Righteousness - Session 3
We are restored as sons in our relationship with God, Our Father.
This session in the series on righteousness revisits the definition and foundational principles of righteousness. The grand narrative, righteousness is living in compliance to the state God designed for humans to live and function on the earth. This implies aspiring to live according to the pattern and measure of Christ. Living by a moral or ethical standard while necessary, is therefore insufficient to render one righteous in the sight of God.
God deems a righteous life as one in which an individual attempts to live every facet of life according to His design. God promises that such a one will be blessed. There is a righteous blueprint for every area of the lives we live, such as the management of our finances, our marriages, relationships, issues of gender, ministry, and even the minute aspects of our complex lives lived out in this world.
WE ARE RESTORED AS SONS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, OUR FATHER. Click To Tweet
The Prerequisites for Righteousness
Two essential prerequisites for righteousness are covered in this session. The first, the Word of God is the absolute truth instructing the church in righteousness, and second, understanding Christ as the pattern and standard of righteousness.
The Word of God should be the absolute standard by which one lives. Righteousness comes when one submits to the Word, the written and spoken word.
Christ – the Absolute Standard of Righteousness
The second prerequisite for righteousness is to believe that the measure and standard of all righteousness is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God alone. He is the absolute standard for righteousness. The Righteousness of Christ discloses the divine intent, that God created humankind to relate to Him as His son. Prior to the finished work of the cross, humanity enjoyed partial access to God through keeping the moral, ethical, and religious standards of the Law. However, access to God was limited. When Jesus hung on the cross and said the words “It is finished,” He gave humankind the opportunity of being reconciled to God, whereby God would be their Father and they would be His son (male and female). This privilege was subject to personal belief and confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Herein is the truth: Righteous is the belief that in Christ Jesus, we are reconciled to God and are therefore restored to the original design, that is, WE ARE RESTORED AS SONS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, OUR FATHER.
