Sunday, April 8, 2018

Ephesians 6:14

The Armor of God, Pt. 5, 

The Breastplate of Righteousness, Pt. 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GNROcORqbs
Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard
www.GraceDoctrine.org 

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.  

Vs, 14b, The Breastplate of Righteousness, Pt. 1

In Eph 6:14, we now address the second piece of armor, “the breastplate

 of righteousness.” This verse reads, “Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

“And having put on,” is KAI ENDUO, where ENDUO is in the Aorist, Middle, Participle in the imperative sense, which continues the command to put on the armor of God. We noted ENDUO in vs. 11, for “putting on the whole armor of God.” Here it relates to just the breastplate of righteousness.

The Culminative Aorist tense contemplates the entirety of the action with a view to the past completed action of “having put on” this portion of the armor.

The Middle Voice is reflexive. We benefit from the action of “having put on,” yet it is not the active voice, because as we will see, God is the One who gives us righteousness. We do not achieve our own righteousness. But in faith, we appropriate the righteousness of God, which is a grace blessing to us. So, the reflexive Middle correlates with the non-meritorious act(s) of faith we apply and, as a result we benefit.

“The breastplate,” is the Nominative singular of HO THORAX. Generally this word denotes a “breastplate” as a piece of protective armor worn in battle or which covers the chest.

In English, “thorax” is used in anatomy where it is the part of the body of a mammal between the neck and the abdomen, including the cavity enclosed by the ribs, breastbone, and dorsal vertebrae, and containing the chief organs of circulation and respiration; the chest. In Greek, the THORAX is the armor that protects that vital area of the human anatomy. “The breastplate,” was usually composed of metallic plates, chains, or scales, but sometimes made of leather or bronze, covered the torso, (neck to waist), both front and back, and protected the vital organs of the body; the heart, the lungs, etc. The breastplate often saved the Roman soldier from being mortally wounded.

Similarly, the person who is “righteous” will not be mortally wounded in the spiritual warfare in which he is engaged. The breastplate is held in place by the belt of truth, and it becomes obvious that this righteousness is totally dependent upon truth, Bible doctrine in the soul.

THORAX is used here and in 1 Thes 5:8; Rev 9:9, 17.

The NT primarily uses it figuratively, describing the protective power of “righteousness,” during the Angelic Conflict, similar to Isa 59:17, which describes the Lord Jesus coming with salvation, cf. Wisdom 5:18.

Isa 59:17, “And He (the Lord) put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

In 1 Thes 5:8, we see portions of the armor of God noted. There, the “breastplate” represents “faith and love,” as opposed to “righteousness,” as in our verse. Therefore, we see that “faith and love” go hand in hand with righteousness. As faith appropriates righteousness and love expresses it.

1 Thes 5:8, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

This word is used in Rev 9:9, to describing the appearance of the torturing locust set loose during the Fifth Trumpet judgment of the Tribulation. The locus will torment only unbelievers during that time.

Rev 9:9, “They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.” This may be how John was explaining his vision of a helicopter? Or better, it is a literal tormenting creature of the Tribulation.

Finally, THORAX is used in Rev 9:17, during the Sixth Trumpet judgment, to describe the angelic horsemen who will kill one third of mankind on earth at that time. The color of the breast plate is fiery red/orange and dark blue/purple.

For the believer of the Church Age, our breastplate is described as being, “of righteousness,” which is the Genitive of Material of HO DIKAIOSUNE, δικαιοσύνη that means, “righteousness, uprightness, equity, or justice.” In other words, the breastplate is made out of “righteousness.”

Righteous is defined as, “meeting the standards of what is right and just; morally right; guiltless.” Synonyms of righteousness include, “virtue, morality, justice, decency, uprightness, honesty, blameless, etc.”

Like “truth,” we see that God is absolutely righteous in all that He is and does, and man can have and experience that righteousness in his life. When He does, it is armor for his soul.

Divine Righteousness:

1. God possesses eternal, unchangeable, and perfect righteousness.

2. All justice is administered from the perfect righteousness of God, cf. Lev 19:2; 1 Sam 2:2; Psa 22:3; 47:8; 119:9; John 17:11; Rev 3:7; 4:8; 6:10. Many passages tell us that behind God’s justice and judgments is the other half of Divine holiness, which is God’s perfect and absolute righteousness.

3. God is absolute Good. Absolute good is perfect righteousness, Psa 25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 119:68; Luke 18:19.

4. God is perfect, both in His person and in His character, Deut 32:4; Psa 7:9; 11:7; 97:6; 113:3; 119:137; Jer 23:6; John 17:25; Rom 1:17; 10:3; 1 John 2:29.

5. God is totally free from sin. God has never sinned. God cannot tempt or solicit to sin. God cannot in any way be involved in sin except to judge it, James 1:13. 

6. The righteousness of God is the principle of Divine integrity. The justice of God is the function of Divine integrity. What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God fulfills.

7. God’s righteousness is seen in two ways:

a. He is a righteous Person, James 1:17.

James 1:17, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

b. He is righteous in all His ways, Rom 3:25-26.

Rom 3:25-26, “Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Righteousness in God means that all that He does is perfect and absolutely right/correct. God never makes a wrong or unrighteous decision. All of God’s judgments are righteous, as well as being holy in nature, (i.e., they are without sin and evil), Rev 16:5-7.

When His righteousness combines with His love,  it results in grace. The grace pipeline….

Rom 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1 Cor 1:30, “But by His (God the Father's) doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom (truth) from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

As perfect and absolute righteousness, God rejects all relative standards of righteousness, and therefore, all human standards of righteousness, with the one exception of human compliability with the laws of Divine Establishment. Isa 64:6, tells us exactly where human righteousness will get us with God.

Isa 64:6, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteousness is as filthy [menstrual] rags, and all of us wither like a leaf, and all of our sins like the wind take us away.”

God cannot accept anything less than perfect righteousness, and God cannot bless anything less than perfect righteousness. We possess that perfect righteousness as a double portion (the imputation of God the Father’s righteousness and sharing the righteousness of our Lord who is the head of our body) at the very moment we believe in Jesus Christ. This perfect Divine righteousness resides in every believer from the moment of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Mat 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Rom 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, (between Jew and Gentile).”

Phil 3:9, “And may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Jesus Christ was made to be our substitute at the Cross in order that we might receive the forgiveness of all our sins with the result of the imputation of God’s righteousness, so that we could walk/live in righteousness.