Righteousness Has a Name
/Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Many scholars and commentators agree that the gospel of Matthew is the gospel that relates Jesus to us as King. Matthew’s genealogy traces Jesus’ birth through his earthly father Joseph, who was a descendant of King David through the heir to David’s throne— Solomon. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus is addressing the citizens of His Kingdom. He declares to His people that this kingdom is different than the kingdom that they are currently living in.
Blessed are those who mourn
Blessed are the meek
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
A couple concepts to think about here:
In order to be hungry for something, it has to feel like something is missing. In order to be hungry or thirsty for God’s righteousness, there has to be a revelation that you don’t have it and that it’s something you need. As long as your own righteousness will do, you won’t feel a need for His. The chastening of the Lord will bring a person to their knees in realization that they don’t have what God is looking for, and the Spirit of God places in them the desire to receive it. Without true conversion, this can never happen. It requires the presence of the Spirit of righteousness in the heart of the person contending with them to desire what God desires. The Spirit desires righteousness. The Spirit in the believer desires for righteousness to be present.
Once a citizen of the kingdom realizes that that they don’t have what God is looking for and that the chastening of God has had its way in their life and then through that, the goodness of God overtakes them and they taste and see that God is good, realizing the miserable wretch that they were, and now realizing that in spite of the wretchedness of themselves, the goodness of God has revealed itself to them, they are now overwhelmed by God’s love and their heart craves, hungers, even thirsts for what God desires.
Your name is like honey on my lips
1 Peter 2:7
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
He is the head of the corner, which means that He is the starting point of the whole foundation of God’s plan for man’s restoration. The foundation of what He did was a death that resulted in God’s life.
Have you ever watched a person die? Have you ever seen someone have fun while they were doing it?
1 Peter 2:8
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
People stumble at the word and become offended at the word bringing death shots at their flesh. Their flesh will sit there and come up with every excuse under the sun and attempt to preserve self. I can here someone in the crowd say, “but I thought the word was supposed to bring life?”
I’m glad you brought that up…
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Instead of getting offended at the word, we should get offended at self.
John
“The truth is, until one becomes offended at themselves, there is no hope.”
“The offense of self! Only that will lead to the death to self!”
Romans 1:16-17
16 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. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
The gospel means good news and the gospel of the Christ reveals God’s righteousness to the world.
Romans 3:21-22
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
God reveals His righteousness through the good news. The good news is that Jesus is the righteousness of God. Not who you are! Not what you do! Not your intellect, your good looks, your money you control… None of that is any good to Him. All that has to die, then and only then can He use us. We don’t even realize it but we spend the majority of our Christian walk trying to build something for God, but God said, (Isaiah 66:2).
John 10:17-18
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Luke 23:46
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Romans 3:24-26
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
It pleased the Father to accept the death of Jesus for the remission of the world’s sins. How do you think it makes the Lord feel when people refuse to see this and hold onto self and offer self righteousness to God and say here Lord take this instead. I wish I could actually preach. I wish I didn’t have to say Cain, because as soon as I do half of you will think, that’s right, get ‘em preacher, because I’m an Able and they’re all Cain’s.
Romans 4:1-2
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Romans 4:3
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Romans 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.)
Romans 5:20-21
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
So what is righteousness? Jesus!
What does God accept as righteousness for people? Jesus’ sacrifice!
What is the first step that must take place in order for Jesus’ righteousness to do its work in your life? Your self must die!
Now that you have been gifted with Jesus’ righteousness, what can reign in your life? Grace!
Finally, now that we got you [us] out of the way, God’s righteousness… Jesus can be revealed in your life and through your life.
Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:19
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.
Hebrews 12:14
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: