Posts Tagged ‘imputed righteousness’
In Ephesians 6:14Ephesians 6:14
English: World English Bible - WEB
14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
WP-Bible plugin, Paul admonishes us to stand “with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” (NIV) We know of course that this whole passage uses the metaphor of the armor of a Roman soldier to describe the things which God has given us as a protection against the attack of the enemy. The breastplate protected one of the most vital areas of the soldier’s body, guarding his heart against oncoming spears.
Likewise, the breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts, but we need to understand just whose righteousness we are talking about. Our own righteousness won’t help at all. The Bible tells us that our own righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6Isaiah 64:6
English: World English Bible - WEB
6 For we are all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
WP-Bible plugin). Could you imagine binding a bundle of dirty rags in front of your chest and hoping that it would protect you from spears and arrows? Neither can our own righteousness protect us from the attacks of the devil. His spears of accusation very quickly and easily penetrate our righteous facade, hitting the mark on all the false motives and motivations that lie beneath.
No, to protect us from such attacks we need something far sturdier than filthy rags. Fortunately, God has provided that protection for us in the righteousness of Christ.
Just so nobody has any doubts or confusion, God has declared that, apart from Christ, there has never been a single person who, in him or herself, was totally righteous. Paul’s declaration that “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10,12Romans 3:10,12
English: World English Bible - WEB
10 As it is written,
“There is no one righteous.
No, not one.
12 They have all turned aside.
They have together become unprofitable.
There is no one who does good,
No, not, so much as one.”
WP-Bible plugin) is an echo of Psalms 14:1-3Psalms 14:1-3
English: World English Bible - WEB
14
For the Chief Musician. By David.
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt.
They have done abominable works.
There is none who does good.
2 Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men,
To see if there were any who did understand,
Who did seek after God.
3 They have all gone aside.
They have together become corrupt.
There is none who does good, no, not one.
WP-Bible plugin and 53:1-3 and Ecclesiastes 7:20Ecclesiastes 7:20
English: World English Bible - WEB
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.
WP-Bible plugin. When God repeats something several times, we know that it is important. Very simply, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23Romans 3:23
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23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
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There was, however, One Who was totally righteous, and that was the Lord Jesus Christ – God the Son manifested in the flesh. He not only lived a perfect, sinless life, but He allowed Himself to be put to death on a Cross, bearing all the sin and unrighteousness of mankind. Because He has borne our sin, He is able to credit us with His righteousness when we come to Him and accept His grace.
2 Corinthians 5:212 Corinthians 5:21
English: World English Bible - WEB
21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
WP-Bible plugin tells us of this wonderful exchange: “For He has made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Theologians speak of this as Christ’s righteousness being imputed to us – that is, God declares us righteous because we are in Christ and He is righteous.
Now we have something sturdy to defend our hearts. When the devil starts throwing his spears of accusation – “You call yourself a Christian? Remember what you did when …” – we can tell him that we are not standing in our own righteousness, but that of Christ.
It doesn’t stop there, however. (“Wait, there’s more …”) God is not content to simply declare us righteous, but leave us locked in sin. When we come to Him, He places His own Spirit in our hearts. As we allow the Holy Spirit to live His life within us, we find ourselves beginning to be transformed. God has not only imputed Christ’s righteousness to us, He is also imparting it to us. That, of course, requires an active participation on our part, for God will never override our will.
If we are born again, Christ’s imputed righteousness is already ours. The breastplate is already in place. As we walk with Him, becoming more and more transformed into His likeness, it becomes more and more our own.
There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
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9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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