EXEGETICAL EXPOSITION ON RIGHTEOUSNESS by Nyron Madina God, in His holy word has made available to us an count of the meaning of all the terms that are used in the Bible. One of them is the word Righteousness. What is Righteousness? Well, in the scriptures we are told that "All unrighteousness is sin..." 1 John 5:17, and ... "sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. Therefore, Righteousness would be the fulfilling of the law, so as "...love is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. 13:10, it follows that Righteousness is Love. To add further to this, the scriptures point out that Love "...seeketh not her own..." 1 Cor 13:5 and that " ... God so loved the world, that he gave . . ."John 3:16. This shows us that Love, which is Righteousness, is not shut UP, or inflowing or dormant, but active outflowing and manifested, therefore, Righteousness would be love manifested. In 1 Cor 15:34, we are told to "Awake to righteousness and sin not..." This again sets Righteousness as opposite to sin. In the courts of Babylon, Daniel instructs king Nebuchadnezar to "...break off thy sins by righteousness . . ." Dan. 4:27. This also sets Righteousness as opposite to sin. So that Righteousness is the fulfilling of the Law: it is Love manifested. In the book of Romans, Paul tells us "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Rom. 6:18. This sets Righteousness as an anti-thesis to sin. The works of the Law and the Righteousness of the Law are two different things, for we are told that the Jews made a mistake of seeking by the "...works of the law..." Rom. 9:32 to attain " ... to the Law of Righteousness." Rom. 9:31. We are not saved by ". . .works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:9, but it is ". . .the righteousness of the law. . ." that must ". . .be fulfilled in us. . ." Rom. 8:4. This Righteousness of the Law is not physical works as is outlined in the works of the law. . ." Gal. 3:2 "For we know that the Law is spiritual. . ." Rom. 7:14, and ". . . all thy commandments (the Law) are righteousness. . ." Ps. 119:172, thus the Righteousness of the Law is not physical works, but is the Righteousness that is in the Law of works: It is Love manifested. So then Righteousness is Love manifested. And now concerning Abraham, the scriptures say: ". . .He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had. . ." Rom. 4:11. Abraham had Righteousness and this Righteousness was ". . . to him that worketh not. . ." Rom. 4:5, thus the Righteousness that Abraham had was not his works. What then was it? The answer is this - ". . . faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness." Rom. 4:9. His Righteousness came from Faith. This Faith is " . . . the words of faith. . ." 1 Tim. 4:6 and ". . . thy word is truth." John 17:17, and the word is spirit and they are life." John 6:63, and ". . .the Spirit is truth." 1 John 5:6, and the Spirit is the ". . . Spirit of Life. . ." Rom. 8:2. Thus the word of faith is the Spirit, and the Spirit is Life, so the word of Faith is the word of Life, or the word that contains Life. (John 6,63). Now the Spirit' which is the words of life ". . . is life because of righteousness." Rom 8:10. This means it is Righteousness that makes the . . . "Spirit of Life. . ." Rom 8:2 to be Life. Life is an experience of God's Love (John 17:3) but how can Love be experience if it cannot be manifested - and a manifestation of love is Righteousness. So it is Righteousness that makes Life what it is. It is Righteousness that makes the words of Faith (which is the Spirit), words of Life. And as these words of Faith is words of Life because of Righteousness, it means that the Righteousness which causes the words of Faith to be words of Life, is in the words of Life. And it is this same words of Faith that was counted to Abraham for Righteousness. The sum of all this therefore, is that the Righteousness that Abraham acquired from the words of Faith which are words of Life, has to be Love manifested, for it is this Riqhteotisness or Love manifested that makes the words of Life (which are the words or Faith) what it is. Thus in all this, Righteousness is Love manifested. Righteousness is ". . . the pure mark of truth." TM p. 65. The pure mark that is left by Truth is love manifested. The truth which is the word of Faith and the word that contains Life, leaves the pure mark that is Life, and this Life is an experience of Love, because it is a manifestation of Love, or is Love manifested, which is Righteousness. So then, the truth or word of Faith leaves a pure mark which is Life, an experience of Love, which is Love manifested or Righteousness. So the pure mark of the Truth is actually Righteousness which is Love manifested. The Truth claiming that God alone is Love manifested, manifests His Love, thus becoming ". . . the word of righteousness. . ." Heb. 5:13, so this Righteousness is Love manifested. Righteousness is right-doing, but not physical right-doing, but spiritual right-doing. ". . . the Spirit of God dwelleth in you . . ."Cor. 3:16, and it is this ". . . God which worketh in you both to wil1 and to do of His good pleasure." Phil. 2:13. The work of this Spirit of God is "the fruit of the Spirit. . ." Gal. 5:22, and this fruit is ". . . love. . ." Gal. 5:22, and ". . . love is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. 13:10, which is Righteousness because unrighteousness is breaking the Law (1 John 5:17), and Righteousness is Love manifested, thus the rightdoing of the Spirit in man is Love, Righteousness, or Love manifested. So Righteousness is Love manifested. ". . . the fruit of the Spirit is in all . . . righteousness. . ." Eph. 5:9. The entire sanctuary system reveals that Righteousness is Love manifested, for "Thy way. . ." which is Christ (John 14:6) ". . . is in the sanctuary. . ." Ps. 77:13, and that way is ". . . the gospel of Christ. . ." Rom 1:16, in which ". . . is the Righteousness of God. . ." Rom. 1:17. When this Gospel of the Sanctuary truths are taught to us, the Love in it is manifested, hence the Righteousness of God is revealed. Thus Righteousness is Love manifested. AMEN |