30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 21 20-24 WATCH AND PRAY III 06 Luke 21 20 Righteousness by faith in Jesus
📖 Luke 21:20-24
*FRIEND OF GOD*
29May2021 - *Righteousness by faith in Jesus* - _Luke 21:20-24_ - WATCH AND PRAY III (06) – Bible reading: _Romans 3:21-26_
We are called to work alongside the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth _(John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13)_ and we are fellow workers of the truth _(III John 1:8)_. The Holy Spirit is doing the work of restraining evil at this time. We work in union with the Holy Spirit, in these end times, to fulfil God’s purpose.
Luke 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.
Apostle Paul talks of two signs before the great day of the Lord and those are the falling away and the revealing of the son of perdition. He then speaks of the time when the restraining work of the Holy Spirit in the world, will be removed.
The work of the Holy Spirit is restraining sin in our world by convicting the world in three specific areas, which Jesus has shown us. We, as the church, are fellow workers with the Holy Spirit.
_John 16:8-11 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) of sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; (11) of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged._
We will now look at the second area where the Holy Spirit will bring conviction to the world.
_John 16:10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;_
The Holy Spirit will convict the world of righteousness because Jesus is going to the Father and we see Him no more.
*There is no righteousness outside of Jesus*.
The world has many levels of good or correct living. What is right with a certain group is totally wrong with another set of people. Our standards of righteousness are not consistent. Ours is not an absolute standard of righteousness.
Only God is holy and perfect. To have a relationship with God, we must meet His standard of righteousness. We cannot make ourselves perfect and meet God’s standard of righteousness. God had to make a way for us to meet His righteous requirements.
God made Jesus as our source of meeting His righteous standards. _II Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that *we might become the righteousness of God in Him*._
Jesus provided the way for us through His flesh. _Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, (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*._
There is nothing good in our flesh. Jesus took on the likeness of our sinful flesh, was tempted at all points just like us and yet He did not commit sin in the flesh. He alone has defeated sin in the flesh
_Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was *in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin*._ _I John 3:5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and *in Him there is no sin*._
He is now alive by the Holy Spirit and His Holy Spirit living in us gives us the righteousness that God expects. _Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you._
This is why the church is a demonstration of the righteousness of God, for we cannot please God by our flesh but we live by His Holy Spirit, thereby we meet the righteousness of God, through His Holy Spirit.
The world is trying to establish its own righteousness before God. _Romans 10:3-4 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. (4) For *Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes*._
This is the message that the world needs to know. The Holy Spirit is convicting the world of righteousness and it is the church, which is the demonstration of God’s righteousness through His Holy Spirit.
*There is no righteousness that meets God’s expectation, outside of Christ*.
_Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, (22) even *the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe*. For there is no difference; (23) *for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God*,_
*There is no other way for any man to meet the righteousness of God, except through faith in Jesus*.
_(24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, (26) *to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus*._
This passage of _Romans 3:21-26_ clearly explains why Jesus alone is the way for righteousness before God, there is no other.
_Isaiah 45:24 He shall say, 'Surely *in the LORD I have righteousness* and strength. To Him men shall come, And *all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him*._
Not only do we come to righteousness with God through faith in Jesus, but we also continue to live in righteousness before God by faith in Jesus.
_Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "*THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH*."_ *As we live by faith in Jesus, we communicate the message of righteousness to the world, convicting them of righteousness*.
Paul's testimony. _Philippians 3:8-9 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (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*;_
*Thought to ponder*
```We bring conviction to the world of righteousness.```