THE RIGHTEOUS SERVANT!
- The righteous follows after righteousness and God use them mightily
- Being righteous is a function of faith and obedience
- His security and provision abound with the righteous
- He makes the righteous have power with Him and they are the ‘Touch Not’
- Fervent prayers of the righteous are answered
- The eyes of the Lord is constantly overlooking the righteousness and all his needs are met by God.
Introduction
Righteousness is a gift from God we receive when we surrender our hearts to Christ as Lord and Saviour.
The day you received Christ as Lord and Saviour in your heart, the Spirit of God entered you, and the gift of righteousness also. God looks at the righteousness of Christ and inputs that righteousness of Christ in us for us to stand before Him...
So that when we kneel down to pray, God sees the righteousness of Christ imputed into you and not our own self-righteousness. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things have become new - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
So that when we kneel down to pray, God sees the righteousness of Christ imputed into you and not our own self-righteousness. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things have become new - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
However, to live and walk in righteousness is another thing. At new birth, a man's spirit is completely reborn. It is that man's responsibility to renew his mind to the word of God and use the Word to take control of his body - Romans 12:2.
What is Righteousness?
Righteousness is a free gift given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross of Calvary. It can be described as a state of uprightness. Righteousness is one of the natures of God and the entire heaven is an abode of righteousness.
It is a gift from God, and not by our holiness or good works. Righteousness is a gift of God given to every believer upon redemption.
The day you received Christ as Lord and Saviour in your heart, the Spirit of God entered you, together with the gift of righteousness. When you are praying to God, He sees the righteousness of Christ imputed into you and not your own self-righteousness.
The day you received Christ as Lord and Saviour in your heart, the Spirit of God entered you, together with the gift of righteousness. When you are praying to God, He sees the righteousness of Christ imputed into you and not your own self-righteousness.
What is left, is for you to believe the word of God, love God and your neighbours as yourself and walk blamelessly before God. This grace is a function of your faith, obedience and being dead to sin.
Nature of Righteousness
Righteous living pleases God so much because it is essentially full of good works and faith. For instance, Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness Why? Because he saw the pictures God painted to him as God saw it.
So, expressions of uncommon faith and belief in God is counted as righteousness. When your heart is full of faith in God, though you may be suffering, though there is fear on every side and though the enemy is threatening to destroy you, know for sure that in the eyes of God, you are a righteous servant.
You are not moved by what you see or hear (sight), rather your trust is in God. This kind of faith is found when there is no sin and fear. Nothing breeds fear in the heart of a believer like sin. With sin, your heart will prick you and the devil will stand to reproach you.
God promised to deliver us from our enemies, so we can serve Him without fear, in righteousness and holiness - Luke 1:73-75. If God grants us deliverance for us to serve Him thus, it, therefore, means that any service rendered to God, which is not in righteousness is not accepted.
I wondered why he used such harsh words on the young man. But, later in life, I realized that services rendered to God in unrighteousness are truly unprofitable.
Being righteous
1. Being righteous is being acceptable to God. Noah is the first person in the Bible to be called righteous: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Here we see the two aspects of righteousness: doing the right thing (Good works, being blameless) and having a relationship with God (walked with God).
2. The righteous delights in the Word of the Lord and obey it. They do everything necessary to be pure in heart, full of love for God and man, blameless in their relationships and full of good works – Helping people-in-need without expecting anything back in return, as we see in the bible, when Jesus commanded the righteous servants for feeding Him, covering His nakedness and visiting in the Hospital - Math 25:31-40
3. Being righteous is dependent on faith. We see this in the case of Abraham, whose faith was counted for righteousness. Living righteously is a function of who we yield ourselves to obey - Sin or the Lord.
4. If you are righteousness-minded, you will shun sin. They are patient to think their actions through, before taking steps. They will consider what the Word of God says about the matter and the consequences of their action. This is why they are not easily moved by sight.
God commanded us to be righteous because, in our righteous nature, we radiate the lights of God, our prayers are answered and we manifest His glory the more. So, it is required that all those seeking God should be righteous.
God commanded us to be righteous because, in our righteous nature, we radiate the lights of God, our prayers are answered and we manifest His glory the more. So, it is required that all those seeking God should be righteous.
Characters of the Righteous:
1. Seeking Kingdom righteousness - A righteous man or woman is one that deliberately and "diligently keeps the commandments of the LORD His God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded"
2. A person that is righteous is expected live and walk without fear, who is not seeking after vanity. A man or woman that hates pride and sin, he abhors iniquity, evil works and flees from every appearance of sin.
3. A righteous man/woman diligently seeks to do things that please God. He makes deliberate efforts to keep the commands of the Lord and obey His voice. He loves the Lord, and purposes in his heart to please Him. A righteous man is a lover of righteousness and he hates evil
4. A righteous is a man or woman that has the grace of God to abide in the tabernacle of the Lord always, who walks uprightly and speak the truth in his heart. He/she does not take up a reproach against his neighbour or do them any harm and in whose eyes a vile person is not honoured or celebrated, rather he celebrates people that fear the Lord.
5. A righteous person does not gossip or backbite with his/tongue, neither does he conspire or lie against the innocent. A righteous man keeps his word and maintains his integrity at all times.
6. A righteous man or woman is a friend of God who has the grace to live holy with a pure heart, who does not lift up his heart unto vanity to seek things that do not edify and he does not deceive anyone. He presents things honestly and truly to people.
7. A righteous man or woman fear God and seek Him continually and trust in Him. These are some of the reason why he is as bold as a lion. The righteous studies and delights himself in the word of God and does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful – mockers are not his friends.
8. The righteous is that man that falls severally, but will always get up and keep matching on. He knows that victory belongs to those that keep looking at the goal, those that persevere and despite the hardship, they are moved, they keep believing and trusting in God. And putting behind their challenges, they hold on to the promise of eternal life in Christ, they will get up and keep running.
9. A righteous man or woman is one that received grace to be free from sin or dead to sin. The motions of sin do not move him anymore. They have crucified their flesh and their spirit is constantly alive. They are prayerful, kind and patient. They are merciful and easily forgive offences.
10. He confesses Christ Daily in word and action. They are rich in goodness – helping the needy, poor, visiting the poor and those in Prison and praying for them.
Importance of Righteousness:
1. Righteousness is so important that Jesus said in Mathew 5:7 - “Those that hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be satisfied”, and those who are persecuted for righteousness conduct in their places of work, homes and business, Jesus says theirs is the kingdom of heaven - great reward.
2. Jesus was teaching on the importance of righteousness in Mathew 5:20 - when he told the people "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven"
3. The Scribes and the Pharisees fast 3 days a week and pay their tithes and probably offering, but righteousness goes beyond tithe and offering or fasting to include the deeper things as Faith, love and showing mercy. Jesus later rebuked for neglecting the deeper things of the Word like faith, love and showing mercy.
4. Again the bible says the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The attitude of love, kindness, mercy and fairness to all, standing for justice and speaking the truth must become part of you as a born again Christian. Jesus in Mathew 25:31-46, commended the righteous servants, for helping their neighbours in diverse challenges of life, the same is expected from us today, and if we are not doing so, we are not doing well.
5. God uses the righteous - We see in Isaiah 45 that it is God uses the righteous for a special assignment in the fulfilment of His will on earth. The Lord speaking in Isaiah 44:28 described Cyrus as a shepherd, who shall perform all His pleasure.
He continued to say that He raised him up in righteousness and He will direct his ways; he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, says Lord Isaiah 45:13.
He continued to say that He raised him up in righteousness and He will direct his ways; he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, says Lord Isaiah 45:13.
Rewards:
1. The reward for righteous living is enormous - God remembers the righteous man to answer his prayers, surrounds him with favour and blessing and extends the goodwill to his children.
2. The bible says the righteous are in everlasting remembrance - Are we remembering Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Paul, Peter today? What about Kenneth Hagin, T.L Osborn, Watchman Nee, Smith Wigglesworth – Are we not remembering them? We are.
2. The bible says the righteous are in everlasting remembrance - Are we remembering Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Paul, Peter today? What about Kenneth Hagin, T.L Osborn, Watchman Nee, Smith Wigglesworth – Are we not remembering them? We are.
3. The righteous follows after righteousness and they will judge the earth
4. God blesses the righteous and put him in everlasting remembrance
5. His security and provision abound with the righteous
6. He makes the righteous have power with Him and they are the ‘Touch Not’
Beloved, we can all operate in the above listed grace, what we need is to take a decision to walk with God and obey His word and voice
A righteous man deliberately yields his members as instruments of righteousness unto God. I mean yielding your eyes, legs, hands, ear and whole body to obey the word of the Living God. You can make a covenant with your eyes like Job did not to desire to see evil; your hands not to touch evil, your legs not to go to places that you are not expected to go. A believer that is always going to clubs and bars, will soon start drinking alcohol and changing women...the two weapons of the devil that rule the clubs.
If sin reign in your mortal body, righteousness will be difficult. The bible says if sin reign in your mortal body, you are likely to yield to sin and its lusts, neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. - Romans 6:12-13.
But, if you are dead unto sin, it becomes easy to yield yourself unto righteousness and God. Sin wars against righteousness as darkness fights light. So, to live righteously, you will have to decide who to yield your body to...To sin and unto death or obedience and unto righteousness, holiness and God.
What to do:
Righteousness is not a title.
Like salvation, the righteous man must continue in righteousness till the end to inherit eternal life, otherwise, if he departs and begins to do evil. The Lord is no respecter of persons. If a righteous man turns from his righteous way and does evil, such a man will surely die. In Ezekiel 18: 24.
Like salvation, the righteous man must continue in righteousness till the end to inherit eternal life, otherwise, if he departs and begins to do evil. The Lord is no respecter of persons. If a righteous man turns from his righteous way and does evil, such a man will surely die. In Ezekiel 18: 24.
A righteous man deliberately yields his members as instruments of righteousness unto God. I mean yielding your eyes, legs, hands, ear and whole body to obey the word of the Living God. You can make a covenant with your eyes like Job did not to desire to see evil; your hands not to touch evil, your legs not to go to places that you are not expected to go. A believer that is always going to clubs and bars, will soon start drinking alcohol and changing women...the two weapons of the devil that rule the clubs.
If sin reign in your mortal body, righteousness will be difficult. The bible says if sin reign in your mortal body, you are likely to yield to sin and its lusts, neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. - Romans 6:12-13.
But, if you are dead unto sin, it becomes easy to yield yourself unto righteousness and God. Sin wars against righteousness as darkness fights light. So, to live righteously, you will have to decide who to yield your body to...To sin and unto death or obedience and unto righteousness, holiness and God.
FIRE...
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