All from Christ

Last year my sister bought me a gift certificate from the iTunes music store. I was able to purchase music against the balance of this certificate. This was a really great present; I could buy without having to pay! Everything I purchased came not on the basis of my money but on the gift that she gave.

Righteousness is one of the greatest gifts we can ever receive in life. It basically involves our ethical conduct; a righteous person does what is right. But how does one become righteous? Is it through our own effort or inherent goodness? Can we decide, “I’m going to be righteous” and do it on our own? The answer is no.

The basis of all true righteousness is the finished work of Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus lived on earth as a man for 33 years. He was 100% God but also 100% man, yet He never gave into His human nature and sinned. He was perfectly righteous throughout His time on earth. How does His perfect life apply to our righteousness? The answer comes through understanding the two types of righteousness, imputed and imparted.

Imputed righteousness means righteousness that is “counted” to us, not earned by us. The moment we have faith in Christ and believe Him to save us, God counts us as righteous (Romans 4:21-25). Our faith connects us to Christ, and though we still have a fallen, sinful nature, God no longer looks upon us in judgment. Instead, He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. That is the way we are saved and the reason we are given entrance into heaven. It is the Greatest Trade of All Time; Jesus takes our sin and gives us His righteousness, He took our death and gives us His reward. Imputed righteousness comes only through faith.

Imparted righteousness is where God no longer only counts Christ’s righteousness to us; instead, He actually begins to fill us with the very righteousness of Christ (Matthew 5:6). Imparted righteousness is the process where our very character is changed and transformed. Just as it is with imputed, imparted righteousness only comes through faith. As our faith increases, God fills us with more and more of His character.

So we must understand that true righteousness never comes through ourselves or our own will. It always comes from God. Even imparted righteousness only comes after we have a clear understanding of imputed. God accepts us not based on our good works but on Christ’s perfect life. Our actions could never be enough, but Jesus has done it all. If we try to be righteous through our own effort, we will live a life of frustration, but if we learn to rely on what Christ has done and then allow Him to do His works through us we can have a life of victory.

Righteousness always follows true faith in Christ. Our actions do change when we are saved and as we draw closer to God, but it never starts with our actions. Rather, our actions are just the proof of the faith God has placed on the inside of us. It all starts with Christ; every good thing we have in life is all from Him.

All from Christ

Last year my sister bought me a gift certificate from the iTunes music store. I was able to purchase music against the balance of this certificate. This was a really great present; I could buy without having to pay! Everything I purchased came not on the basis of my money but on the gift that she gave.

Righteousness is one of the greatest gifts we can ever receive in life. It basically involves our ethical conduct; a righteous person does what is right. But how does one become righteous? Is it through our own effort or inherent goodness? Can we decide, “I’m going to be righteous” and do it on our own? The answer is no.

The basis of all true righteousness is the finished work of Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus lived on earth as a man for 33 years. He was 100% God but also 100% man, yet He never gave into His human nature and sinned. He was perfectly righteous throughout His time on earth. How does His perfect life apply to our righteousness? The answer comes through understanding the two types of righteousness, imputed and imparted.

Imputed righteousness means righteousness that is “counted” to us, not earned by us. The moment we have faith in Christ and believe Him to save us, God counts us as righteous (Romans 4:21-25). Our faith connects us to Christ, and though we still have a fallen, sinful nature, God no longer looks upon us in judgment. Instead, He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. That is the way we are saved and the reason we are given entrance into heaven. It is the Greatest Trade of All Time; Jesus takes our sin and gives us His righteousness, He took our death and gives us His reward. Imputed righteousness comes only through faith.

Imparted righteousness is where God no longer only counts Christ’s righteousness to us; instead, He actually begins to fill us with the very righteousness of Christ (Matthew 5:6). Imparted righteousness is the process where our very character is changed and transformed. Just as it is with imputed, imparted righteousness only comes through faith. As our faith increases, God fills us with more and more of His character.

So we must understand that true righteousness never comes through ourselves or our own will. It always comes from God. Even imparted righteousness only comes after we have a clear understanding of imputed. God accepts us not based on our good works but on Christ’s perfect life. Our actions could never be enough, but Jesus has done it all. If we try to be righteous through our own effort, we will live a life of frustration, but if we learn to rely on what Christ has done and then allow Him to do His works through us we can have a life of victory.

Righteousness always follows true faith in Christ. Our actions do change when we are saved and as we draw closer to God, but it never starts with our actions. Rather, our actions are just the proof of the faith God has placed on the inside of us. It all starts with Christ; every good thing we have in life is all from Him.

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God Bless,

Cameron

Making Disciples

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).”

The ministry of Jesus was not just about preaching and healing; it was also focused on teaching. He took time to teach people principles that would lead to transformed lives.

This was especially true in regards to His twelve disciples. These men were with Him daily for the better part of three and a half years. He followed up on the original decision they made to accept Him by reinforcing their faith and teaching them the ways of the Kingdom of God. He let them see the way He lived and was an excellent example for them.

From the life of Jesus, we see two primary modes of follow up that are necessary for us to give new believers: modeling and teaching. Neither modeling or teaching is sufficient without the other. If we model but do not teach, people will be inspired by our example but will lack the tools to follow it; if we teach but do not model, people will be filled with information on the Christian life but will lack the inspiration to do it.

Modeling refers to the good example we give with our lives. The disciples got to see the perfect example of Christ up close, and we likewise should live in a godly manner that new converts can see. The Apostle Paul was able to encourage people to “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).” It is necessary to model good behavior for others to follow.

Teaching is explaining God’s Word and ways to others. Jesus did this throughout His time with the disciples. After teaching the parables of the Kingdom, He privately explained their meaning to the 12 (Matthew 13:36-50). On another occasion, He gave perhaps the greatest teaching in the history of man in the Upper Room, just hours before His arrest and crucifixion (John 13-17).

Jesus invested much of His life and teaching in followup during His time on earth. He reached people not only to the point of decision but to the point of growth. As His followers, we must do the same.