Righteousness - Session 5
In a court of law, if you are to be judged in any particular area of your life, the law will not judge you based on what you deem to be right or wrong. The law looks firstly at the predetermined design for that particular aspect of your life that you are being judged upon.
As we enter session 5 of the series, Pastor Thamo reminds the listener of the paradoxical nature of the subject of righteousness. Whilst the subject is deep and complex in many ways, there is also a simplicity to it. Pastor Thamo also contextualizes the message on righteousness by referring to the text contained in Romans 14:17 which informs us that the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Righteousness as a Legal Concept.
In a court of law, if you are to be judged in any particular area of your life, the law will not judge you based on what you deem to be right or wrong. The law looks firstly at the predetermined design for that particular aspect of your life that you are being judged upon. Essentially that means that if one’s life is being lived in accordance with predetermined design, then one would immediately be pronounced as righteous in that aspect. Unrighteousness, therefore, is a deviation from the predetermined standard of righteousness as framed in the mind of God. Similarly, God seeks to standardize our lives in order to bring us into alignment and compliance with the heavenly standard of righteousness. We should not, however, confuse righteousness as a legal concept, with the entrapments of religious legalism and self-condemnation.
Righteousness is Practical
Whilst there is a judicial side to righteousness, there is also the demonstrable and practical side to righteousness. The practical expression of righteousness is seen when one fully engages the aspects of self-governance, self-control, the management of one’s appetite and desires, the control of one’s mind and thoughts, etc. with the intent to be perfectly aligned to the divine standards of righteousness. The evidence of this ‘beating our bodies into submission’ is that ultimately righteousness must become visible in the conduct and character of the people of God. Another way of saying it, is that righteousness becomes our way of life.
As He is, so we are. Share on X
Righteousness is Progressive
According to Romans 1:17 we grow in righteousness from faith to faith. One of the main reasons for the church to gather corporately is to receive instruction in righteousness. As instruction is received and applied through faith, we progressively grow into righteousness through the process of  continuously tweaking, adjusting, and fine-tuning every aspect of our lives. This can be likened to the process of editing and re-editing a document until it reads exactly like you want it to. As we continuously receive instruction in righteousness, we move from one glory to another, from one depth to another until there comes a time where we are just like God. As He is, so we are. The greatest tragedy in the Christian faith is people who have been in church for decades but have not moved an iota because they have not allowed faith to continuously improve their lives. The faith that we are talking about here is not the faith to trust God for your bread and milk. The Faith that we are talking about is being able to see into the unseen and to allow that eternal dimension to govern our lives. In that way we become workers of righteousness.
