Saturday, October 22, 2011

October 23, 2011

How many of you enjoy being right?


How many of you wish you could be right every time?

Do you know someone who is always right?     (Rush Limbaught – 98.6% of time)

Here are some people I want to get it right every time:

1) Surgeons

2) Airline Pilots

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: - Understanding all the great things that happened the moment you were saved!

1) Repentance – Turning from away from sin and toward God

2) Restitution – Making things right because you have been made right

3) Redemption – Bought out of slavery and bondage by blood of Christ

4) Regeneration – Made spiritually alive by the Spirit of God

5) Reconciliation – Personal relationship with God restored by Christ

6) RIGHTEOUSNESS – Being made right with God in every way

As I mentioned last week righteousness happens in three steps:

1) Justification – being declared “not guilty” because of the sacrifice of Jesus

2) Sanctification – being set apart to God, cleansed from sin, and Spirit-filled

3) Glorification – righteousness made complete in Heaven

Emmanuel Ninger was a great artist and a brilliant man, but he misused his talent as an artist and, along with his pictures, painted phony 20-dollar bills. Finally, he was caught and convicted. After his arrest, his portraits were sold at public auction for over $5,000 each. The irony of the story is it took him almost exactly the same length of time to paint a 20-dollar bill as it took him to paint a $5,000 portrait.

That is exactly why we need to be made righteous – we have a strong bent toward evil.

When we speak of righteousness, what are we talking about? OT word = “justice, justification, and salvation”.

In the New Testament the Greek word = the “state of him who is as he ought to be…”

Righteousness = being acceptable to God. In this state that God approves, are character qualities of “integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting”. Righteousness thinks and acts right.

So here, we see that righteousness is our position in life that is approved by God, and based on the character qualities of God.

Paul declares that the gospel reveals, or shows us, what it means to be righteous- a “condition acceptable to God”.

How does the righteousness of God, become righteousness from God, and credited to us as righteousness? What does Paul mean by this and how does it happen?

There are two ideas about righteousness that come from two different theological views: one is called imputation and basically believes that because of what Jesus did for us, God looks at us through His blood and declares us righteous. That would be like the surgeon going through school and residency and then being given his Dr.’s License and pronounced a surgeon. He is “imputed” as a doctor. He is legally a Dr. even though he hasn’t started his practice. Or, it would be like the pilot getting his hours in and passing the test for his license but not yet flying an airliner. He is “imputed” as a pilot – declared a pilot by one with authority.

As a Wesleyan, I have always been taught that righteousness in imparted to us – God actually makes us righteous He doesn’t just pronounce us righteous. So I have always been an imparted righteousness guy not an imputed righteousness guy. However, as I studied for this message I messed up my theology by realizing that both are true! God imputes righteousness to us by the sacrifice of Christ and then imparts it to us as we walk in the Spirit.

I. Righteousness Is Imputed Through Christ, Romans 5:9-19

(JUSTIFICATION)

Imputed righteousness means God put all His money in your account to settle your debt. Some powerful things happen because of that!

Christ’s righteousness imputed for your wrath!

Christ’s reconciliation imputed for your alienation!

Christ’s grace imputed for your trespass

Christ’s gift imputed for your judgment

Christ’s life imputed for your death

When you trust Christ for your salvation and accept His sacrifice for your forgiveness, that connects you to the righteousness of God.

II. Righteousness Is Imparted Through Christ, Romans 6:11-19

(SANCTIFICATION)

YOU PUT THE DEVIL OUT, BUT DID YOU LET HIM LEAVE HIS BAGS?

You got out of a bad relationship because it was bad, but you are still resentful and angry.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You got out of financial debt, but you still can’t control the desire to spend on frivolous things.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You got out of a bad habit or addiction, but you still long to try it just one more time.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You said, I forgive you, but you can’t seem to forget and have peace with that person.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You got out of that horribly oppressive job, but you are still trying to sabotage the company after you’ve left. (You let the devil leave his bags.)

You cut off the affair with that married man/woman, but you still lust after him/her.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You broke off your relationship with that hurtful, abusive person, but you are suspicious and distrusting of every new person you meet.  (You let the devil leave his bags.)

You decided to let go of the past hurts from growing up in an unstable environment, yet you believe you are unworthy of love from others and you refuse to get attached to anyone. (You let the devil leave his bags.)
SANCTIFICATION IS CLEANING OUT  ALL THE BAGS THE DEVIL HAS LEFT.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” I John 1:7-10

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Ro. 12:1-2

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:15-17

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. “ II Peter 1:4-8

God’s righteousness is imputed to you through your faith in Christ and then it is imparted to you in Christ as you walk in obedience and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Impartation means that God not only put money in your account to cover your debt, he gives you access to His account!

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Do you want your surgeon to get it right?

Do you want your pilot to get it right?

Do you think God wants you to get it right?

Why go through life always wrong when you can live in His rightness?

GET IT RIGHT AND YOU GET SPIRITUAL FULLNESS!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6


GET IT RIGHT AND LIFE COMES TOGETHER!

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

GET IT RIGHT AND YOU WILL FINISH WELL!

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” II Timothy 4:7-9



Watch this........                                 http://youtube/GpB-FUg9PD4


YOU WERE MADE RIGHTEOUS WHEN YOU GOT SALVATION – ISN’T IT TIME TO GET IT RIGHT?