TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
Friday – April 28, 2017
It is Friday, another day to give thanks, praise, and worship to our Lord. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you as you grow and function in an increasing knowledge of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus. Now let’s get back to girting our loins and be prepared to securely fasten the breastplate of righteousness in place.
Ephesians 6:13-18 (KJV)
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
We have spent time together discussing the significance of protecting the loins, the source of waste elimination and the site of productivity. In our text from verse fourteen both the words ‘loins’ otherwise translated as waist and the word ‘truth’ are feminine in gender and singular in number. When the Truth is given or put in its proper place productivity can be maximized. Both waste elimination and productivity are to be maximized. The Truth (Word of God) is the only instrument that clearly identifies both giving us the capacity to discard with finality one and cherish the other. The Truth at its essence is the Word of God and our uncompromising obedience of the Word mirroring Jesus. The more effective we are in eliminating waste the more productive we are for the Kingdom of God. Who wants to hear well done good and faithful servant?
Facet or item number two of the whole armour of God is the breastplate of righteousness.
Ephesians 6:14 (HCSB)
14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,
The breastplate covers the chest or thorax front and back. The Greek word translated ‘breastplate’ is transliterated to English as ‘thorax’. The thorax is the chest front and back. This piece of armament protects the heart and lungs as well as many major blood vessels. There is no living part of a human body that is not continuously touched and nourished by blood circulated by the heart. In the times when this Scripture was written, armor was made of metal and thereby inflexible. In Scripture the heart is our mind (spiritual organ) the home of our deepest thoughts and beliefs.
A most fundamental belief must be that we are indeed the righteousness of God and not hedge in the least concerning this reality. We must not soften or hedge on this truth in our thought life or the confessions of our mouth. When we are born again we have the same standing with God that God Himself has with Himself that Jesus has with the Father. It does not get any better this this dear ones. This reality, that we are the righteousness of God must be among our deepest and most precious beliefs and absolutely without flexibility. Righteousness is imparted and we are made righteous, we don’t have the righteousness of God, we are the righteousness of God. This righteousness is inseparable from much like an arm or leg of our natural body. Let’s take a moment and build our faith in this fundamental Truth that we are the righteousness of God by reading, meditating, and confessing the Truth we find in the following Scriptures.
Romans 3:22 (KJV)
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Romans 3:22 (HCSB)
22 —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
The moment we believe (through faith) on the Lord Jesus Christ we have God’s righteousness, it is the same righteousness for all peoples who will believe.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
That shed blood of the spotless Lamb on Calvary’s Tree paved the legal path for us to have the same righteousness as God in Christ Jesus.
2 Peter 1:1 (KJV)
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Wow, our faith in God which is precious beyond measure and is how all things are accomplished for the Kingdom of God is obtained through our standing, the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:1 (HCSB)
1 Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Remember that the righteousness of God means that not only are we in right standing with God with free continuous access but we are being provided with all the tools to do right as He does right. The choice of and inflexible impenetrable or a flexible penetrable breastplate of righteousness is ours. We are to choose to have inflexible faith, impenetrable faith that we are the righteousness of God. We do this by our will paying no attention to our emotions or the screaming of the devils in our ears. We must not waver in our thought life or in our speech or in our actions.
Please receive the Blessing.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
