0411. Paul's First Message–Righteousness

Paul’s First Message–Righteousness

"And as he reasoned of righteousness" (Act_24:25).

It is remarkable that the Holy Spirit not only gives us the theme of Paul’s sermon, but He also gives us the threefold division of his sermon.

First, he spoke of the righteousness, which is by faith in Christ.

It is not difficult for us to know the kind of righteousness which Paul preached. We know that in his whole discourse, there was not one word about "signing a pledge," or, "turning over a new leaf," or, "joining the ‘keep sweet’ society," or, "trying to live better."

The righteousness of the world, which is obtained by the flesh was nothing to the Apostle Paul. Satan, not Paul, preaches the righteousness of the flesh. Satan, not Paul, preaches "cleaning up the city" and "sweeping up the streets." Human religions are based upon human righteousness.

The righteousness the Apostle Paul preached, was the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. It was the righteousness made possible by faith. Paul, first of all, must have told Felix that he was a sinner. Then he told him that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and then he pressed upon him the fact that Jesus Christ would take away every stain of sin, and impute the righteousness of God to the one who exercised "the faith in Christ."

One can almost see the Apostle as he magnifies the saving power of the Blood. He told Felix that God would put his sins in the bottom of the sea; that God would put them behind His back; that God would blot them out as a thick cloud; he told him that God would remember his sins against him, no more forever.

Paul knew well enough that the righteousness that was possible through the flesh was altogether short of the glory of God. Paul knew that those who seek to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.

Why is it that so many preachers and evangelists seem to emphasize a human righteousness, "quitting one’s meanness," "cleaning up the city," etc.? These men go into a town and preach as though God was in the whitewashing business; they preach as though they thought man had power to "vote" sin out of a community; as though civic righteousness was the big thing. Paul had no time for such temporary "house cleanings"–he preached only one righteousness, the righteousness by faith in Christ. He told Felix that he might be washed white in the Blood of the Lamb, that he might be clothed with an imputed righteousness that would give him a standing before God, just as holy and sinless as Christ the Son of God.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR