Living a Righteous Life
Griffith Baptist Church – 5/18/08
A.M. Service
Text: Romans 8:9-11
Key verse: Romans 8:10 - And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
The Introduction
God never alters the robe of righteousness to fit man; He changes the man to fit the robe.
Understanding A Righteous Life
A. RIGHTEOUSNESS The actions and positive results of a sound relationship within a local community or between God and a person or His people
B. Holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standards. It comes from the root word meaning “straightness.” It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. Righteousness is a moral concept. God’s character is the source of all righteousness ( Genesis 18:25; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 9:14). Therefore, man’s righteousness is defined in terms of God’s
C. God takes great pleasure in righteousness - Jeremiah 9:24 – But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
D. It is not our righteousness but His - Isaiah 64:6 – But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
i. Imputed Righteousness – Romans 5:19 - For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. And 2 Corinthians 5:21 - 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.
ii. Practical Righteousness – What God enables us to do because of what Christ has done in us.
E. It is because of God’s Son – 2 Corinthians 5:21 – 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.
God’s righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ – Philippians 3:9 - And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Transition Statement: To live a righteous life involves some very important realities to be realized in our life, first of which is that it requires a voluntary change.
Body
1. It Requires a Voluntary Change - Ephesians 4:24 - And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
A. Washington Irving said that there is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse; as I have found in traveling in a stage-coach, that it is often a comfort to shift one’s position and be bruised in a new place.
B. It spiritual life needs to be totally different
C. There can be no resemblance with the old sinful man and his tendencies
Transition Statement: Second, we have to understand the we need righteousness to protect us.
2. It Relies on Righteousness for Protection - Ephesians 6:14 - Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
A. It is delusional to think that you can go unprotected spiritually and survive
B. The breastplate protected the heart and so does this spiritual armor
C. Proverbs 4:23 - Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
D. Whatever touches the heart changes the heart
E. Protection from:
i. The influence of the World and the devil
ii. Wrong attitudes and actions
iii. Improper motives
iv. Loss of love for Christ and fellow Christians
v. Unforgiving spirits
Transition Statement: Third, a righteous life willingly receives the Word of God.
3. It Receives Willingly the Word - 2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
A. Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
B. It is at the heart of combating sin - Psalms 119:9, 11 – 9Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
C. Instruction to:
i. Know how to please God
ii. Know how to live
iii. Know how to die (to sin)
Transition Statement: Next, when discipline does come into our lives, we can see it as productive.
4. It Regards Discipline as Productive - Hebrews 12:11 - Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby
A. We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living. This attitude finds its way into the church. We have liberty, we have money, we live in comparative luxury. As a result, discipline practically has disappeared.
What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician’s instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not “disciplined”? A.W. Tozer in Men Who Met God
B. Sometimes, just like children, we stray from the Father’s path.
C. Like a great Father, He gets us back where we need to be
D. Philippians 1:11 - Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
E. We look at discipline as being productive in:
i. How we worship
ii. Our testimony before others
iii. Our relationship with our Savior – it draws us closer
Transition Statement: Last, it reveals true salvation.
5. It Reveals True Salvation - 1 John 2:29 - If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
A. Every truly born again person will have the desire to be righteous in his or her life and it will be seen
B. Romans 8:9 – It is a must to have the spirit of Christ (salvation)
C. What are the works of righteousness?
i. Love for each other - 1 John 3:10 – In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
ii. Producing spiritual, visible fruit - Matthew 7:16 – Ye shall know them by their fruits.
Concluding Statement: Because of the Spirit we have a new life that ought to be on display for all the world to see. We ought to be living everyday the kind of life that reflects Jesus.
Conclusion:
Are you living spiritual or merely existing and trudging along?
Christ wants us to have an abundant, overflowing life.
Have you surrendered yourself completely to Him?
