THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COUNTS

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COUNTS

Proverbs 11
4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

This is very instructive.
There is such a day called 'the day of wrath' and money is worthless on that day.

It is not what counts in life that matter most...
It is what counts in life and in death...

See TLB version of Pro 11:4
Your riches won’t help you on Judgment Day; only righteousness counts then.

CASE STUDY 1: MY DAD IN DEATHBED SALVATION
I watched my dad pass on...
He had just said the 'sinner's prayer'...
He did not say one word more before he died...
But I noticed he was content as he waited to be ushered...
Those last words of his were his lifeline to the great beyond...
Not his wealth. Not his education. Not his prestige.

Now do not wait till deathbed.

RICHES will not count in the day of wrath.
What counts is RIGHTEOUSNESS.

CASE STUDY 2: NOAH IN GRACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
God was about to declare His judgement upon the earth because iniquity abounded greatly. Only Noah and His family were to be saved.

So
NOAH was the first man to be called 'righteous' by God.
NOAH was also the first man to 'find' Grace before God.
And Grace came first.

Gen 6:
8 But NOAH FOUND GRACE in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 7:1
And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen RIGHTEOUS before me in this generation.

CASE STUDY 3: ABRAHAM IN FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
ABRAHAM was the next person to be declared 'righteous' by God.
ABRAHAM's story showed how man could access GRACE and be DECLARED RIGHTEOUS before God. BY FAITH.

Genesis 15:6
And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 4:3
Expanded Bible
because the Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and ·God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God [L it was credited/counted to him for righteousness; Gen. 15:6].”

SO, GRACE AND FAITH IS THE TEMPLATE UPON WHICH ANY MAN CAN BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY GOD

Ephesians 2:8
For BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

TWO KINDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. Man's Righteousness/Self Righteousness

2. God's Righteousness/Christ's Righteousness

MAN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS/SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS

SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS is what Man knew before Christ came. The role of Grace and Faith was silent and man employed his effort. And it was good enough for this life. It was the best any man could offer. It was okay before God under the Old Covenant to see man make effort to be righteous.

God introduced the LAW to show His standards in Righteousness.
Then it became clear to Man that he could not attain it.

Rom 9:
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

VERDICT 1: NO MAN COULD ATTAIN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

Even then, scriptures celebrate the efforts men made in the Old Covenant. A few testimonies to that effect;

Prov 11:6 The RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE UPRIGHT shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.

2 Samuel 22:21
The Lord rewarded me ACCORDING TO MY RIGHTEOUSNESS: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

Psalm 7:8
The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

ALL OVER THE OLD COVENANT, MEN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS COMMENDED. FOR IT WAS OKAY FOR THIS LIFE AND CHRIST HAD NOT COME.

For instance. righteousness will exalt any nation.
Any man's righteousness would bring him good here on this side of eternity.

BUT IN HEAVEN, OR ON EARTH WHERE ETERNITY ALSO COUNTS, MAN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FALLS FLAT.

VERDICT 2: MAN'S BEST EFFORT AT BEING RIGHTEOUS IS FILTH BEFORE GOD.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE AS FILTHY RAGS; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS
God established the Law to bring all man's best effort at righteousness below His standard. In fact, the Law brought more awareness to man of his unworthiness. THE LAWS ARE THE LAWS OF GOD. HOW COULD MAN KEEP THEM? A dog would try, but cannot keep the laws of man.

Rom 3: 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Gal 3: 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

WHERE ETERNITY COUNTS, EVEN KEEPING THE LAW COULD NOT SAVE MAN

FINAL CASE STUDY: CHRIST

SO CHRIST JESUS (God in man) CAME TO FULFIL THE LAWS OF GOD.
HE REMAINS THE ONLY MAN EVER FOR ALL ETERNITY TO FULFILL THE WHOLE LAW.

Hence God abolished all self-righteousness, and commended only His Son (and who ever believes IN HIM). only IN HIM is God well pleased.

2 Peter 1:17
For he (Christ) received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

SO THE FIRST ORDER WAS FULLY RESTORED.
THE TEMPLATE OF GRACE AND FAITH AS SEEN IN CASE STUDIES 2 AND 3 (NOAH AND ABRAHAM).

THAT ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS CAN A MAN BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD. THAT IS GRACE.

See what happened to Christ that made the believer righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21
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.

FINAL VERDICT: BEFORE GOD, ONLY CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS COUNTS. AND ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST WILL ANY MAN BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD.

This is the righteousness that counted for my dad on his deathbed. It did not matter what his life had been all those seven decades on earth. That GRACE he received by faith in Christ Jesus at that last moment saved him eternally.

Christ's righteousness counted for him.

It counted for the thief on the cross.
It counted for daddy.

This is the righteousness that counts with God.

Believe in Christ today.

Amen.

- Adeolu O. V.