The Gift of Righteousness

 Romans 1:16-17 [TPT], I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful message of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved—the Jew first, and then people everywhere! 17 This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says:  “We are right with God through life-giving faith!”

•   When the Bible says, "God is righteous"...what does that mean?

•   The righteousness of God in it's simplest form means, "God is always right."

“In essence, God is not defined by the term ‘righteous,’ as much as the term ‘righteous’ is defined by God.  He is not measured by the standard of righteousness; He sets the standard of righteousness.”

Isaiah 6:5 [NASB], “Woe is me, for I am ruined!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Luke 5:8[NKJV], …fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

“When we encounter God's rightness it quickly exposes our wrongness.

Romans 3:10 [TPT], And the Scriptures agree, for it is written:  There is no one who always does what is right, no, not even one!  

Romans 3:19-20 [TPT], …every excuse will be silenced, with no boasting of innocence. And so that the entire world will be held accountable to God’s standards. 20 For by the merit of observing the law no one earns the status of being declared righteous before God, for it is the law that fully exposes and unmasks the reality of sin.

•   But isn’t that why Jesus came? 

Luke 5:32 [NKJV], ”I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.  

Romans 3:22-24 [TPT], This is the righteousness that the Scriptures prophesied would come.  It is God’s righteousness made visible through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And now all who believe in him receive that gift. …23 for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. 24 Yet through his powerful declaration of acquittal, God freely gives away his righteousness. His gift of love and favor now cascades over us, all because Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin! 

Romans 3:22-28 [TPT], Jesus’ God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins, and now he is our mercy seat because of his death on the cross. We come to him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God’s justice… 26…there was only one possible way for God to give away his righteousness and still be true to both his justice and his mercy [b/c sin still has to be punished]—to offer up his own Son. So now, because we stand on the faithfulness of Jesus, God declares us righteous in his eyes! 27 Where, then, is there room for boasting? Do our works bring God’s acceptance? Not at all! It was not our works of keeping the law but our faith in his finished work that makes us right with God. 28 So our conclusion is this: God’s wonderful declaration that we are righteous in his eyes can only come when we put our faith in Christ, and not in keeping the law.

“The righteousness of God condemns us only when we reject it, but it saves us when we accept it.”

DIVINE EXCHANGE

2 Corinthians 5:21 [TPT], For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.

•   How does this divine exchange take place?  By FAITH!

Romans 4:5 [TPT], But no one earns God’s righteousness. It can only be transferred when we no longer rely on our own works, but believe in the one who powerfully declares the ungodly to be righteous in his eyes. It is faith that transfers God’s righteousness into your account!

Through the divine exchange we are…

• accepted by God

• declared not guilty

• released from the penalty of sin

• completely forgiven

• clothed in righteousness

• restored back into favor as a child of God

• brought into covenant

• free from the bondage of sin

• right standing with God

“GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” 

Psalm 55:11, So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous…”

The benefits of walking in righteousness…

• surrounded by favor  [Ps. 5:12]

• abide in God’s presence  [Ps. 15:1-2]

• will see His face and be satisfied  [Ps. 17:15]

• will have joy  [Ps. 32:11]

• God fixes His eyes on us  [Ps. 34:15]

• deliverance from troubles  [Ps. 34:17]

• contentment  [Ps. 37:16]

• held by God  [Ps. 37:17]

• steps are ordered by God  [Ps. 37:23]

• not be forsaken  [Ps. 37:25]

• children will be provided for  [Ps. 37:25]

• speak wisdom  [Ps. 37:30]

• receive God’s strength  [Ps. 37:39]

• sustained by God  [Ps. 55:22]

• rejoicing  [Ps. 58:10]

• trust Him  [Ps. 64:10]

• abundance of peace  [Ps. 72:7]

• flourish/bear fruit  [Ps. 92:12]

• -be thankful  [Ps. 140:13]

• be loved  [Ps. 146:8]

• be blessed  [Prov. 10:7]

• good legacy  [Prov. 10:7]

• labor produces life  [Prov. 10:16]

• desires will be granted  [Prov. 10:24]

• hope  [Prov. 10:28]

• full of wisdom  [Prov. 10:28]

• receive life  [Prov. 11:19]

• win souls  [Prov. 11:30]

• will not be moved  [Prov. 12:3]

• right thoughts  [Prov. 12:5]

• leave an inheritance to our children’s children  [Prov. 13:22]

• God hears our prayers  [Prov. 15:29]

• walk in integrity  [Prov. 20:7]

• children will be blessed  [Prov. 20:7]

• honored by God  [Prov. 21:21]

• get up when we fall  [Prov. 24:16]

• boldness of a lion  [Prov. 28:1]

• effective prayers  [Js. 5:16]

Matthew 5:6 [NKJV], Blessed are those who hunger and thirst [eagerly long and seek] for righteousness, for they shall be filled [satisfied].