FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
THE FIRST
PRINCIPLES – XX
THE WORD
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - 4
Hebrews 5:13 For every one that uses milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe.
Last
week we ended with this comment:
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 IAUE in him.
Notice
carefully. The purpose of Yahushua’s
death to pay for the penalty of
our sins and to
remove the barrier that has prevented reconciliation between
man and IAUE is that
we MIGHT be made righteous “in him.”
This well-known verse contains the core reason why
Yahushua Messiah was born into the world, lived, died and was raised from the
dead; and yet, it is seldom recognized by students of the Scripture. His purpose was not to die on our behalf to
pay the penalty for the sins of mankind therefore taking away the sins of the
world. It wasn’t to bring humanity forgiveness
for its sins. Though necessary elements,
these were not the end game of the divine plan.
Yahushua did what he did “that we might be
made the righteousness of IAUE in him.” That is the objective. Every person walking the planet today has
already been forgiven their sins.
Forgiveness does not produce righteousness.
So far in our discussion of the Word of Righteousness, we
have discussed:
- The condition of
the disciple that keeps him an infant believer –
a lack of understanding of the word of righteousness…a lack of
understanding of the very purpose of Messiah’s existence.
- The nature of
righteousness and why it is alien to man
– the pure and perfect divine nature versus the hopelessly corrupt and
unimprovable nature of man.
- The
qualification of the redeemer to be able to bring righteousness to man
– birthed with a divine nature that was never compromised in life.
What we have yet to discuss is how is this righteousness
obtained and unto what end is it received?
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed IAUE,
and it was counted unto him for
righteousness.
This verse refers back to Genesis 15, where IAUE reveals
His covenant to Abram.
Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward
heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto
him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in IAUE; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
“So shall thy seed be”
had a dual meaning to Abram (whose name was changed to Abraham in Genesis 17:5).
It had an obvious meaning of “his descendants” (which would have required faith
to believe for he had no offspring as of yet, and his wife was past the time of
child-bearing). It also referred to something
a man in Abram’s day could do, but not so much men of today. IAUE asked Abram to specifically relate to
his understanding of both the names and the ordering, the numbering, of the stars. Early men were raised with a knowledge of
astronomy. They understood the
constellations and the story the stars told if taken in the right numerical
sequence. Within those constellations
was a star named “Zera,” which represented the redeemer, the one
who would come to deliver humanity from its separation from IAUE. In Hebrew, this statement of IAUE was, “so shall thy zera be.” IAUE was letting Abram know that from his
barren wife, not only would he bring forth many nations; but among them would
be the “Zera” who would redeem mankind back to IAUE. It was THIS that Abram believed; and it was
for his believing this that his faith was counted for righteousness.
Pause to reflect on that for a moment. It was faith in IAUE’s promise of the “coming”
Messiah that was “counted” to Abram for
righteousness. This word “counted” is an
interesting term. In Hebrew, it is “chashab.” It means to consider the facts and render a
conclusion; to reckon something’s equivalent worth. In the Greek (Rom 4:3), the
word is “logizomai.” It has the same sense of meaning as “chashab,”
but it has one significant different; and that is, it reckons the worth of
something to be a metaphor.
[A brief English lesson:
You may recall studying the difference between a “simile” and a “metaphor.” A simile says something is “as” or “like”
something else in order to communicate the speaker’s/writer’s impression of
something. Here are some famous similes in Scripture:
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like
unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as
the sound of many waters.
A metaphor, on the other hand, says something IS another
thing. For example:
Son
of Solomon 1:10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
13 A bundle
of myrrh is my well-beloved unto
me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my
love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.]
To understand that counting Abraham’s faith to be righteousness is
intended as a metaphor opens to us a door of understanding. What was it about
Abraham’s faith that could be given the equivalent value of righteousness? Understanding that righteousness is the
nature of IAUE; and understanding that the divine nature was initially created
within Adam but forfeited due to sin; Abraham’s faith, his belief in the word
of IAUE regarding the Messiah, was considered to be an act consistent with the
divine nature. This belief in the words of IAUE did not emanate, however, from
a divine nature; for Abram/Abraham was as corrupt then as man is today. Abram’s faith, however, was inconsistent with
the fallen nature of man. It was transcendant; and because of its likeness to
the divine nature, it was credited to Abram for righteousness long before the
divine sacrifice of Yahushua paid the price for the penalty of and forgiveness
of sin. This was the basis of man’s relationship to IAUE from the fall of Adam
to the resurrection of Yahushua. Faith in IAUE’s promise of the coming Redeemer was accounted to the
believing one for righteousness, a transcendent act consistent with the divine
nature. (Many
have defined “righteousness” as “right standing with Elohim.” That is not the definition of righteousness. Right standing with IAUE is not what
righteousness is; but it is a byproduct.
It is what righteousness provides.)
Belief in the “coming”
Messiah has become the malady of the Hebrews today. No longer is righteousness being counted to
those believing in one who is yet to come; for he has already come and has
already accomplished and fulfilled the requirements and the claims of
righteousness upon all mankind. Belief
in a yet-to-come Redeemer holds no righteous merit for it is disbelieving of what
IAUE has done by bringing Yahushua into the word. Having come and fulfilled his Father’s will, righteousness
is no longer credited to man on this basis.
It now looks back to what Yahushua has accomplished and believes what
IAUE says about His son.
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of IAUE through unbelief; but
was strong in faith, giving glory to IAUE;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was
able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed
to him;
24 But for us also, to
whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Yahushua our Master
from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
This imputing of righteousness is effected in a different
way, today, than it was for Abraham, and for all men of faith prior to the
resurrection of Yahushua.
Romans 5:5 Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with IAUE through our Master
Yahushua Messiah:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of IAUE.
We are still recipients of righteousness by faith. There is no other mechanism provided to man
to receive righteousness than by faith; but our peace (our right standing with
IAUE) is not simply credited to our account, now. It is provided to us “THROUGH” our Master,
Yahushua Messiah. It is THROUGH Messiah
that we, by faith, have access to grace; and it is by grace that we are saved,
enabled by the power of IAUE to do the will of IAUE (Ephesians
2:8).
Remember from our last post that our Redeemer had to be born
qualified to redeem us; and had to maintain that qualification throughout his
life. He had to be born with a righteous
nature; and in his death, he had to sacrifice a righteous life for ours. Yahushua became our substitute in so many
ways; but with respect to this study, his righteousness is what we receive by
faith in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says he
died that “we might become the righteousness of IAUE in him.” The righteousness we receive by faith in
Messiah is received by finding ourselves “in him.”
For example; if all the buildings on a given street except for one
is going to be destroyed, by being IN that one building, we escape the
destruction that is coming to that street. Not by anything we have done other
than to choose to be in that house, are we rescued from destruction. It is the house that was chosen to remain,
not the people inside of the house. In
the same way, if the wrath of IAUE is determined upon all who are unrighteous;
and there is only one who is righteous before Him; then all who are IN HIM, all
who are in that one righteous man, will escape the wrath to come. In like manner, all who are IN HIM also will
partake of all the virtues and grace and benefit that belong to that one
man. Not by virtue of anything we have
done or will do, are we the beneficiaries of that one man’s right standing with
IAUE. We enjoy the benefits of his
righteous nature simply by being IN HIM; and we are IN HIM by faith, and by
faith alone.
Faith, however, is not a point in time experience. We cannot say that we believed in Messiah on
June 6, 2004; and rest on that moment in time as the moment when we were “saved.” No, faith is a present continuous experience
which places us in the grace of IAUE (the power IAUE gives to enable man to do
His will). Righteousness is by faith;
and faith is now. We can point to a
specific date and time when we began our adventure IN MESSIAH; but only present
continuous faith fixes us IN HIM.
For too many believers, they experience faith in Messiah and are
born of the Spirit; and they know within themselves they have been born
anew. They then base their confidence in
their right standing with IAUE upon their subjective experience of being “born
again.” There is no righteousness within
ourselves. Any confidence placed anywhere
except in Yahushua Messiah is misplaced and results in nothing of value. Only IN HIM are we seen as righteous before
IAUE. Only IN HIM do we receive the
grace that rescues and redeems our lives before IAUE. We MUST abide IN HIM to experience his
virtues and the benefits thereof. Peter
tells us in 2 Peter 1:1-4, that IAUE exercises His own power toward us through
great and precious promises designed to help us experience and walk in the
divine nature (righteousness), now.
Having faith in the words of IAUE by trusting in His redeemer is
not the only act we may make that is inconsistent with the fallen nature. IAUE has provided for us who are IN MESSIAH
to be able to experience a transcendant life NOW, through faith in Yahushua by
growing up; and ceasing to be nepios (babes in Messiah); by learning what it
means to be IN HIM. It begins with experience
with the word of righteousness.
Kingdom
heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the
performance of the will of IAUE.
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