The cornerstone of our righteousness

 

2.         Jesus Christ Our Righteousness

The second cornerstone of our salvation is Jesus Christ our righteousness. His death fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law, by paying the penalty of sin in full, which is death, and conferred His righteousness to all those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness, and will reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ .

As the result of this one act of righteousness, justification which brings life, came for all men. As the scripture clearly states; “But now, the righteousness of God apart from law has been made known, to which the law and the prophet testify. This righteousness from God; comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 5: 17-19; 3: 21-22).

This righteousness has not only been imputed, but has to be practiced as well, because we have been admonished saying; “you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.’ And, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (Romans 6:18; 1 John 3:7-8)

This act of righteousness is the only righteous act that can produce holiness, because, all of man’s righteousness is as filthy rags before God, it is also the righteous act which when practice differentiates the children of God from the children of the devil as we have been duly admonished saying; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).

 As clearly stated, “As the result of one man’s act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

This act of righteousness which imputed righteousness and brought life to all men, is the offering of the body and blood of Jesus Christ for the penalty of sin in man`s stead and an offering to the Father as a sweet smelling aroma which satisfies His will.

Righteousness has been attained on this basis from the very inception of humanity beginning with Abel. Immediately after we are given the two signs which differentiate the children of God from the children of the devil it is stated, “ For thus is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers righteous” (1John.3:11-12).

So then, why did God regard Abel’s offering even commended him as being a righteous man and disregarded the offering made by Cain? How did Abel attain righteousness? This is what we learn from the scriptures; “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the first fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord has regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.” We are further told that, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, by faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings” (Genesis 4: 3-5; Hebrews 11:4).

The reason why Abel’s offering was accepted, and Cain’s not accepted is because Abel offered to the Lord the sacrifice, the sweet aroma which satisfies His will, one which depicts the best one can offer for man’s redemption. For the life of all flesh is in the blood; and God has given it to us upon the altar to make atonement for our souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

The Lord instructed the priests saying, “You must not redeem the first born of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” Again the Lord said to them; “The priests shall burn them (the fat) on the altar as food, and offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the Lord’s. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. You must not eat any fat or any blood” (Numbers18:17; Leviticus 16-17).

The sprinkling of blood and the burning of the fat of clean animals which were offered by Abel and also the Levites the priests were a type, that foreshadowed the real sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the best and only sacrifice that can fulfill the Father’s will in presenting the worshiper holy and blameless before Him.  It is this secret mystery that was hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church His manifold wisdom might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

This secret mystery was according to the eternal purpose which God has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in Him. Therefore, the practical act of righteousness which distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil is faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which is demonstrated by partaking of the bread and wine. For it is written: “For as often as you eats this bread, and drinks this cup you proclaim (demonstrate) the Lord’s death until he comes.”

It is this act of righteousness that the children of God have become enslaved to for having been set free from sin. They are enslaved to this act of righteousness because God requires that this offering, the food for His offerings, His sweet smelling aroma be offered to Him at their appointed time. In fact God set aside specific times for His children to come together before Him, specifically to offer to Him His offering.

For thus says the Lord; “These are the Lord’s appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the Lord by fire – the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are besides or in addition to those of the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:37-38; Numbers chapter 28 and 29).

It is this act of righteousness that when practice produces holiness, and ultimately everlasting life. It is this same act of righteousness that when practice, one becomes righteous even as Christ is righteous and so the admonition is, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:19-22).

The same way Abel was commended as being a righteous man because he offered the Lord the offering which was pleasing to Him, in like manner, righteousness is attained by faith in offering the Lord His offering, His food for His offerings, His pleasing aroma at their appointed time.

The children of God are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, in order that they may declare the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. They are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. They come to Mount Zion (the Church) and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in joyful assembly, and to the assembly of the first born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a Judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).

This act of righteousness is to become slaves of God as priests, to offer to Him His food for His offerings at its appointed time, and having become slaves to God, the benefit we reap leads to holiness, and the end result is everlasting life.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph