Righteous in Christ

And throughout the chapter Paul is emphasizing us towards unity and togetherness and also to move forward in our own faith.

! And he reminds us at the end to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to be on the new self created after the likeness of God and through righteousness and holiness.

And that word righteousness is what I really want to focus on this evening.

Perhaps it's best summed up for us in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21 where we have that great transaction.

For our sake he made, that's God made him, made Christ to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I read the portion in John 17 at the beginning for a purpose.

I believe it undergirds what I'd like to share with you tonight.

And what it emphasizes is the love and mercy, compassion and security that all of us who are in Christ are blessed with.

We are safe and we are protected and guarded and kept by our Lord because we are precious.

We're precious in God's sight.

And we are a gift from the Father to the Son.

As we read there in verse 6 of John 17,

Jesus Christ is praying for us continually and interceding for us every moment of our lives.

I'm praying for them, we're told in verse 9 of that chapter.

I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

And we're also told that Jesus is glorified in us, in all his beloved people.

We're told in verse 10,

All mine are yours and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

And that's quite a lot to begin, even that short three verses that I read there.

It's a lot for us to begin.

And perhaps we don't think of these things enough.

Especially when we consider the sin that's always about us.

The sins that we commit, and yes, the sin that we just cannot shake off while we're in this life.

And for a short while this evening, I'd like us to consider something that is deeply biblical,

and I believe incredibly liberating for all of us, and it's this.

And we're not sinners trying to become righteous.

We are the righteousness of God in Christ.

And this is a key concept of our faith.

And I believe we really need to focus on that much more.

Because until that settles properly into our hearts,

peace in our daily struggles will always feel just out of reach.

We are made righteous in God's eyes,

not through our own works, because that's impossible.

We just cannot do that.

But it's through faith in Jesus Christ.

So from that we understand that it's relation-based.

It's because of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

And it couldn't be any other way.

And it's very true that many believers continue to call themselves sinners.

And that's primarily because they are honest about their struggles.

And now that's not a bad thing,

because we certainly don't want to minimize grace or pretend that we never fail.

So that's totally understandable.

But the problem here is not humility.

The problem is identity.

When we repeatedly name ourselves by what Jesus has already dealt with,

we actually quietly place ourselves back under a burden that he carried for us.

We're much too prone to be looking inwards instead of looking upwards.

And I believe it's true as islanders,

for a lot of people on this island,

we have a tendency to look upon the negative

instead of resting in and enjoying the positive aspects of our lives.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

Perhaps one of them you'll know very well.

The weather.

And is it not true that

whenever we may be enjoying a good spell of weather,

we might say to someone something like,

isn't this just a glorious spell of weather?

It's so warm,

and we've been getting the sun for so long now.

And yet, so often, the answer comes from people,

ah, yes, but I'm sure the rain isn't far away.

That's very true, isn't it?

It tends to be the way we look at things.

And even when it comes to our faith,

we're not exempt from these negative aspects.

I've often been in conversation with other Christians

and perhaps said something like,

isn't it just amazing that here we are,

the two of us,

and the two of us are saved now.

And too often I get the reply,

I hope I am.

Well, I don't understand that.

I hope I am.

And I don't believe it's God honouring either.

But yet, at the end of the day,

that's us, isn't it?

That's just the way we are.

Perhaps not just here in Lewis,

but certainly a West Coast thing anyway.

But I'd like to focus on this word righteous.

And as I briefly looked at 2 Corinthians 5,

we're told he was made sin

so that we might be made righteous.

He was condemned so that we might be justified.

And his death was in place of our spiritual death.

And this means that just as God imputed our sin,

just as the Father imputed our sin and guilt to Christ,

He made Him to be sin,

so the Father also imputes the righteousness of Christ

to all who believe in Him.

Not only does the believer receive

a right standing before God

on the basis of his or her faith in Jesus,

but Paul tells us that in Christ,

the believer actually shares

in the righteousness

that characterises God himself.

God regards or counts believers as forgiven

and God declares and treats them as forgiven.

because God the Father has imputed,

or perhaps another word is attributed,

God has attributed the believer's sin to Christ.

And because God the Father

likewise imputes Christ's righteousness

to the believer.

God the Father has not been able to do

for the believer.

with that,

and with that thinking,

I tend to think that we take the first part of that verse

and keep it in our minds that,

and of course it's not wrong,

because Jesus was made to be sin for us,

but also the fact that,

that we are now made righteous

in the sight of God

is so important

and perhaps something

that we don't think of

as often as perhaps we ought to.

Every believer

is a reflection

of God's own image in Christ.

and that is,

that's the express image

of his person.

God sees

a reflection

of himself

in every believer

in Christ

and through Christ.

And we need to really

grasp hold of that.

And that is that

every time God looks at us

individually

as believers,

he sees a reflection

of himself

in us

in Christ.

And we have a special place

in the heart of God.

This is a perfect

God-given righteousness.

And it is that

and that alone

that enables

every believer

to go into the presence

of a holy God

because we are made righteous,

our sins are forgiven,

we are made righteous

in Christ

and we are now enabled

to go into the presence

of a holy God.

And so we need to be

very clear

and Paul writes plainly,

you know,

scripture doesn't define

believers

by what they once were.

And notice the exchange

that goes on here,

this great transaction,

Jesus did not merely

forgive sin,

he became sin

for us.

And we did not merely

get a clean slate

as it were

because of that.

we also became righteous,

we were made righteous

immediately

in the sight of God.

And this is not

poetic language,

this is covenant truth.

Because yes,

you and I,

we still stumble,

we stumble in the flesh

and yet growth

is ongoing.

But it's not about

our failures

in this life.

we're always going

to fall in some way

in our lives

as Christians.

We're always going

to stumble.

But it's about

repenting

of that sin

which we are now

led to do

as believers,

led by the Spirit

to do.

It's about repenting

and it's about

picking ourselves

up again

and it's about

looking to Jesus

and it's like

shaking the dust

off us

looking to the

empty cross now,

looking to our

resurrected Lord

and moving on.

Because we have

to keep going

on this walk

or this race

as Scripture

often puts us

to run

this race.

I mentioned

the word identity

and this is what

it's all about

being

a child of God

and a reflection

of God's image

and the righteousness

of Christ.

Our identity

is not built

on our washed moments

but it's built

on Christ's

finished work.

And

in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

and verse 11

that tells us

you were washed,

you were sanctified,

you were justified

in the name

of the Lord Jesus.

But notice

that is all

past tense.

you were washed,

you were sanctified,

you were justified.

Something

that has

already

been done

for us.

And living

with the mindset

of

I'm just

a sinner

that can

very easily

trap us

in cycles

of shame

and

in cycles

of fear

and self-focus

particularly

because

what that does

is it very subtly

teaches us

to look inwards

instead of upwards.

But the gospel

calls us

to a different

posture

and

Colossians

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

and verse 10

reminds us

of these words

and you

have been

filled

in him.

We're not

lacking

righteousness.

We're not

missing

something

essential.

We are

filled

in Christ.

So much

to think

about

with these

words.

this truth

is not

meant to

produce

pride in us.

It produces

rest.

And when we

truly

understand

that we

are righteous

in Christ

then

our obedience

it stops

being driven

by fear

and it

really does

start flowing

from love.

And we

start living

from the

security

of it

because we

know

that we

are safe

in Christ.

The word

tells us

so.

And just

as John

reminds us

in his epistle

in 1 John

1 John 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

and verse 13

he says

by this

we know

that we

abide in

him

and he

in us

because he

has given

us

of his

spirit.

God's

own

spirit

dwelling

within us

and leading

and guiding

us

each step

of our way

in this

world.

And God's

presence in

us

is certainly

not based

on our

performance

it's based

on his

promise.

And that's

a promise

that can

never ever

be broken.

And it's

just as

Calumura

spoke of

last Sunday

in his

sermon

that we

have been

given an

inexpressible

gift

from God

himself.

a gift

that is

full of

joy

that joy

that we're

told that

in and of

itself is

inexpressible

and full

of glory.

And

just as

with the

gift of

God's

love

that is

now shed

abroad

in our

hearts

and we

now also

experience

the peace

of God

that our

scripture

says

passes

all

understanding

and yet

it is so

deep within

us

and so

foundational

with regard

to our

faith

in Christ.

Progress

happens

when

our

perspective

with regard

to our

faith

shifts

from

I'm

constantly

falling

short

and I'm

sure

so many

of us

are guilty

in saying

that and

I'm no

different

but it

needs to

shift to

I am

learning

to live

out

who I

already

am

in

Christ

and we

learn that

as we

grow and

grace

through

what

the

Thessalonians

call the

sanctification

process

because

growth

does not

come from

shame

it comes

from

truth

and the

truth is

that

Jesus

did not

save

sinners

and just

leave them

that way

he made

every one

of us

sons and

daughters

clothed

in his

righteousness

so when

we fall

we don't

say

this proves

I am a

sinner

we see

this does

not align

with who

I am

in Christ

and that

is a huge

difference

in these

words

one keeps

us stuck

exactly

where we

are

and the

other

invites

continued

transformation

in our

lives

we read

there in

Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

in verse

24 it

tells us

put on

the new

self

created

after the

likeness

of God

and through

righteousness

and holiness

and we're

not creating

something new

we are

putting on

we're not

sinners

sorry

we are

putting on

what already

belongs to

us

it's been

gifted to

us

and

this is

our truth

that really

ought to

bring

peace to

our hearts

tonight

and we

need to

understand

this

that

God

is not

disappointed

in us

he's not

surprised

by your

weakness

he's not

withholding

love

until we

get it

right

that's

not the

way

God

is for

us

until we

start getting

everything

together

but the

way God

sees us

as righteous

and accepted

and secure

we're not

sinners

trying to reach

God

but we are

the righteousness

of God

and Christ

learning

to walk

in grace

or by grace

day by day

and surely

that for ourselves

ought to be

a great comfort

a great encouragement

to our souls

that our Lord is with us

every single step

walking with us

in our walk

day by day

I read something

quite recently

and it's

it's the words

of a song

that has been

feeling right

and I just want

to just

read a

very small part

of it for you

it says

do you know

what God

did for me

he broke

my chains

and set me

free

he pulled

my heart

from misery

mercy

found me

right there

on my knees

he washed

my sins

in Calvary's

stream

gave me life

where death

had been

he took

my shame

he took

my fear

and now

I stand

redeemed

and clean

it's about us

adopting

a really

positive attitude

about our

Christianity

and about our

faith

and to

remember

especially

our identity

which is in

Christ Jesus

we are seen

as being

perfect

righteous

and holy

in Christ

we make

mistakes here

but he is

with us

every step

of the way

building us

up

slowly

but surely

as we go

on in this

life

we may not

see it

we may not

have that

awareness

of it

but he is

building us

up

and he is

making us

more Christ

like

as we go

on in our

lives

until that

day

when we

will be

taken home

to be with

God

and we

will fully

realise

then

and experience

this perfect

righteousness

in every

aspect

of our

being

throughout the

endless ages

of eternity

eternity

until that

day

let's keep

looking upwards

rather than

inwards

let's pray

father we

just thank you

tonight

for all the

blessings

that we

receive from

you

we thank

you for

we thank

you for the

preciousness

of this

life that we

have in

Christ

we thank

you father

for everything

you do for

us day

day by

day

because we

know that

we're not

we're not

a servant

of even

the least

of your

mercies

and yet

we just

cannot but

gasp in awe

and wonder

at your love

and your

mercy

and your

long suffering

towards us

help us

truly to

focus on

your word

and help

us truly

to focus

on this

great gift

of righteousness

that you

have bestowed

upon each

one of your

own people

it's hard

for us to

understand

that we

are seen

as being

perfectly

pure and

holy

in your

sight

but we

acknowledge

with

thankfulness

Christ's

finished work

at Calvary

for his

death

and for

his

resurrection

and for

his

ascension

Lord

and we

we pray

to be kept

every single

day

keep us

Lord

day by

day

until

our Lord

surely

comes again

we ask

these things

in Jesus

name and

for his

sake

Amen