Righteousness through faith!  By James Lantz

       One definition of righteousness is being right. God is right all the time and he always will be. He speaks to us through the prophet Malachi, saying, I am the Lord, I change not. Jesus refers to his Father as the righteous Father. The apostle Paul refers to the Lord Jesus as being the righteous judge, who one day, will reward those who walk in righteousness, with a crown of righteousness. God is a just (righteous) God, and justice requires that unrighteousness be punished. It is right that we be rewarded for doing right, and it is right that judgement come upon those who do wickedness. Rev. 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  Salvation (or righteousness) is being offered to sinners through Jesus Christ. Since righteousness is required to be a part of God’s family, God made a way where there was no way. God in his wisdom, made a way, (that was fair and just) for every person to enjoy fellowship with him through righteousness. No one would have the advantage over another in becoming a child of God, and everyone would have opportunity, because salvation is not based on our ability to beg or to earn. God makes it abundantly clear that only through Jesus death, suffering, and resurrection was the way provided for us to become his child and escape from eternal damnation. 

 John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  

John 14:6  .   .   .  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  

Mt. 26:42  .   .   .  O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 

        God’s provision of his only begotten Son, becoming the sacrificial lamb which takes away the sin of the world, is the part that God has done for all. If this was the only part needed for the salvation of man, then everyone would be saved and go to heaven when they die. God’s word makes it clear that only those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith with corresponding actions are saved. We are saved by grace (God’s part) through faith (our part).  Eph. 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9.  Not of works, lest any man should boast. Attaining salvation is the most important event to be pursued by those who are lost. God wants everyone to understand that salvation is a precious gift that He alone could provide and must be received by faith, apart from human effort. This is the good news, that salvation is freely offered to every human being, and God’s desire is that all be saved. The only ones who are excluded are the ones who exclude themselves by not humbling themselves unto repentance, believing, and obedience! James 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  This is written to believers, so listen up, pride can stop a person from confessing Christ to receive salvation and it also can stop christians from receiving more of God’s grace. Remember what God said he will do for the righteous!      

• The righteous receive eternal life and they live their lives with gladness and rejoicing! ( Mt. 25:46 & Ps. 68:3 )   
• The house of the righteous is blessed and they have much treasure in it!  ( Pro.3:33 & Pro.15:6 & Ps. 112:3 )      
• They receive the desires of their heart and inherit the land!   ( Pro. 10:24 & Ps.37:29 )  
• The Lord delivers the righteous out of all his afflictions and they pay every debt!   ( Ps. 34:19 & Ps. 37:21 )       
• The righteous are spared from God’s wrath!   ( Gen. 6:9  &  1 Thess. 1:10 )      
• He is protected from all evil, not one of his bones will be broken!   ( Pro.12:21 & Ps. 34:20 & Ps. 37:17 )      
• The children of the righteous will not be begging for bread, they will inherit the earth                     ( Ps. 37:25 & Ps. 25:13 )     
• A just (righteous) man may fall seven times and gets back up!   ( Pro. 24:16 )

      Abraham is called the father of faith because he is the one who believed God to become the father of many nations. Abraham was made righteous by believing that God (the righteous God) made him (unrighteous Abraham)  righteous!  Rom. 4:3 – 5  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt (earned by working). But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth (makes righteous) the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.   The wisdom of God to bring redemption, to fallen man, on a gift basis by believing and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ! No one can ever say, its not fair, I was unable to earn your grace. No one can ever say I was excluded. David said, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not count his sins against him. God counts believers sins as being laid on the Lord Jesus Christ and counts believers as righteous with Jesus righteousness.  Rom. 4:16 Amp. Therefore (inheriting) the promise is the outcome of faith and depends (entirely) on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants; not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is (thus) the father of us all,   This scripture makes it plain as day. No one will be saved, healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, nor receive divine protection, or receive any blessing of God until faith is released unto God. God does make provision for us to believe for others under certain conditions, however each of us must receive the Lord Jesus personally. Every promise of God is already ours in Christ Jesus. No one who believes will ever go without receiving from God! (Rom. 9:33 & Rom. 10:11 & Mt. 9:29 & Mk. 11:24 & John 15:7 & Acts 2:38)  Every spiritual blessing has already been provided for us in heavenly places in Christ! (Eph. 1:3)   Faith brings our provision from heavenly places into this world where we are. The Apostle Paul, by the Spirit, said, do not say, who will go up to heaven to bring Christ (the anointed one and his anointing) down from above or who shall descend into the deep. (Rom. 10:6&7) There is no need to call up to heaven and ask God to send Jesus down. Jesus was already sent down to the earth to make provision for you. Do not say, who will raise Christ up from the regions of the dammed, He has already been raised from the heart of the earth (hell) and seated at the Father’s right hand. Faith does not talk like that! We are to talk just like Caleb talked. Let’s go get the land God promised us right now! We are to talk like David talked when he went against Goliath. I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. Today the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I will give the carcases of your whole army to the birds of the air and to the wild beast of the earth.  2 Cor. 4:13  We having (not trying to get) the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak   Are you grasping this anointed word? God has already provided every good thing for us through Christ death, suffering, and resurrection!  Faith in God is what causes us to over come every obstacle in this world. Believing puts us into the position of righteousness which allows us to receive from God.  Rom. 10:6-10  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise .  .  . The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (saved in the greek means – to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, prosper, be whole) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   God made us the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. We are a spirit being and it is our spirit that was made a new creature. (2 Cor. 5:17)  The tenth chapter of Romans refers to believing with the heart and of course that is our spirit or the real person. It is not with our mind or our body that we believe God but rather from our inner man. There is another part that must accompany believing God from the heart and that is the confession of our mouth. This is the action part that must accompany faith in our heart.  Often there are other actions that must accompany faith that is in our heart in order for our faith to produce results. Joshua and Caleb kept their faith alive for forty years by holding on to what God promised them and speaking it out. They maintained that spirit of faith with joy all those years refusing to doubt and complain! We know that faith without action will not produce. Our corresponding actions are just as important as our words!

Mt. 20:28  Amp.  Just as the Son of man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many – the price paid to set them free.

Gal. 5:13 Amp.  For you, brethren, were (indeed) called to freedom; only (do not let your) freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse (for selfishness), but through love you  should serve one another.