22. Three Kinds of Righteousness

Sermon 22

THREE KINDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

1 Cor. 10.

In the Bible we are taught that all of God's command. meets are righteousness (Psalms 119:172). Peter teaches "that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him. and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:34).

Paul teaches that God saves us "not by works of righteousness which we have done" (Titus 3:5).

We are taught that there is no righteousness of the law.

From the above we can plainly see that there are more kinds of righteousness than one; for we read of God's righteousness, and the righteousness of man, and the righteousness of the law. Then there are at least three kinds of righteousness taught in the Bible, with which our present lesson In as much as all of God's commands are righteousness how can I know when I do a command whether it is God's man's or law's righteousness?

• We learn that every command that God gives for me toobey, comes under the head of God's righteousness. I must fear God and do them to be accepted with Him.

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• Every command in the law of Moses that I obey I am following Moses instead of Christ in doing such.

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• Everything that I do as service to God because it seems right to me comes under the head of man's righteousness.

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• Paul lamented that the Jews went about to do their own righteousness and had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-3) .

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• By calling attention to the diagrams we are able to locate what we do under the proper head, and from the Bible we can learn the result.

Under the first head—the righteousness of man—we refer to Cain who brought an offering to God. No doubt it was as great a sacrifice as that made by Abel, and might have cost him equally as much; but it was not commanded of God. His was an act of man's righteousness and Cain was rejected. Like many religious people today, when condemned on account of their unscriptural teaching, Cain became offended and committed the first murder.

We notice another act of man's righteousness by Saul. God sent Samuel to anoint Saul king of Israel, and told him what he must do. But Saul did not like the Lord's way of doing things, and worked to please himself. He made a sacrifice to the Lord—something that Samuel should have done. refused to kill the best cattle, and preserved King Agag. This sin became worse than witch craft, and for such Saul was rejected as king over Israel.

Another case of man's righteousness is that of Korah and Dathan (Numbers 16). Korah and Dathan decided that God's rule through Moses did not suit them and they went off setter the righteousness of man, and as a result they and all who joined with them were put to death.

Coming down to our age God's command is, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16). In 1777 men said that this did not suit them, so God's commands were set aside and the mourners bench system of getting religion was substituted If God refused to accept Saul's sacrifice as a substitute for obedience, by what rule can we reason that He will accept the mourners bench system of salvation as a substitute for obedience?

Under Christ, He commands only believers to be baptized (Acts 8:38). But this did not suit some, so they added infant baptism to the law of God. As there is not a command, example, nor inference of infant baptism in the Bible, no one can baptize a child by God's authority. When a man holds up his hand and sprinkles water on the head of a child and says, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," that man forges the name of God Almighty to an unscriptural act and becomes a religious forger.

Others becoming tired of God's command to baptize believers, have long since set the law of God aside and substituted Martin Luther's doctrine of justification by faith only. The 5th article of the Baptist creed says we are justified solely through faith. The 9th article of the Methodist creed says that we are justified by faith only. The Bible says, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified. and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Just as long as God's law stands that we are justified by works and not by faith only, it is man's works of righteousness that we are Justified by faith only, and Paul says God does not save us by such works (Titus 3:6).

The Bible says there is one body (Ephesians 4:4), and It also says this one body is the church (Colossians 1:18-24). Man says there are many churches and you can be saved in all of them. The Bible says it is the church of God, or churches of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2); (Romans 16:16). Men say there's nothing in a name. The Bible says He purchased the church with His blood (Acts 20:28).

Man says you are saved outside the purchased possession or the church of Christ. The Bible says we should give God glory in the church throughout all ages (Ephesians 3:21). Men say give the praise and glory to our human societies, for we are doing more good than the church.

The Bible says give as you have been prospered (1 Corinthians 16:2). Men say get up church suppers and old maid sales, and give as you collect from others. The Bible says the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (Jno. 1:17). Christ said "Ye shall know the truth and the truth will make you free" (Jno. 8:32). Paul says we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:5). But men say we have the same plan of salvation in all ages.

Thus it is you can see in these twelve cases differences in the righteousness of God and of man.

Another class of good and religious people who claim to have no confidence in the flesh, who do not believe in the righteousness of man come one step this side and take up the law of Moses, and spend three fourths of their time preaching, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." They forget this Sabbath day was kept in memory on account of the children of Israel being delivered from Egyptian bondage (Deuteronomy 6:15). They also forget that Paul teaches that the law was blotted out and nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). Like some in Paul's day they are continually going back to keep the law of Moses which included the sabbath, forgetting that Paul says when they do this they are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).

As one error usually follows another, we hear them continually talking about their Sabbath Schools.

Many read the word of God and learn that in the days of Christ and the apostles on earth when people were baptized "they both went down into the water" (Acts 8 th chapter). They cannot find where Christ, nor any of the apostles, nor the Holy Ghost ever used the word sprinkle in referring to baptism. Then they go back to the law of Moses and read where water and ashes were sprinkled upon certain people for certain defilements. So they say, I have it now, so they substitute the sprinkling found under the law of Moses, for Christian baptism.

Men read the new covenant and find that all who come into this covenant shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest (Hebrews 8 th chapter). This doesn't suit. Then they go back to the law of Moses and find that children were in the old covenant, and declare that we will have them in the new.

They find in the New Testament the believers only were baptized (Acts 8:5-12). This doesn't suit. They go backto Moses and find that children at eight days old were circumcised because they were in the old covenant. Therefore they sprinkle water upon their children, call it baptism, and declare they are in Christ.

Some want instrumental music in worship, and not being able to find it under the righteousness of God they go back to the law of Moses and find it there and bring it over.

Some men want more than one wife, but they read in the New Testament that a man must be the husband of one wife. This doesn't suit. So they read that under the law of Moses David, Solomon, and Moses had each more than one wife, so they claim they will bring that over and it will be, their doctrine.

Some will want to impress the solemnity of their worship, and can not find the burning of incense under Christ, so they run back to the law of Moses and find it there. They pull it over and say we will have it under Christ.

Instrumental music, polygamy, and burning incense all belonged to the same age—under the law of Moses—and no man who contends for one under Christ can condemn the man who contends for the other two. I would as soon practice polygamy or the burning of incense under Christ, hoping to serve him, as to use instrumental music in my worship.

Having examined the righteousness of man, and the righteousness of the law of Moses, and finding no plan of salvation under either to those who are under Christ, I now come to the Christian dispensation, and ask the same question that was asked by Paul, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

Peter, guided by the Holy Ghost, answers my question, and tells me, T must fear God and work righteousness.

But how much righteousness?

David says, "All Thy commands are righteousness."

John says, "Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life" (Revelation 22:14).

But what has God commanded me to do?

• To hear Christ in all things (Acts 3 rd chapter).

• Believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Jno. 2 0:3 0-31) .

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• Repent of my sins (Acts 17:30).

• Confess the Son of God (Matthew 10:32).

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• Be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

When I do these things I become a Christian, and In becoming a Christian, the Lord, and not man, adds me to His church, the one that Jesus built (Matthew 16:18). Then I continue in the faith by speaking as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11).

Having my fruit unto holiness and the end eternal life (Romans 6:21).

So we conclude that the only safe ground is to leave the righteousness of the law of Moses, and the righteousness of man, things not commanded of God, in the background, and submit ourselves to the righteousness of God, or do His commands, if heaven is to be our home.