, the eternal LORD saved him, bringing him into the eternality of his Divinity and righteous Lordship. Amen.

The Lamb of God

                Get born again by saying this simple prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(Concluded)

To read part 4, click here

EXISTENTIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (4)

Man’s toil of righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)

(…continued from part three…)

4)            Unknown to most Christians, as earlier explained, is the egregious anathema of the definition of ‘filthy’ (found in Isaiah 64:6), which is ‛êd (ayd): ‘the menstrual flux (as periodical); by implication (in plural) soiling.’ Beged (behg’-ed) is the Hebrew for ‘rags’ meaning: ‘treachery, deceit; garment, clothing (used indiscriminately).’ It was an unfortunate loss, that Adam plunged humanity into, unquestionably. Disobedient sinfulness eroded Adam’s righteousness, engendering a spiritual spillover of unrighteous existentiality unto every Adamic accouchement. It became extremely difficult for the Adamic nature to please God in this garb of sinfulness. “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven;” explained Jesus in Matthew 5:20.

                But all was not lost, all thanks be to God who bestowed an existential Image of Himself on the day six of Adam’s creation. Man had the eternality of spiritual survival implanted into him, just in case he decides to follow the right path in his future life of sin. Why would God say to the murderous Cain in Genesis 4:7 “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door”? The feminine noun, ‘sin’ is regenerative. It is the Hebraic chaṭṭâ’th (khat-taw-aw’): ‘sin offering, sacrifice, expiation.’ And what is ‘lieth’? It is râbats (raw-bats’), meaning: ‘to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal)’; and that was the solution: “bring a sacrifice of a recumbent animal (sheep or goat): and I, the LORD God will forgive you, Cain,” was the divine solution to the sin question. Cain decided not to be a follower of Christ. Doomed, he became, for all eternity.

Purchase of regeneration very, very costly indeed.

                God, as a Businessman, will never lose His capital. He always makes sure of that. He knew that, unlike the progenitor of the antediluvian miscreants, some of the Adamic stock would come to Him for salvation. Those ones would ignite the soteriological gene in them, and make their way to the Saviour, Jesus Christ. They will see the Light, after having believed the word of the saving grace. To them is the reservation of celestial regeneration midwifed by God, the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Where comes the faith? It comes from the Word of God, Jesus Christ. The righteousness bestowed upon Christians does not come as an earned reward from a spiritual toil. Romans 4:6 “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works;” because it is something God decided, based on an act of faith from an individual. “Imputeth’ is the Greek logizomai (log-id’-zom-ahee): ‘to reckon, count, compute, calculate.’ Based on our ‘righteousness,’ impaired by our carnality, it is nothing short of ‘menstrual rags’ as offensive as the fig leaves apparels of Adam and his wife.

Not having mine own righteousness…but that which is through the faith of Christ (Phil. 3:9)

                 “Not having mine own” found in Philippians 3:9 has Scriptural corroboration in Psalms 130:2-4

“Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3) If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4) But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” God, having walked with Israel, had engendered certain consanguinity. This reality emboldened David to ask for God’s ears. Access granted, an existential righteousness prompts an appeal to the Divinity, and in a so to speak manner, the rhetorical question of the third verse becomes so apropos. Knowing that all was not lost, the sanguinity of the fourth verse is a conclusive facticity.

                Romans 9:29-33, “And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 30) What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”  What the legalism of the Jewry stance could not achieve is easily accessible to the supposedly hopelessness of the Gentiles: they tread the Scriptural path of faith. While Israel struggles with the mercilessness of the legalistic chambers of Mosaic institution, born again Christians are enjoying the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. A righteousness of faith ignition is the right standing that faith has enabled us to share with the LORD God. Amen.

                Jesus puts it very succinctly in Matthew 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  Temple sacrifices are of the Law, which cannot lead to eternal rest in heaven. The phrase, “which is of the law” from Philippians 3:9 receives corroboration from Galatians 3:10-14, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

The Bible insists: no man is justified by the law which has become a curse, when not totally observed; and that the promise of righteousness comes through faith.

                Get born again by saying this simple prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be concluded…)

Click here to read part 3

You will get the concluding part 5 here

EXISTENTIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (3)

(…continued from part two…)

3)            The good deeds of fallen man emanates from the spirit of wiliness. He only wants to satisfy his diablerie of his conscience. A make-believe heart of philanthropy is the shenanigan connivance of Satanism. It is believed that the leaders of the occult and of religions tell the adherents to engage in generous alms giving; believing that it will make up for the evil deeds of their dark lives. Is it not an insulting act trying to please God, still steeped in the incorrigibility of ones satanic heart? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” [Galatians 6:7]. The word ‘mocked’ is the Greek mukterizo (mïk-tee-riy’-zō): ‘to make mouths at, i.e. ridicule.’ And the good news is that this righteousness can be regained. If it is an impossibility Jesus would not have told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16]; seeing it is a mark of showing faith –in the name and the finished work of Jesus, the Saviour— that gives man eternal life.

                When you read a verse like Romans 1:17“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith;” the preposition ‘therein’ makes you want to ask, “where?” So, to understand the ‘where?’ we must go back to the preceding 16^th verse, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Justification, salvation, righteousness and holiness are all products of faith, never by works of our brows, or by the exhibition of our intellectualism.

                “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works” [Romans 4:6], has ‘imputeth’ as logizomai (lo-ǰiy’-zo-mai), meaning: ‘to take an inventory, i.e. estimate.’ The Greek word for ‘work’ is ergon (er’-ğon): ‘1. work (as an effort or occupation). 2. (by implication) an act.’ We think we can calculate the value of our active deeds in terms of righteousness. How wrong can we be! The attainment of righteousness must receive the sacrificial terms of Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” God decided to array man; it was not the other way round. The born again person has been taken back to the Garden of Eden, washed in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ; then the clothing of righteousness was worn on him. “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” [Philippians 3:9].

                What does the law do? “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” [2Corinthians 3:6]. The legality of the Old Testamentary letter points to death; but the grace of God that comes by the reason of the ignition of scriptural faith gives life, the life eternal of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

                One needs to understand this perfect life. It is the Greek zoe (zō-ee’): ‘God’s kind of undying life’. Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” This verse teaches what God put into the making of Adam. The “breath,” nshamah (nesh-aw-maw’), found in this verse means: ‘1. a puff. 2. (by extensions) a wind. 3. an angry or vital breath. 4. divine inspiration. 5. intellect. 6. (concretely) an animal.’ And ‘life’ chay (chah’-ee) is: ‘1. alive. 2. (hence) raw (flesh). 3. fresh (plant, water, year), strong. 4. (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively.’ The Hebraic study of nshamah chaiyim is the plural of lives. God breathed two lives: the animalistic and the intellectual lives. At the commission of the original sin that felled man, the whole of mankind died in Adam –spiritually. The only antidote to this fall is to get born again i.e. receive the Lord Jesus as one’s own Lord and Saviour.

                Everyone is born into sin. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” [Psalm 51:5]. So, when the prayer of salvation is said with all of one’s heart, God goes back to the Garden of Eden to resuscitate the life of a born again. To get born again, the Holy Spirit returns into the purified spirit –to remain there eternally. The existential righteousness known of the created Adam is what returns to the regenerated soul. This is the reason why you cannot be afraid to lose the spirit of soteriological regeneration. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

                Get born again by saying this simple prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be continued…)

read part 2 here

You will get part 4 here

EXISTENTIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (2)

(…continued from part one…)

2)

               Genesis 15:6 reads, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” It was strictly a show of righteousness being run by the Divinity. Unbeknown to Abraham, God opened a bank account for him. When Abraham decided to put all his eggs, unlike the philosophy of mankind, into one basket –of faith— God entered it into the file of righteousness. The psalmist wrote, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” [Psalms 23:3]. He could not have penned this verse of soteriological phenomenon without the inspired contribution of the Holy Spirit. All one does is just following the Shepherd. This ‘following’ is irrefragably of a spiritual significance. The good Shepherd, as the Eternal LORD, can only work an eternally secured salvation for the creativity of His wrought ‘image’. Amen.

               At the Eden Garden fall, did man not try to get himself equitably garbed? His foliated garb was absolutely an unprepossessing falsehood. Probably a pool of still waters helped to mirror the insane design of his chosen apparel. As the unmistakable voice of His Holiness pierced through the atmospheric serenity of the Garden of Eden, unrighteous instinct told them to run for cover. Right-standing impaired! It is in this light I introduce Isaiah 64:6  “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Ṭâmê’ (taw-may’), the Hebrew for ‘unclean’ means: ‘impure (ethically and religiously).’ ‘Righteousnesses’ is tsedâqâh (tsed-aw-kaw’); rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity).’ ‘Filthy,’ ‛êd (ayd), is ‘1. the menstrual flux (as periodical). 2. (by implication) (in plural) soiling.’ ‘Rags,’ begged (behg’-ed), is defined as ‘treachery, deceit;  garment, clothing (used indiscriminately).’

                Isaiah agrees with my submission that sinfulness is the bane of our Adamic predicament. The perfectly created man did commit the unrighteous deed, and became as unrighteous as his tempter, Satan the Devil. From that ominous day, we have become unclean, ethically and religiously. The religious stance of our being, it must be understood, actuates worship. If we should stop worshipping God, our spiritual tie to Him suffers the destruction engendered by the sheer separation. It, in reality, translates into death –alienated from Him forever! Death, therefore, is simply a cut off from God, who, essentially, is life. Impurity is a harbinger of unrighteousness. To maintain the unrighteousness of Satanism, Lucifer must introduce and ignite a vigorous religiosity in man’s psyche.

Filthy rags [Isaiah 64:6]

                An unrighteous essence pollutes every deed of actuation. White corn seeds will produce the same colour of a prepared pap. Right? Yes! What happens when the cooking receptacle is treated with a smeared soot before the preparation of the corn meal; what will be the colour of its exhibition? Black? Yes, simply on account of its pollution! Man’s righteous essence got tampered with, when the ophidian spirit of Satanism got the woman of Eden to believe his mendacious chicanery. No matter the best of favourableness tied to an intention, as long as it does not produce the redolence of the Spirit of truth, the Third Member of Divinity, it is doomed for unfruitfulness, before the ultimate Judge. This explains why “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”

                Will it not be judged as treacherous as a coup d’état, if a woman should walk up to the dining table of an emperor and slaps the table with her heavily soiled menstrual pad while the monarch is enjoying his breakfast? Can righteousness receive an engenderment from Satanism? Many teachers of the Bible do not even know how despicable the term “filthy rags” is. There is no way one can please the LORD God in this fallen, Adamic soul. It is continually in antagonism with the Good God. The Creator saw this putrefaction, so, the Scripture revealed the words of Genesis 6:5-6 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

                The good deeds of fallen man emanates from the spirit of wiliness. He only wants to satisfy the diablerie of his conscience. A make-believe heart of philanthropy is the shenanigan connivance of Satanism. It is believed that the leaders of the occult and of religions tell the adherents to engage in generous alms giving; believing that it will make up for the evil deeds of their dark lives. Is it not an insulting act trying to please God, still steeped in the incorrigibility of ones satanic heart? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” [Galatians 6:7]. The word ‘mocked’ is the Greek mukterizo (mïk-tee-riy’-zō): ‘to make mouths at, i.e. ridicule.’ And the good news is that this righteousness can be regained. If it is an impossibility, Jesus would not have told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16]; seeing it is a mark of showing faith –in the name and the finished work of Jesus, the Saviour— that gives man eternal life.

                Get born again by saying this simple prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be concluded…)

Click here to read part 1

Read part 3. Click here

EXISTENTIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (1)

1)            The connectivity that exists between unrighteousness and its inseparable sinfulness throws up horrendous acridity of funk in God’s holy physiognomy. It is such a revulsion to the Divinity that Ezekiel’s vatic office declared his Master’s divine decree of “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die” [Ezekiel 18:4]. Hellish death, truly speaking, is a transitional gaol of irredeemability.

Most enigmatic Being of earthly tread

               Scriptural facticity of Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth;” points to Adamic existential righteousness. Mankind does not only share with the Creator, His anthropomorphic physique, Adamic creation also had the package of the image of God, that is, the Christ. The ‘likeness’ of Jehovah is different from His ‘image’. While the likeness is about the palpability of His head, torso, neck and limbs of appearance, the image is an actuation of the Christ in man. This is the image of God: Colossians 1:13-15, ¹³ “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: ¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: ¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:” which shows that the image of God is a Personage: Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. If God made man righteous originally, what got man here in this unrighteous garb? Sin. Disobedience.

Holy unto Jehovah –Israel

               God did not have any problem intimating His covenant children with: ⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. ⁷ And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him” (Exodus 19:6-7]. ‘Holy’ is the Hebraic qâdôsh (kaw-doshe’): ‘Holy One, set apart; sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary.’ They are quite complimentary –holiness and righteousness. Holiness speaks of: sacredness of being set apart, making the object of holiness different from others. ‘Righteousness’, the Greek for dikaiosunē (dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay) is here defined: ‘in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God; equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification.’ Equity, etymologically, speaks of: “conformity”, “evenness”, “fairness”.

The Woman was brought to Adam the Man

                Righteousness, ergo, has to do with right-standing (with God). The first Person Adam saw, coming into creation, was the LORD God, his Maker. Adam, having been created in perfection had the right-standing with Jehovah. Righteousness is a divine engenderment, bestowed upon Adam at creation. Adam did absolutely nothing to earn this righteousness. From a perfect rib, God made the first woman. Her righteousness is found in Genesis 2:22, “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Now, the word ‘brought’ is the Hebrew bow’ (bo) meaning: ‘to go or come (in a wide variety of applications).’ If the act of ‘bringing’ has to do with ‘going or coming’’,’ it means that a walk, side by side, the eternality of God was embarked on by the nascent made woman. Right-standing enabled the woman to walk beside the Creator –as she was briefed on her coming conjugal role— to the waiting Adam.  

                The family of Adam lost it there and then. The sacrificial ritualism of salvation gave them coats of righteousness, pointing to the Second Man, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, the Second Member of the Godhead, and the Redeemer of mankind who must go to His Golgotha cross. Adam’s archetypal adumbration of Jesus must make him righteous as well. What did God tell him? “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” [Gen 2:17]. Does that not mean that if Adam had not eaten of it, he would have continued to live till today, and forever? Righteousness.

                Genesis 15:6 reads, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” It was strictly a show of righteousness being run by the Divinity. Unbeknown to Abraham, God opened a bank account for him. When Abraham decided to put all his eggs, unlike the philosophy of mankind, into one basket –of faith— God entered it into the file of righteousness. The psalmist wrote, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” [Psalms 23:3]. He could not have penned this verse of soteriological phenomenon without the inspired contribution of the Holy Spirit. All one does is just following the Shepherd. This ‘following’ is irrefragably of a spiritual significance. The good Shepherd, as the Eternal LORD, can only work an eternally secured salvation for the creativity of His wrought ‘image’. Amen.

                Get born again by saying this simple prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be continued…)

Read part 2. Click here

Righteousness (5)

“I AM the REVIVIFICATION.”

(Continued from part four…)

5)            Righteousness subjects one to the LORD God. Romans 6:22 “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” The meaning of ‘servants’ is the Greek douloo (dou-loh’-o): ‘to enslave.’ It comes from the root doulos (dou`-los) meaning: ‘1. (involuntarily) a slave 2. (of necessity) a bond-servant 3. (figuratively) a voluntary, fully devoted servant {literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency},’ it means the same as deo (deh’-o) ‘1. to bind 2. (regarding marriage) to be bethrothed, to pledge to give oneself in marriage 3. bond(-man), servant.’ Righteousness is a gift to only one species of creation: Christians!

The LORD JESUS, our RIGHTEOUSNESS!

                And there is a very good reason for robing us in this honourificabilitudinitatibus. Immediately you are born again it automatically turns you into a member of the celestial Family of the Godhead! You cannot be unrighteous and belong to this Godhood Family. “And if I go……that where I am, there ye may be also,” is the Lord’s promise in John 14:3. God must do something. He robed His sworn children, ergo, in His own righteousness so that we may legally constitute of the Divine Family of Jehovah. It is never of our doing. Carnality has eaten, too rottenly deep into us to achieve this feat! It is that marriage to the Lamb that clothes us in eternal righteousness. Amen!

                The first time ‘righteousness’ comes out in the Bible is here in Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Now, let us do some studies. The action word ‘believed’ is ‘aman (aw-man’), meaning: ‘1. (properly) to build up or support. 2. to foster as a parent or nurse. 3. (figuratively) to render (or be) firm or faithful. 4. to trust or believe. 5. to be permanent or quiet. 6. (morally) to be true or certain. 7. (once, Isaiah 30:21) to go to the right hand.’ Abraham’s faith in the God that called him did it. Faith, we understand, cometh by hearing and hearing the sound word of Scripture, God’s protocol. Righteousness is not a lucre proceeding from the sweat of our moil. It is a gift, a Divine donation.

                The next word is ‘counted’ which is the Hebraic chashab (chaw-shaɓ’): ‘1. (properly) to plait or interpenetrate. 2. (literally) to weave. 3. (generally) to fabricate. 4. (figuratively) to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense). 5. (hence, from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute.’ God did some calculations when He saw Abraham’s faith. Jehovah placed a value on Abraham’s belief (in HIM), then He credited Abraham’s act with ‘righteousness.’ If Abraham did not show faith it would not have worked. The ‘righteousness’ is tsdaqah (tsed-aw-kaw’), a feminine noun speaking of productiveness. Whose production? Abraham’s? Nay! God’s fabrication, tailored for those who receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Tsdaqah means: ‘1. (abstractly) rightness. 2. (subjectively) rectitude. 3. (objectively) justice. 4. (morally) morality, virtue. 5. (figuratively) prosperity.’

                Being defined as ‘rightness, rectitude and morality’ it is nothing short of a Right Standing. Jesus ‘counts’ us as His, and the resultant effect is to credit the Christians’ life with His righteousness. Why? He is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jeremiah 23:6. Praise the Lord!

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Halleluyah!

                “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9) (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord” [Ephesians 5:8-10]. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” [Phil 1:11]. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” [Col 1:10]. Our walk of righteousness is, indeed, an interpretation of God’s right standing as opposed to covert wickedness of satanic creep. Is it of our doing? Certainly not! The righteousness of Scripture is evidently of Divinity, lest any should boast. Amen!                                                                                                                                                             The first biblical couch of ‘righteousness,’ in Genesis 15:6, was Mosaic. Moses never saw Abraham. How did he come to know of Abrahamic life? It was dictated to him by God, (which was, and which is and which is to come), Jehovah who saw it all. Without doubt, I can hear God telling Moses, “Abraham believed Me -the I AM- and, opening a celestial account on his behalf, I calculated and entered the sum of ‘righteousness’.” Where did Abraham get the faith? From the Word of God. Abraham owned neither the faith nor the Word: for both are of God. Selah!

                You can put on the righteousness of Jesus by getting born again. Say this simple prayer, meaning it from your heart:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”    

   (Concluded)

Read the 4th part here

Righteousness (4)

The Church is protected in His righteousness

(Continued from part three…)

4)            Some people should be careful lest the righteousness of their hortatory be mere religious quackhood of Pharisaical brassbound; that of Sadducean myopia or the proclivious excessiveness of the boldacious Scribes of Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The Scribes and the Pharisees were too legalistic. So soaked inebriately in the legalism of Judaism, the quackhood of religious sanctimonious facade had become their masquerade. They had fashioned their own theological stance. Exhibitionism has taken over righteousness as the ordered norm.

                Righteousness is not a visibility of a worn toga. It is the covering raiment for the regenerated soul. Not visible to the naked eyes, it becomes apropos for the corporeality of the redeemed to interpret the honourificabilitudinitatibus of the new man in Christ. Who is this new man? He is revealed in Colossians 3:9-10, which reads, “…seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” The new man is the creation of the Lord Jesus of whom the Scripture says, “…and without him was not any thing made that was made” [John 1:3]. The new man’s spiritual locale is found in his Maker. 2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The new man is eternally in Christ for two reasons: Christ is eternal –the everlasting Father of Isaiah 9:6–; the word ‘new’ (of 2Cor. 5:17) is the Greek kainos (kai-nos’) ‘new (especially in freshness).’ The Eternal Father sees the newness of this freshness ceaselessly. On His eternal right hand sits Christ the Preserver of the redeemed newness.

 JEHOVAH TSIDKENU

                The word ‘image’ of Colossians 3:10 is eikon (ei-kone’) ‘1. a likeness 2. (literally) statue, profile 3. (figuratively) representation, resemblance.’ If he possesses the likeness of Him that created him, simple logical understanding demands that he should bear the fruit of his Maker to prove the verity of his newness. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” It is not a matter of law, which is compulsorily cleft onto à la religion. Our righteousness is a walk with the Lord. Galatians 5:16-18, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” Righteousness has separated us from the fleshly proclivity of our old man, found in Galatians 5:19-21, “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,” propelled by the workings of demonism.

                The new man in Christ is the man of Psalm 1:3. The life of the new man strictly becomes the business of the Divinity. John 15:2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” The words ‘taketh away,’ airo (ai’-ro), means: ‘1. to lift up 2. (by implication) to take up or away 3. (figuratively) to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind) 4. (specially) to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor) 5. (by Hebraism) to atone for sin.’ Airo, contextually, is not of the Hebraic definition of ‘atonement.’ What more proof do we need to show that the life of the new man is strictly the business of the Divinity when ‘purgeth’ is kathairo (ka-thai’-rō) means: ‘1. to purify. 2. (specially) to trim back from superfluous or dispensable growth (down to the essential). 3. (spiritually) to trim and purify?’ Those who misrepresent Jesus are the likes of Judas Iscariot, the heretic Simon Magnus and the rich man who denied the mendicant Lazarus a good life: they were removed, being useless.

                You can put on the righteousness of Jesus by getting born again. Say this simple prayer, meaning it from your heart:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”     

  (…to be concluded…)

Read part three here

Click here to read the concluding part 5

Righteousness (3)

In Jesus we become the righteousness of God (2Cor. 5:21)

(Continued from part two…)

3)            “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” [Romans 6:19]. The word ‘yield’ is paristemi (par-is’-tay-mee) (or prolonged paristano par-is-tan’-o): ‘1. to stand beside 2. (transitively) to exhibit, proffer 3. (specially) recommend 4. (figuratively) substantiate 5. (intransitively) to be at hand (or ready), aid.’ Righteousness is truly an exhibitory stand that substantiates your new life as a born again child of the Almighty. You are already saved. What is expected is your Godly exhibited stance. The ‘righteousness’ here is dikaiosunē and the ‘holiness’ is hagiasmos (hag-ee-as-mos’) defined by Thayer Definition as: ‘consecration, purification; the effect of consecration; sanctification of heart and life.’

                It is not our righteousness, as the Bible instructs in Ephesians 4:24, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true.” The verb ‘put on’ is enduo (en-doo’-o) ‘to invest with clothing.’ The adjective ‘new’ is kainos (kai-nos’) ‘new (especially in freshness);’ and ‘create’ is ktizo (ktid’-zo) ‘to fabricate, i.e. found (form originally).’ Righteousness is a toga, a state of being, as a matter of fact. It is a toga that remains ever fresh all because the eternal LORD keeps it an eternal reality. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” The truth is that one cannot hunger after these virtues without being born again.

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” [2Peter 3:13]. Whose righteousness? God’s, of course! The word ‘dwelleth’ is the Greek katoikeo (kat-oi-ke’-ō): ‘to house permanently, i.e. reside.’ An inherent permanence of righteousness does not mark the ways of the present progenies of Adam. It was lost in Eden. If man, through the spiritual rejuvenation, finds in the soteriological package a Godly righteousness, it is most definitely, of the finished work of the Author of salvation -Jesus Christ. In the next 14^th verse of 2Peter chapter 3, the writer mentions ‘without spot and blameless.’  

Someone may ask what it means to be ‘without spot and blameless,’ and whether it implies the loss of heavenly citizenry or not. It does not. Spots and blames rob one of crowns in heaven. 1Corinthians 3:12-15, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

                The righteous walk receives the crowns of gold, silver or precious stones; while that of unrighteousness is reduced to worthless ashes of the hay, wood and stubble. Verse 15 intimates of a loss and that nevertheless his salvation is a surety. It is a gift. The word of God says, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). ‘Gifts’ is charisma (khar’-is-mah) ‘1. a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion) 2. (specially), a (spiritual) endowment 3. (subjectively) religious qualification 4. (objectively) miraculous faculty.’ The abstract ‘calling’ is klesis (klay`-sis) 1. a calling 2. (specially) a divine calling 3. (figuratively) an invitation 4. (by extension) a name.’

The adjective ametameletos (am-et-am-el’-ay-tos) is the Greek for ‘without repentance,’ meaning: ‘irrevocable.’ Soteriology is firmly fashioned in absolute security, courtesy of Divine protocol. Apostles, pastors, evangelists, teachers (of the word) and prophets are called forever. I cannot read of any man of God who retired out of old age. When the Nigerian government tried to make an incursion into the ecumenism, it was Pastor E.A. Adeboye, head of the RCCG that unfortunately succumbed to that pressure by someone who (unfortunately still, a pastor of RCCG) that tried to enforce the ungodly incursion. In the same vain, an unregenerated soul, heeding the call to become a Christian, can never lose this new status of Divine Paternity of the Most High Jehovah. Amen!

THIS IS CHRISTIANITY. JESUS DIED TO BRING IT INTO REALITY.

                You can put on the righteousness of Jesus by getting born again. Say this simple prayer, meaning it from your heart:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”     

  (…to be continued…)

Read the 2nd part here

Righteousness (2)

”…took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

2)            The Spirit of God no doubt led Paul into a future erroneous didacticism when he lashed at his converts with, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3) Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh” [Galatians 3:1-3]?

Desiderius Erasmus

                Armed with the influence of Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) and Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) –Humanists, who were also church going teachers of Bible–, a man called Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) taught ‘conditional predestination’ to lay the foundation for Arminianism, made global by his friends, called The Remonstrance, after his death. The Remonstrance issued a five doctrinal points known as Arminianism. The fifth teaches that having been “incorporated into Christ by true faith,” Christ “keeps them from falling” only if they continue to believe. Their cautious implication is that if a person does not continue to cooperate with Christ he will become “devoid of (saving) grace.” In scriptural honesty, I do not know of any verse that supports this fifth point of Arminianism. You can either be a Bible believing Christian or a follower of Arminianism. Selah!

                “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” [2Corinthians 5:21]. Our righteousness is resident in Him, the Holy One of Israel. The word ‘righteousness’ is dikaiosunē (dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay). From Thayer Definition it is: ‘in a broad sense, state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God.’ Strong’s Definition has this: ‘equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification.’

                We have in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Our sinful nature, because it happens to be what we are innately guilty of, attracts the ‘wage’ of ‘death.’ We get paid for our wrongdoings. When it comes to ‘righteousness,’ however, it is not of our toil. Jesus toiled for it, so we can only be a recipient of it through the Divine generosity of being a ‘gift.’ A gift is not an original ownership of the recipient. ‘Gift’ of the above verse is charisma (khar’-is-mah): ‘1. a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion) 2. (specially), a (spiritual) endowment 3. (subjectively) religious qualification 4. (objectively) miraculous faculty.’ The Greek charisma comes from charizomai (khar-id’-zom-ai) ‘to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.’ Grace, as we understand it, is an unmerited favour.

                The spiritual rebirth of our celestial regeneration that leads to our righteousness is brought to pellucid understanding in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The word ‘grace’ is charis (khar’-ece): ‘1. graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act 2. (especially) the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life 3. (also) gratitude.’ A different ‘gift’ in verse 8 is the Greek doron (do`-ron), which means: ‘a present, specially, a sacrifice.’ In verse 9 there is ‘works’ which in Greek is ergon (er’-gon): ‘1. toil (as an effort or occupation) 2. (by implication) an act.’ Kauchaomai (kau-khah’-om-ai) is the Greek for ‘boast’ and means: ‘to vaunt {in a good or a bad sense}.’ Now, the word ‘walk’ of the 10^th verse is an interesting peripateo (per-ee-pat-eh’-o): ‘1. to tread all around, i.e. walk at large (especially as proof of ability) 2. (figuratively) to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary).’ Peripateo comes from peri (per-ee’) and pateo. Peri means ‘1. (properly) through (all over), i.e. around 2. (figuratively) with respect to’ and pateo (pat-eh’-o), ‘to trample {literally or figuratively},’ comes from a derivative meaning a “path.”

Righteousness is a gift from Jesus

                Not of pious toils of the believer’s faith, but by the graciousness of the Divine influence upon the heart of the believer is the submission of verse eight of the 2^nd chapter of Ephesians. There is not even any room for righteous boasting. Extravagant self-praise is what the scripture views of it. This ‘walk’ of the 10^th verse reminds me of Enoch’s. That walk and this one in this 10^th verse is nothing short of ‘a lifestyle.’ The Hebrew ‘walk,’ halak means ‘lifestyle.’ Our righteousness is, ergo, an interpretation of the righteousness of Christ, in which we are wrapped. A lifestyle that points at the Lord Jesus. Amen.  

                You can put on the righteousness of Jesus by getting born again. Say this simple prayer, meaning it from your heart:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”      

(…to be continued…)

Click to read part one

Read part three here