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Archive for the ‘Righteousness’ Category

Righteousness like a Breastplate

Posted in Righteousness, tagged , , on December 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

[T]ake … the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, … having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;” – Ephesians 6:13-14a

The Bible lists eight essentials for withstanding evil days, warning us to take time now to prepare.

It takes boldness and confidence to withstand any adversity; any display of weakness or fear is an invitation for disaster. Spiritual adversity requires the boldness of being right with God – the Bible says “the righteous are bold as a lion.”1

We can’t be bold by our own rightness for our best efforts are woefully inadequate but, thankfully, Jesus did the heavy lifting. He lived a righteous, sinless, life and offers himself to be our covering.

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” – Galatians 3:37

It is the breastplate, strong, fit, and unwavering, that the enemy sees not how well or inadequately we are behind it.

– fritz

1 – Proverbs 28:1b

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>Great deal – if you can do it!

Posted in Commandments, Righteousness, tagged on September 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; – Deuteronomy 7:9

Some are up for the challenge – Keep the commandments, love God, and get God’s blessing; and how some really try!

But law condemns for incomplete adherence. Have you ever wanted what someone else had? You haven’t kept the 10Th commandment, you failed the challenge! Have you ever worked on Saturday? You haven’t kept the 4Th commandment, you failed the challenge! Actually, are there any of God’s commands you have done from your heart without some failure? Me neither!

There’s no balance scale to see if more good is done than bad – laws, even our own, don’t work that way. Example: Stop at five (5) traffic lights but run one (1); can you still get a ticket?

James puts it this way:

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” – James 2:10-11

We can’t even keep his commandments one generation, much less to a thousand!

So we have blown that deal! Our only hope is to find an alternative; fortunately there is one!1

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. – 1st Timothy 1:15

– fritz

1 – Post from 09/23/2010 Alternate Righteousness

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>Alternate Righteousness

Posted in Faith, Righteousness, tagged on September 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. – Psalm 32:1-2

For those who can’t measure up in their own righteousness there is an alternative.

“Imputeth” literally means to “weave”, to “fabricate”, to regard as so – like when a large debt is owed but the owner decides to forgive the debt and regard it as paid; or like when a child draws a picture of “Mommy” and she considers it the prettiest picture in the world!

Abraham, described in the Bible as the father of all the faithful,1 was actually a disobedient liar and a deadbeat dad but he found an alternative, imputed, righteousness.

God had told him, who had no legitimate children, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars2 and that one of them would be the Messiah3 who would pay for his sins. Abraham believed God’s word and God call him righteous. When Abraham asked God to prove it God took an oath. That was good enough for Abraham and good enough for God.

If Abraham found it so can we!

Those of us who just can’t measure up can choose God’s alternative. We can choose to believe God’s word in spite of what we are told by others or what we have always thought. We can believe Jesus paid for our sins with his sacrifice. We can become an actual part of Christ’s body, like my finger is part of mine, and legitimately claim that promised lineage of God’s blessing.

“Those words (“God accepted Abraham’s faith”) were written not only for Abraham but also for us. God will accept us also because we believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Jesus was given to die for our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.” – Romans 4:23-25

What a wonderful opportunity!

– fritz


1 – Romans 4:11
2 – Genesis 15:5-6 and Romans
3 – John 8:56

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