Christian Boot Camp PT 5 - Righteousness

Dale McDonald: Welcome to Atlin Family Church, Engaged Faith. Hello, I'm Pastor Dale, and I'm recording right here in my church office, our home, right here in Atlin BC, Canada. That's for our listeners from across Canada and around the world. once again, we do appreciate you joining us, following and subscribing. Today I'm continuing on a five part series entitled Christian Boot Camp. It is the five elements of Christian discipline that I believe will change our lives once we get it, once we understand it, and once we implement. it'll really change our Christian walk. the more we understand it, the more we can engage our faith in it, and the more we can move forward in it. I'm gonna start with an introduction and then a short recap from previous videos, so bear with me. and today it's gonna be the fifth element of Christian discipline, and it's righteousness and holy living. Now, if when you hear that or you see that righteousness and holy living, if it doesn't bring excitement, then I'm just gonna put it out there. You probably don't understand. God's righteousness. And it's like When someone, you know, a best friend or family member says, Hey, I've got a gift for you. typically we get excited. we have anticipation. We, you know, hey, what's in it? man, I didn't deserve this. Whatever it is. You know, you may have different reactions to that, but the gift from God, as a human we can't comprehend it. And that's what righteousness and holy living is. It's his righteousness, it's a gift. It's a free gift. Just keep that in mind. And another way of saying is just it's right standing with God. it's that simple. it's a topic or a practice where I believe many Christians miss it, miss the best that God has for them. And frankly, too many churches don't understand righteousness and holy living. And and I can say that ba based on what they teach. Wrong teaching misleads, hurts, or leads people into deceptive religious teaching. That's not us. You I hope you get that. let's look at Romans, jumping right into the word. Let's look at Romans ten four of the New Living Translation. Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result All who believe in him are made right with God. In First Corinthians one thirty through thirty-one, we see an introduction to the contrast of God's gift. The contrast of the righteousness and worldly self-righteousness. Huge difference. Opposite. In First Corinthians one thirty through thirty one, I'll read in the New Living Translation. God has united us with Christ Jesus for our benefit. God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God. There it is. He made us pure and holy. He freed us from sin. And therefore, as the scriptures say, if you want to boast, boast only about the Lord. So there it's it's talking about the you know the contrast, or it's starting into introduce that. Like people boast about, hey, I've done all this, I've got all these credentials, self righteousness. But when we boast about the things of the Lord and get to know them and start to walk in them, that's starting to receive the gift, the free gift, as I'd mentioned, of His righteousness. That's the righteousness that he would have for us, and it's the the only way to live, in my opinion. And in order to position ourselves For the best life, our ministry and God's plan for our lives, we need to learn the truth of God's word, right? We also need to lose the untruth. That's the other side of it. what the world has taught us, what we picked up over the years. We all have baggage, right? but we need to develop some basic skills, some mindsets, and learn to use the tools that God's provided for us as Christians. Right? Hmm. That's starting to sound like basic training again. And if you've been following the videos, that's the theme. as a Christian, we enter basic training from day one. So as in a military boot camp, boot camp begins to prepare soldier for battle. And as we're born again Christians, we enter Christian boot camp. we start to prepare our life and service to God and to those around us, right? I've shared the scripture before, but let's look at it again. Slow it down and read each word. Let's look at Second Corinthians chapter ten, verses three through five. And I'll read out of the New Living. We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach to obey Christ. God expects his children to grow and mature in the things of God. The more we grow, the more effective we'll be in our ministry. Right? Let's look at Ephesians four, one through six. Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling. For you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle, be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body, one spirit, and just as you've been called to one glorious hope for the future, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. Love it. And you know, God desires to work through me, through you. And when he works through us, that's how he accomplishes his perfect will for our lives. it's how we continue the ministry of Christ today. I truly believe that the five elements or aspects that I'm teaching on are critical in order to be effective in our Christian walk. Once we develop the strong discipline in these areas, it'll also position us for powerful and effective ministry and Christian life. I want that. I hope you do too. And as a bonus for you, as you gain confidence in walking in righteousness, you will also gain confidence in his love for you. Isn't that amazing? And so what are the five elements of Christian discipline again? I'm glad you asked. Faith. And that's faith in God and His Word. Prayer, which is communication with God. And remember, it's two ways: praying, then listening for His response. It's developing our hearing, God. Which is recognizing his voice, knowing how to hear his voice. And last video I talked about obedience. And obedience is really obeying what we hear and and acting on it, engaging our faith. And you know, what he says to us matters. And today is righteousness and holiness. And that's really your position in him. And as you develop these five elements, I believe you'll discover what your ministry is, and you'll deepen your relationship with God. Remember, if you're born again, you have a ministry. So let's jump into today's teaching. Are you with me? Righteousness and holy living. It's where we live, it's how we conduct our lives, what we base our truth and belief system on. It's really the line in the sand that we won't cross, nor will we allow the world or others to influence us. It's our grounding point, right? By definition, righteousness is a quality or state of being morally upright, just and aligned with a standard of goodness, ethical truth, or divine law, for example, God's word. Depending on the context, the concept takes on distinct meanings. In ethics and philosophy, it refers to moral integrity, justice, living in accordance with ethical principles. A righteous person acts with fairness, Honesty and responsibility towards others, regardless of external pressure and personal advantage. Remember I mentioned that. in religious or theological context, Judeo Christian tradition, it signifies being right in the eyes of God. That's what I want to bring out in this teaching, Both through legal and covenantal alignment with divine laws and through right relationship with God and our neighbors. In Christian theology, it also refers to the inherent perfection and justice of God, as well as the status granted to believers through faith. Remember, it's not by works or earn. In everyday usage we might describe it as our conduct that is virtuous, honorable, and standard that we set. Really it's Christ like. when we turn it around and the focuses on us, that's called self righteousness. It carries a negative connotation, describing someone who acts smug, morally superior, or intolerant of others. And that is anti Christ. so it's really important that we get this. At its core, righteousness is not just believing in what is right. It's actively living and acting in alignment with God's justice, God's truth, God's moral integrity. As we learn and renew our minds to the truth, your belief system will develop and mature, especially as we study the Word of God, right? It has nothing to do with the position we hold within our church or good works that we're known for in this world. Righteousness is simply a gift from God. Let's get that. We take on his righteousness when we become born again. But it takes renewing our mind, right? that's the only way we'll fully understand the fullness and the power, really, that the gift of his righteousness. gives us. Let's look at several scriptures that begin to unpack the truth. in Matthew five seventeen through twenty, Jesus contrasts the self righteousness and righteousness from God. So let's read. Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear, until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you'll be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. but if anyone who obeys God's laws he teaches them will be called great. in the kingdom of heaven. But I warn you, unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law, And the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was very clear. The righteousness of teachers of religious law and the Pharisees of historical times, I will add non-Christian religious teaching churches of today, was not the way to live. It was not the way to act or teach. It leads people into deception, into rules, into religion. If our righteousness is self-serving or self-righteousness, as I mentioned, it's anti-Christ. It's about showing the world self and not Christ. I don't want to be there. And I hope you don't either. Ouch, Pastor, you're so blunt. Yes, yes I am. And I've heard a saying, the truth hurts. You've probably heard it yourself. And when we hear the truth, it can locate us. It can point out deception that we've embraced, perhaps. it can make us aware of where we've been living or how we've been acting. it points out also where we've been fooling ourselves. And here's the good part. It can cause growth if we take it to heart. So let's look at more scripture. Let's look at Romans chapter 4, verses 1 through 5. Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God's way, for the scriptures tell us Abraham believed God. And God counted him as righteous because of his faith. Aha. When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. Let's also read Romans five verses twelve through twenty one. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given, but it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still everyone died, from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who is yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. for the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, jesuschrist And the result of God's gracious gift is forgiven. Very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads us to being made right with God. Even though we were guilty of many sins, for the sin of this one man, Adam caused death to rule over many, but even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness. There it is, gift of righteousness. For all who will receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many become sinners, but because one person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. I want to point that out. made righteous. Nothing we can do or earn. God's law was given to us that all people could see how sinful they were, but as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all the people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through JesusChrist our Lord. Let's read Matthew six thirty three But seek, aim at and strive after, first of all, his kingdom and his righteousness, his way of doing and being right. And then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So it's God's way of doing. It's God's righteousness that we're seeking. Corinthians chapter one verse thirty. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God, he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. And reading 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21. For God made Christ who never sinned to be an offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Nothing we did, it was all a gift, and it's only received by applying our faith and engaging our faith in Christ. Are you getting this? Romans. Chapter three verses twenty two through twenty six We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, and this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone is sinned, we all fall short of God's glorious standard, yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through christjesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. I love it. Let's read Romans twelve verses one through two. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable in the perfect will of God. Hebrews twelve fourteen Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. I want to be holy. I want to see the Lord. How about you? First Thessalonians four, one through three. Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God. As we've taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus? God's will is for you to be holy. That was a teaching to the entire church. It is back then, it is today. Really, when we live a holy life, it pleases God. I want to please God. Encourage you today to make a quality decision to, really strive to build your relationship with God, as I've mentioned in other videos. But it all begins with asking God to help you understand the gift of righteousness. it is a gift, I can't say that enough. And as we strive to live a holy life and walk out the path that He's given us, the plan of God for us, the plan that He has for each of us, that pleases Him. as we take those steps, he sees us as righteous and holy in him. That's where I want to be. I hope you want to be there. It all starts with building our faith, communicating in prayer with God every moment of the day that we can, learning to hear his voice so that we can act on what he tells us, and living where he would want us to live. Kind of sounds like the five elements of Christian discipline, doesn't it? So in closing, hey, I want to talk to all the graduated Christian boot camp people that are following us. but let's read a few more scriptures just to finish up, starting with Proverbs three. 1 and then 5, verses 5 and 6. My child, never forget the things I've taught you. Store my commands in your heart. Trust the Lord with all of your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. there's a big key. Don't trust what we've learned over the years or what somebody's told us, or maybe even what we've learned in the church that wasn't true. Seek His will, and He'll show the path to take. Let's read Ephesians chapter six, verses ten through eighteen. A final word, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you'll be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we're not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so that you'll be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you'll still be standing firm, stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good news that you'll be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Kinda sounds like instruction that you might hear after graduating from Christian boot camp. Just putting that out there. Let's read John chapter sixteen verses five through fifteen. Now I'm going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I'm going. Instead you grieve because of what I've told you. But in fact, it's best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I'll send him to you. When he comes he will convict the world of its sin and of God's righteousness and of the coming judgment. The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because of the ruler of this world has already been judged. There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. he will not speak on his own. But will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine. This is why I've said, the Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me. And I just want to say, church, that's where we live right now. The the Holy Spirit is in us, telling you all the things that Jesus wants us to hear. So as we focus our attention on the five elements I've mentioned in this series, we'll begin to develop a desire to live a righteous and holy life. It's that simple. When we take the time to develop the five aspects of Christianity being faith, prayer, hearing God's voice, obedience to his voice, and lastly living in his righteousness, then our walk with God will become more effective, more mature, and more consistent. It really leads to increasing our Christian witness and our life experiences. That's where I want to be every day. Let's read Second Corinthians six, verses six through eight. We prove ourselves by our purity. Our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and in the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. Wow. So I really encourage you, let's position ourselves in Christ and as we graduate together, basic training, we're now trained, equipped, armed and anointed to follow his plan for our lives, right? As a Christian, we'll never win the war staying in boot camp. you probably get that, right? We must engage our faith, we must execute the plan of God for our lives, and now We have our marching orders. It's time to put boots to the ground. Don't you agree? So I encourage you to join me again next week in our next video. God bless you all. Have a great week.

Romans 4:1–5 2 Corinthians 5:21