Righteousness: A Gift, Not a Work (So Stop Telling Me It's "His Way of Doing Things"!)

  This is one of the most frustrating stumbling blocks that I am hearing in the churches today.

They keep talking about righteousness as if it means "God's Way of Doing Things."

That is patently untrue. I am so tried of hearing that. I am so tired of people not paying attention to what God's Word says.

Consider this passage:

"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54:14)

Could it not be any clearer? Righteousness is something that we are established in. It is not something that we do, but rather somenthing that is done to us.

Let's go back to the Father of Faith, our beloved Abraham:

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

What more do modern-day preachers need? How more clearly can God make it?

Going back to Isaiah 54, we find this verse:

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17)

Our righteousness comes from Him! We do not create it, we do not manufacture it.

And why stop there?

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Christ IS our righteousness. What else do you need to understand that righteousness is not "His way of doing things"?

How about this?!

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

That's all you need to know. 

When Jesus said to the Israelites of His day during His earthly ministry "See ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness," He was talking about the perfect standing before God, in which we are no longer condemned for our sins, but justified from all things (Acts 13:38)

Consider this passage, too:

"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 5:17)

It's a gift! IT'S A GIFT! How much more plainly can Paul make it?!

I am done. I will not settle for any pastor or preacher who continues to push this canard that righteousness is something that we do. No! It is something that Jesus has done, that He has bestowed as a gift to all who will receive it, who will receive Him!

Grace Defines Our Faith in God for His Righteousness

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

In this verse, we find the heart of the Gospel, the Good News that when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are taken from death to life, and we receive His righteousness, His justified standing before God apart from our Works, but because of Jesus' Finished Work at the Cross.

This is amazing. This is news that should make us happy every day!

"Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright." (Psalm 33:1)

and also

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)

Now, isn't it remarkable that this powerful verse comes to only five words in the original Hebrew?

I just learned this yesterday, and I think it says a great deal about the connection of grace and faith.

After all, five represents grace.

Here's the entire verse in Hebrew:

והאמן -- He Believed
 ביהוה -- In the Lord
 ויחשבה -- Accounted
 לו -- to Him
צדקה -- Righteousness

Pretty incredible.

Five words.

What are we believing from God?

He makes us righteousness, and He grants it to us as a gift, not as something that we earn.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8)

It's all about unearned, undeserved favor.

It's a gift, and we witness the message of the Gospel from the outside based on grace.

To God, Our Faith In Him Is Well-Done

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

This verse conveys the Gospel at its essence. Here, we have Abram believing that God is going to provide him and his lawful wife Sarah and heir, and through him all the nations of the world will be blessed.

We believe on God, specifically on His Son Jesus Christ, and we are granted His righteousness:

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39)

It's about receiving--and that we keep receiving--the Gift of Righteousness (Romans 5:17).

We actually are made the righteousness of God in Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In this verse, we find the first mention of "believe" and also "account" for God accounted, reckoned righteousness to Abram for believing on Him.

The verb "account" is chasab in Hebrew, which also means to "to skillfully devise."

The word appears a number of times in the other Books of Moses, particularly those relating to the elements of worship and sacrifice in the Tabernacle, then the Temple:

"Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them." (Exodus 26:1)

and

"And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it." (Exodus 28:15)

and also

"And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen." (Exodus 38:23)

To God, our faith in Him is beautiful! To Him, it is skillful, reckoned as well-done, much like the finely-built garments and ornaments for the High Priest and the features of the Tabernacle and the Holy of Holies.

Who First Preached the Gospel? God our Father!

"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." (Galatians 3:8)

Did you know that God preached to Abraham the Gospel?

Yes indeed! The Gospel, that God's Son would come down to the earth, minister on our behalf, then die on the Cross to defeat sin and sins, then rise again for our justification in full victory--this prophecy is written in the stars of heaven.

First, let's visit the Scripture in which God preached the Gospel:

"5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:5-6)

God said to Abram "Tell the stars", which means not just "count", but also "read the account".

The 12 Stars of the Zodiac actually relate the Gospel!

Click on this link to see one extensive outline relating the Gospel through the stars.

In short summary, this is the Gospel story revealed in the stars (From Patheos):

The constellations are categorized into three groupings.

Person, work and triumph of Jesus Christ:

Virgo: Seed of the Woman, Jesus Incarnate

Libra: Redeemer

Scorpio: Sufferer

Sagittarius: Conqueror

The Fruit of His Work and Mediation, the body of people spiritually born to Him through faith:

Capricorn: Sacrifice

Aquarius: The Pouring Out of the Holy Spirit & Living Water

Pisces: Fishers of Men and the Persecuted Church

Aries: Glorious Lamb

The final consummation of the Redeemer who is reunited with His Redeemed:

Taurus: Judge

Gemini: King

Cancer: Protector

Leo: Victor