According to the definition by the BIBLICAL Scholars who translated the original text, RIGHTEOUSNESS = Conduct in CONFORMITY TO *GOD'S* WILL... MATTHEW 5:8, 5:10...
Many people do NOT believe that they have to conform to *GOD*, they believe that salvation is without condition, yet, the ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT deals with CONFORMITY TO *GOD*, HIS WILL, and, BECOMING, in example, CHRISTLIKE! We don't HAVE to do anything, but, we OUGHT to conform in our LOVE of HIM!!!
CHAPTER 5 of MATTHEW, lays it all out, but, it MUST be studied, time, and, again, in order for it's intentions to sink to the depths of understanding!!!
In MATTHEW 5:13-16, we have a guideline, based on the conduct of the Disciples...
These verses teach us that BY their/our DEEDS they/we, are to INFLUENCE the world, for GOOD! They/we, can no more escape notice, than a city set on a mountain. If they/we fail in GOOD WORKS, they/we, are as useless as flavorless salt, or, as a lamp whose light is concealed!!!
In MATTHEW 5:17-20, CHRIST declared that HE DID NOT come to abolish the law, but, to fulfill it! To fulfill the law, appears, at first, to mean a literal enforcement of the law in the LEAST detail, UNTIL, Heaven, and, earth, pass away; until then, NOTHING of the law will pass away!!!
MATTHEW 5:21-48, sets out SIX examples of the conduct DEMANDED of the CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE. EACH deals with a COMMANDMENT OF THE LAW, 3 of which, HE reiterated, 3 of which, HE dismissed, but, revised!!!
It is very tricky to understand, but, OUR SALVATION was purchased with a price! Paul said:
GALATIANS 2:20..."I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."PHILIPPIANS 1:21..."For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."PHILIPPIANS 3:7..."But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."
Paul is expressing one thought, again, and, again: one, simply, cannot accept Christ and His salvation unless there is a complete surrender of self to HIM; we are NOT of the carnal/fleshy world IN CHRIST, we are in the spirit, thus, that SHOULD be the way we live...
1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20...19/ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20/ For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body...
SELF DENIAL IS THE PRICE of SALVATION! It MEANS LEAVING the natural plane/carnality/flesh, behind, and, taking up the spiritual plane, in which, CONSTANT improvement is required, IN ORDER to obtain RIGHTEOUSNESS, which, will be THE TRUE TESTIMONIAL OF YOUR LOVE OF *GOD*/CHRIST/HOLY SPIRIT, and, of your wish for SALVATION! *GOD* KNOWS we are going to stumble, trip, fall, but, IF we REMAIN IN THE WORD, IN HIM, we are more inclined to ARISE again, and, NOT commit that, which, WILL remove us from HIS GRACE!!!
It is tricky, because, MANY, if not, MOST were baptized at a young age, and then, were NOT properly taught about SALVATION; instead, existing IN the world, and, in worldly/fleshy/carnal ways, in ignorance, EXPECTING SALVATION, but, without HAVING shared in the responsibilities, and, conditions of that SALVATION! One article which I just read, says about SALVATION, IT WILL COST YOU EVERYTHING! That means, EVERYTHING worldly, to which, most LOVE to cling to! IF you are ONE with *GOD*, you have CHOSEN to LIVE IN a WAY; HIS WAY, OVER, that of the world, that you are BEARING GOOD, WHOLESOME, TRUE fruit, on the VINE/CHRIST/THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH!!!
Thus, STUDYING THE WORD, ALWAYS, opens UP to what is TRUE, and, what is expected of us! Some imagine, that this is a pre-party for that DAY OF DAYS, and, they are within their rights, having been baptized, to live, AS THEY CHOOSE, even though, it is written, BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY:1 PETER 1:13-16..."Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Then, CHRIST our LORD said, in MATTHEW 5:48...So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect...
And, *GOD* has told us to keep our thoughts on that ABOVE, not concerned with things of the world: COLOSSIANS 3:2. There is GREAT reasoning behind this! To do so, keeps us BUSY IN *GOD*, that we are SAFE from evil, temptation, and, the many traps placed before us! Don't imagine that salvation cannot be taken away, this is one reason we are to develop into *GODLY* beings, that come those latter times, we are SAFE from Satan's battle to, yet steal, as many souls as he can, BEFORE that DAY of DAYS; JUDGEMENT DAY! Your ability to remain in *GOD* DEPENDS upon your Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Compliance, Faith, Strength, and, DESIRE TO EXIST ETERNALLY, IN *GOD*!!!
*GOD* wants us to use our spiritual CONSCIENCE in our walk with HIM, always discerning what is right, what is good, what is wholesome, and, what is becoming unto HIM! *GOD* gave us two options, to TURN to HIM, with our WHOLE hearts, or, remain in the world; HIS greatest wish is that we develop, an intimate relationship with HIM, one that grows, and, enriches us! Our part of the COVENANT of RECONCILIATION/PEACE, IS to IMPROVE, and, ADVANCE the spirit within, that we REFLECT HIM, in ALL, we think, say, or, do!!!
BE GOOD, DO GOOD, IMPROVE THE SPIRIT within! It takes CONSTANT, DELIBERATE, HEART-FELT EFFORT to honour THE GIFT, CHRIST JESUS, but, the MORE we CONFORM to HIM, the more BLESSED are our days, and, the more SENSE it makes, as we continue on this journey TO HIM, aware of what we did not realize before!!!
REV. LWINSOR © 2012
ALL BIBLICAL, AND/OR, OTHER REFERENCES MARKED BOLDLY IN COLOURS
Many people do NOT believe that they have to conform to *GOD*, they believe that salvation is without condition, yet, the ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT deals with CONFORMITY TO *GOD*, HIS WILL, and, BECOMING, in example, CHRISTLIKE! We don't HAVE to do anything, but, we OUGHT to conform in our LOVE of HIM!!!
CHAPTER 5 of MATTHEW, lays it all out, but, it MUST be studied, time, and, again, in order for it's intentions to sink to the depths of understanding!!!
In MATTHEW 5:13-16, we have a guideline, based on the conduct of the Disciples...
These verses teach us that BY their/our DEEDS they/we, are to INFLUENCE the world, for GOOD! They/we, can no more escape notice, than a city set on a mountain. If they/we fail in GOOD WORKS, they/we, are as useless as flavorless salt, or, as a lamp whose light is concealed!!!
In MATTHEW 5:17-20, CHRIST declared that HE DID NOT come to abolish the law, but, to fulfill it! To fulfill the law, appears, at first, to mean a literal enforcement of the law in the LEAST detail, UNTIL, Heaven, and, earth, pass away; until then, NOTHING of the law will pass away!!!
MATTHEW 5:21-48, sets out SIX examples of the conduct DEMANDED of the CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE. EACH deals with a COMMANDMENT OF THE LAW, 3 of which, HE reiterated, 3 of which, HE dismissed, but, revised!!!
It is very tricky to understand, but, OUR SALVATION was purchased with a price! Paul said:
GALATIANS 2:20..."I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."PHILIPPIANS 1:21..."For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."PHILIPPIANS 3:7..."But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."
Paul is expressing one thought, again, and, again: one, simply, cannot accept Christ and His salvation unless there is a complete surrender of self to HIM; we are NOT of the carnal/fleshy world IN CHRIST, we are in the spirit, thus, that SHOULD be the way we live...
1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20...19/ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20/ For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body...
SELF DENIAL IS THE PRICE of SALVATION! It MEANS LEAVING the natural plane/carnality/flesh, behind, and, taking up the spiritual plane, in which, CONSTANT improvement is required, IN ORDER to obtain RIGHTEOUSNESS, which, will be THE TRUE TESTIMONIAL OF YOUR LOVE OF *GOD*/CHRIST/HOLY SPIRIT, and, of your wish for SALVATION! *GOD* KNOWS we are going to stumble, trip, fall, but, IF we REMAIN IN THE WORD, IN HIM, we are more inclined to ARISE again, and, NOT commit that, which, WILL remove us from HIS GRACE!!!
It is tricky, because, MANY, if not, MOST were baptized at a young age, and then, were NOT properly taught about SALVATION; instead, existing IN the world, and, in worldly/fleshy/carnal ways, in ignorance, EXPECTING SALVATION, but, without HAVING shared in the responsibilities, and, conditions of that SALVATION! One article which I just read, says about SALVATION, IT WILL COST YOU EVERYTHING! That means, EVERYTHING worldly, to which, most LOVE to cling to! IF you are ONE with *GOD*, you have CHOSEN to LIVE IN a WAY; HIS WAY, OVER, that of the world, that you are BEARING GOOD, WHOLESOME, TRUE fruit, on the VINE/CHRIST/THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH!!!
Thus, STUDYING THE WORD, ALWAYS, opens UP to what is TRUE, and, what is expected of us! Some imagine, that this is a pre-party for that DAY OF DAYS, and, they are within their rights, having been baptized, to live, AS THEY CHOOSE, even though, it is written, BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY:1 PETER 1:13-16..."Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Then, CHRIST our LORD said, in MATTHEW 5:48...So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect...
And, *GOD* has told us to keep our thoughts on that ABOVE, not concerned with things of the world: COLOSSIANS 3:2. There is GREAT reasoning behind this! To do so, keeps us BUSY IN *GOD*, that we are SAFE from evil, temptation, and, the many traps placed before us! Don't imagine that salvation cannot be taken away, this is one reason we are to develop into *GODLY* beings, that come those latter times, we are SAFE from Satan's battle to, yet steal, as many souls as he can, BEFORE that DAY of DAYS; JUDGEMENT DAY! Your ability to remain in *GOD* DEPENDS upon your Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Compliance, Faith, Strength, and, DESIRE TO EXIST ETERNALLY, IN *GOD*!!!
*GOD* wants us to use our spiritual CONSCIENCE in our walk with HIM, always discerning what is right, what is good, what is wholesome, and, what is becoming unto HIM! *GOD* gave us two options, to TURN to HIM, with our WHOLE hearts, or, remain in the world; HIS greatest wish is that we develop, an intimate relationship with HIM, one that grows, and, enriches us! Our part of the COVENANT of RECONCILIATION/PEACE, IS to IMPROVE, and, ADVANCE the spirit within, that we REFLECT HIM, in ALL, we think, say, or, do!!!
BE GOOD, DO GOOD, IMPROVE THE SPIRIT within! It takes CONSTANT, DELIBERATE, HEART-FELT EFFORT to honour THE GIFT, CHRIST JESUS, but, the MORE we CONFORM to HIM, the more BLESSED are our days, and, the more SENSE it makes, as we continue on this journey TO HIM, aware of what we did not realize before!!!
REV. LWINSOR © 2012
ALL BIBLICAL, AND/OR, OTHER REFERENCES MARKED BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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