Righteousness of Christ Producing Holiness in His Saints

Two of the most breathtaking words in Scripture are righteousness and holiness. They are also two of the most misunderstood. True righteousness is the work of Jesus Christ alone. There is no acceptable virtue of righteousness produced by human efforts or actions of any description. All human righteousness is altogether as filthy rags, utterly rejected by the Heavenly Father. It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, imputed to us by faith, that the Father loves, accepts, and ever relishes in His saints. When we are clothed in this imputation of righteousness, our Father in Heaven and His only begotten Son delight in us.

The reason that a new-born believer has incredible joy in the Lord is because the four lane highway between his soul and his Heavenly Father is wide open by this new-found righteousness in which he is clothed. This new believer is as righteous as if he had never sinned, and more, as righteous as Christ Himself. Imputation of His righteousness means that He transferred our sinful record to Himself, and transfers His sinless record to us. Unwavering humility must always accompany us as we rest in His righteousness, never claiming it as our worth. The Word of God proclaims, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” (Romans 4:6-8)

This righteousness imputed to our account renders the repentant sinner into a totally transformed believer. The depth of his sinful state is immediately converted to a newborn baby in Christ. Everything of sin he loved becomes repulsive, and everything of righteousness he hated becomes delightful. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) Too many of God’s saints have forgotten that their righteousness before Him is a constant work of grace by faith, and the moment we trust in ourselves our joy begins to fade.

Apostle Paul warned the Galatians of this possibility. He said, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:1-7) Please drop to your knees and experience a fresh rest in His righteousness, claiming nothing but His promises of right standing before God. Living in His righteousness imputed onto our account is our “Honey in the Rock.”

His Righteousness Producing Holiness
Holiness is a heavenly word. Our God dares to say to us, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) He would never have said that to us were it not for the truth of righteousness imputed to us by His Son, Jesus Christ. Our total capacity to live in this world as a “Christian/Christ-like” believer, a “Salty Saint” if you please, is His work of righteousness. Righteousness is His imputation, and holiness is the result.

I will never forget the night of my conversion. I was sixteen years old, and I did not know one verse of Scripture. I was sinful to the core. My language was horrible, and taking the LordÂ’s name in vain was a lifestyle. I was a thief, and clearly laying a foundation of conduct that would land me in prison. The Spirit of conviction arrested me and I totally surrendered. The next day on the farm while I was working with the tractor, a wrench slipped off a bolt and hurt my hand. I said one curse word, and my heart broke. That one, simple, impure word, not the LordÂ’s name in vain, mind you, but a single word, and I cried out in repentance. Immediately, I knew I was forgiven. That event sealed my heart that righteousness had been assigned to me, and the result was a new way of living.

It is impossible to be converted – His righteousness imputed to our record and our innermost being – and it not produce holiness. “The RomanÂ’s Road” Gospel of Christ assures us of our wonderful life that follows His imputation of righteousness. This Gospel of Christ preached by Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

You are helpless to follow after His will and His holiness until He imputes His righteousness, but when His righteousness has been imputed, you are equally helpless to love sin and this filthy world. Dare not to claim His imputation of righteousness if you love this world and all its folly. Dare not to proclaim yourself a believer, a saint, if you live like a sinner and indulge yourself in godless conduct. His imputation will fill you with a passion for holiness. The Hollywood mystique will leave you repulsed and disgusted. Jude said of these saints, “…hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:23b) Yet be careful that you never become self-righteous and treat the sinner, the unconverted, with scorn or an un-Christlike attitude. They are only what you used to be, and your change is His imputation of righteousness, not the merits of your new-found love.

This is “Honey in the Rock.” The soul of a saint of God, imputed with His righteousness, following after Biblical holiness, is the soul that brings glory to our Great God and His Son. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Righteousness of Christ Producing Holiness in His Saints

Two of the most breathtaking words in Scripture are righteousness and holiness. They are also two of the most misunderstood. True righteousness is the work of Jesus Christ alone. There is no acceptable virtue of righteousness produced by human efforts or actions of any description. All human righteousness is altogether as filthy rags, utterly rejected by the Heavenly Father. It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, imputed to us by faith, that the Father loves, accepts, and ever relishes in His saints. When we are clothed in this imputation of righteousness, our Father in Heaven and His only begotten Son delight in us.

The reason that a new-born believer has incredible joy in the Lord is because the four lane highway between his soul and his Heavenly Father is wide open by this new-found righteousness in which he is clothed. This new believer is as righteous as if he had never sinned, and more, as righteous as Christ Himself. Imputation of His righteousness means that He transferred our sinful record to Himself, and transfers His sinless record to us. Unwavering humility must always accompany us as we rest in His righteousness, never claiming it as our worth. The Word of God proclaims, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” (Romans 4:6-8)

This righteousness imputed to our account renders the repentant sinner into a totally transformed believer. The depth of his sinful state is immediately converted to a newborn baby in Christ. Everything of sin he loved becomes repulsive, and everything of righteousness he hated becomes delightful. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) Too many of God’s saints have forgotten that their righteousness before Him is a constant work of grace by faith, and the moment we trust in ourselves our joy begins to fade.

Apostle Paul warned the Galatians of this possibility. He said, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:1-7) Please drop to your knees and experience a fresh rest in His righteousness, claiming nothing but His promises of right standing before God. Living in His righteousness imputed onto our account is our “Honey in the Rock.”

His Righteousness Producing Holiness
Holiness is a heavenly word. Our God dares to say to us, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) He would never have said that to us were it not for the truth of righteousness imputed to us by His Son, Jesus Christ. Our total capacity to live in this world as a “Christian/Christ-like” believer, a “Salty Saint” if you please, is His work of righteousness. Righteousness is His imputation, and holiness is the result.

I will never forget the night of my conversion. I was sixteen years old, and I did not know one verse of Scripture. I was sinful to the core. My language was horrible, and taking the LordÂ’s name in vain was a lifestyle. I was a thief, and clearly laying a foundation of conduct that would land me in prison. The Spirit of conviction arrested me and I totally surrendered. The next day on the farm while I was working with the tractor, a wrench slipped off a bolt and hurt my hand. I said one curse word, and my heart broke. That one, simple, impure word, not the LordÂ’s name in vain, mind you, but a single word, and I cried out in repentance. Immediately, I knew I was forgiven. That event sealed my heart that righteousness had been assigned to me, and the result was a new way of living.

It is impossible to be converted – His righteousness imputed to our record and our innermost being – and it not produce holiness. “The RomanÂ’s Road” Gospel of Christ assures us of our wonderful life that follows His imputation of righteousness. This Gospel of Christ preached by Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

You are helpless to follow after His will and His holiness until He imputes His righteousness, but when His righteousness has been imputed, you are equally helpless to love sin and this filthy world. Dare not to claim His imputation of righteousness if you love this world and all its folly. Dare not to proclaim yourself a believer, a saint, if you live like a sinner and indulge yourself in godless conduct. His imputation will fill you with a passion for holiness. The Hollywood mystique will leave you repulsed and disgusted. Jude said of these saints, “…hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:23b) Yet be careful that you never become self-righteous and treat the sinner, the unconverted, with scorn or an un-Christlike attitude. They are only what you used to be, and your change is His imputation of righteousness, not the merits of your new-found love.

This is “Honey in the Rock.” The soul of a saint of God, imputed with His righteousness, following after Biblical holiness, is the soul that brings glory to our Great God and His Son. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)