Thursday, 4/12/18 – Eph 6:14 The Armor of God, Pt. 7,

The Breastplate of Righteousness, Pt. 3,

Our Walk in Righteousness.

Lesson # 18-041

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSvelU8xVbE

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. 3

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.”

For the believer, there are three aspects of righteousness that we see within the Bible.

1. The righteousness of God that is imputed to the believer at the point of salvation; Positional Righteousness.

2. The walk in righteousness post salvation; Experiential Righteousness.

3. The ability to be blessed in time and eternity because of righteousness in us; Ultimate Righteousness.

2. The Walk in Righteousness Post Salvation; Experiential Righteousness.

The second part of “putting on the breastplate of righteousness,” is our daily walk in righteousness, also called our experiential sanctification. This is our faithful walk in righteousness.

Prov 2:20, “So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.”

Prov 8:20, “I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice.”

Hosea 14:9, “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them.”

Rom 8:4, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

1 John 2:29, “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

In 2 Cor 6, when Paul is discussing his servanthood to God, one of the things he mentions is having “righteousness” as a weapon for fighting the spiritual warfare in vs. 7.

2 Cor 6:7, “In the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.”

Therefore, we see that righteousness is the mark of the Christian way of life; acting rightly, justly, morally, in contrast with evil, falsehood, inequality, etc. It is a weapon for both hands, because it can be used in all aspects of our life. As a warrior, Paul wore the whole armor of God with weapons of defense in his left hand and offense in his right, just as we can too. Righteousness is both a defensive and offensive weapon in the spiritual warfare.

With this we also note that, “the word of truth in the power of God” creates this armament as experiential righteousness is based on having the belt of truth, (God’s Word), resident within your soul. It is the Word of God that gives us the understanding and means of walking in righteousness; defensively and offensively, just as the gospel gave us the understanding and means of receiving positional righteousness at salvation.

The use of righteousness is then in an ethical sense. It characterizes the life of obedience to God and His Word of those who have been justified. That is why Rom 6:13, 18- 20, contrast lives/bodies as instruments or slaves of wickedness with lives yielded to God as instruments of righteousness. In these and other passages, is the expected result of life lived in relationship with Christ, right-living that is in keeping with God’s purposes. Righteousness, together with peace and joy, is that which marks the believer’s relationship with God and others, (rather than judging or offending others), and is the result of God’s reign in your life.

Rom 6:13, “And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Rom 6:18, “And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Rom 6:19, “… For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.”

Just as righteousness began in us by faith, it should continue to operate only by faith after our salvation, Gal 3:1-14.

Gal 3:11, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH’.” Cf. Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38.

Positional and Experiential Righteousness are gifts of God’s grace that come to believers in the context and through the instrumentality of faith. When Paul speaks about righteousness and faith, it is almost always contrasted with a legalistic, or Law-oriented, righteousness. Thus, in Rom 4:11, 13-14, the “righteousness of faith” is said to be based neither on circumcision nor on the deeds of the Law. In Rom 9:30-32; 10:4-6, 10, the righteousness that comes by faith is contrasted with that which is based on the Law and the doing of the works of the Law. Only the former leads to life, to salvation.

Phil 3:9, speaks of the righteousness that results from faith in Jesus, rather than “my own righteousness” based on Law. This righteousness by faith is of course the righteousness from God, “which depends on faith.” This conviction is affirmed by Paul in contrast to his own former experience where, on the basis of Law-based righteousness, he judged himself as “blameless,” yet that was not good enough to save him, Phil 3:6. Such moral perfectionism as that which Paul had by pedigree and personal endeavor does not, however, bring one into right relationship with God. According to Titus 3:5, believers are saved, not because of deeds done in righteousness, (here righteousness means “legal obedience”), but by God’s merciful, atoning work in Christ.

Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Therefore, that brings us back to Gal 3, were Paul is making the argument, “if we began in righteousness by faith, let us continue to walk in righteousness by faith.” That is why in 1 Thes 5:8, the breastplate is made up of “faith and love.” When we walk by faith, we produce AGAPE love which is the righteousness of God in us.

That is why righteousness is that quality of life which bears fruit, i.e., Divine Good Production, 2 Cor 9:10, Gal 5:22; Eph 5:9; Phil 1:11.

2 Cor 9:10, “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

Phil 1:11, “Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Walking in God’s righteousness is one of the marks of those who are “children of light” in distinction from those who perform “unfruitful works of darkness,” Eph 5:9.

Eph 5:9, “For the fruit of the Light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.”

Likewise, in Eph 4:24, righteousness is paired with “holiness of the truth” as resembling God, in contrast to corrupt, deceitful living.

Eph 4:24, “And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

As such, Experiential Righteousness is not passive; it is to be pursued. It is the mark of the believer, and without active “doing” there is no real relationship (i.e., righteousness) with God. Therefore, we are exhorted to “pursue righteousness,” 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22, and receive “training in righteousness,” 2 Tim 3:16; the context is clearly that of moral, ethical living based on faithful application of Bible Doctrine resident within your soul, cf. 1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; James 2:17.

1 Tim 6:11, “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”

2 Tim 2:22, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

1 John 3:7, “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous (experientially), just as He is righteous, (positionally).”

“Practices righteousness” in 1 John 3:7, refers to spending time living in, celebrating, or experiencing the imputed righteousness of God by applying truth, (His Word), in love to both God and man. This is also called Experiential Sanctification. In contrast, 1 John 3:8, tells us that the one who “practices sin” does not practice the righteousness of Christ and is a child of the devil, i.e., fully engrossed in Satan’s Cosmic System.

When it says, “the devil has sinned from the beginning,” it is first a reference to Satan’s rebellion in eternity past and second to his work in the Garden of Eden where he tempted the perfect man to sin, thereby destroying the perfect righteousness in man created in the image of God, as he did with the fallen angels in eternity past. To remedy the loss of perfect righteousness in man, God sent His Son, as we have seen and again see in this verse.

Now, 1 John 3:9 says, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

This verse tells us that the one “born of God” has a new regenerated nature and spiritual life found in their Human Spirit. The Human Spirit is a place of perfect Divine righteousness and is without sin. Sin is in our bodies and can penetrate our souls, if we let it, but sin never penetrates our Human Spirit. Our new Divine nature can “never” sin and is the very righteousness of God, cf. Eph 4:24.

Eph 4:24, “And put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holy observance of the truth.”

Notice how “holy observance of truth” is linked with righteousness. This is our walk in righteousness.

The regenerate Human Spirit provides the believer the means by which the Holy Spirit can reproduce the righteousness of God experientially in the soul and body of the believer who is obedient to the Word of righteousness, 1 Cor 2:12-14.

Our new Christ-like nature provides us with the capacity to “practice the righteousness” of God, which is manifested by obeying the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love one another as He has loved the believer, 1 John 3:11, 16, 18.

If we are living the life that God has given to us, we will avoid sin(s) within our lives. We have the perfect righteousness of God inside of our new perfect nature. With that, plus the righteousness from the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of the Mind of Christ (Bible Doctrine) in our souls, we should be living unto God, abiding in Christ. Yet, many believers do not utilize the righteousness of God in their lives and do not take in the Word of God on a consistent basis. For them it is inevitable that they will be living just as an unbeliever lives, in sin, as a child of the father of sin, the devil himself.

The imputation of perfect righteousness at salvation becomes both motivation and momentum in the Christian way of life: motivation to persist in the perception of Bible doctrine, and momentum for continuing the metabolization of Bible doctrine. The result is maximum doctrine resident in the soul producing spiritual maturity adjustment to the justice of God, and the practical righteousness of everyday living and conduct. The Truth (Word) of God trains the believer to live in the righteousness of God since it is the mind and thinking of Jesus Christ Himself, 2 Cor 6:7; Gal 3:11; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Cf. John 1:1.

2 Tim 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Gal 3:11, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH’.”

2 Cor 6:7, “In the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.”

And, remember that this is not a righteousness of our own morality or human good works, it is a righteousness appropriated by faith in the Word of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself warned us that except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees; we shall in no way enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The only righteousness that exceeds theirs is a faith based one; a righteous living in faithful obedience to God and His Word seeking His grace. We noted this word in Eph 4:24; 5:9.

Eph 4:24, “And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Eph 5:9, “(For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth).”

Conclusion

Therefore, put on those righteous qualities associated with your new life in Christ, the same righteous qualities reflected in the life of Jesus. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, so you do not give an inch to Satan in the areas of impurity, lust, greed, or injustice. Realize who you are in Christ, and live out that new identity in righteous living.

The imputation of God’s righteousness at salvation results in our Positional Sanctification, while living in the righteousness of God after our salvation results in our Experiential Sanctification.

Rom 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith (for positional righteousness) to faith (for experiential righteousness); as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith’.”

Rom 6:17-18, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us, 2 Cor 6:1-10. By appropriating God’s righteousness, believers are to act righteously in their dealings with God and people. As a soldier’s breastplate protected his chest from enemy attacks, so sanctifying, righteous living, Rom 6:13; 14:17, guards believers’ hearts against the assaults of the devil, cf. Isa 59:17; James 4:7.

Righteousness is expressed by our actions; Christians thus confirm their relationship to God by living in it, Rom 6:13, 16ff.; 2 Cor 6:7; 9:10; Phil 1:11; 2 Tim 3:16. Indeed, our very lives testify to that relationship, Rom 1:17; 2:13. Having been freed from sin is to become “servants to God,” Rom 6:22, and “servants of righteousness,” Rom 6:18. God’s righteousness is revealed in the present, Rom 1:17; 3:26, and has provided true righteousness for the believer. Since righteousness is by faith alone, any supposed “righteousness by works,” i.e., obedience to the Law, has been abolished. The righteousness of God comes only through faith, Rom 1:17; 3:22,26; 4:3f.; 9:30; 10:4,6,10.

1 John 3:7, “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”

Our most significant defense is the evidence that we have been made right with God, and that this righteousness has been created in us by the Spirit. This righteousness is manifested in character and in conduct, and as the breastplate guards the vital organs from assault, it will keep the heart unwounded. Only the righteousness of Christ can enable the believer to stand before men, angels, and before God, but the heart that is to be protected should be a heart that is not condemning you. It is an awful condition to have sin in the life while we are trying to carry on the battle. We can never win it that way. Therefore, righteousness is to be put on. It is to be put on primarily by faith in the Word of God. It is given in Christ to simple belief. He that has faith thereby has the righteousness which is through faith in Christ, for in his faith, he has the one formative principle of reliance on God, which will gradually refine character and mold conduct into whatsoever things are lovely and of good report, however slowly it may transform his conduct. The faith which is a departure from all reliance on works of righteousness, which we have done, and is a singularly focused reliance on the work of Jesus Christ, opens the heart in which it is planted to all the influences of that life which was in Jesus, that from Him it may be in us.

Therefore, the putting on of the breastplate requires effort (pursuit), as well as faith, and effort will be vigorous in the measure in which faith is vivid, but it should follow, not precede or supplant faith. Moral teaching without Gospel preaching is little better than a waste of breath.

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries
Copyright 2018