30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 19-31 Released from self cetredness 11 Righteous before God
📖 Luke 16:19-31
14May2020 - *Righteous before God* - _Luke 16:19-31_ - Bible reading: _Revelation 19:7-8_
_Luke 16:22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried._
Lazarus was moving from corruption to incorruption, from mortality to immortality. This is our ultimate reality. The devil wants to destroy us ultimately by taking us to hades, which is his place of torment. None of us would want to end up there. Lazarus was in the place of ultimate joy and fulfilment.
Death is swallowed up in victory when we move from corruption to incorruption.
_I Corinthians 15:53-55 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY." (55) "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?"_
The rich man was now in hades and we saw that his life on earth was lived out of self-centeredness. Nevertheless, we need to understand what is righteousness before God.
Let us begin with the law, for Jesus came to fulfil the law and not to destroy it. _(Matthew 5:17) Romans 7:12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good._ How can we fulfil the law? _Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."_ We see that the righteousness of the law of God can be met in loving our neighbour as ourselves.
This is confirmed for us through the parable in _Matthew 25: 31-46. Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:_ We see here the King is inviting this group on His right to immortality. What was the basis? The answer is given in the verses following verse 34.
_Matthew 25:37 “Then the *righteous* will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?_ Please note the word _righteous_ and the King will give them a very clear response. _Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'_
What has happened in the body of Christ is that there is one group that holds strongly to this understanding of what is righteous before God. Whereas there is the group from the opposite camp, which go on the basis of righteous before God by faith.
_Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,_ So categorically, this verse seems to go diametrically opposite to the understating that we receive from Galatians 5:14 and the parable in Matthew. _Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; Romans 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit._
These and many other passages in scripture confirm that it is not our righteous acts but our faith in God that makes us righteous before Him. So, how do we reconcile this dilemma that has plagued the church for over centuries?
The answer is to see that there are no two positions at all but one continuous flow of life for God’s people. _Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (8) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the *righteous acts of the saints*._ The fine linen here for the bride of Christ is the righteous acts of the saints. At the same time the fine linen for the bride is also _Revelation 7:13-14 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" (14) And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, *and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb*._
How are we to, therefore, live out the righteousness of God here on earth so that mortality will put on immortality? _Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them._
*Thought to ponder*
```How glorious the bride of Christ would be if she were to live out the righteous requirement of God here on earth?```