Sanctification: Positional, Progressive, Perfect

• Positional Sanctification: Sanctified by Faith in Christ (Acts 26:18) by His Blood (Heb.10:29)
• Progressive Sanctification: Dedication to God, Partaking of His Holiness, Pursuit of Holiness, Sanctified Living, Offering Bodies as Living Sacrifice, Walking in the Spirit, Sanctifying Christ in Hearts, Daily Cleansing, Walking in the Light, Avoiding all Appearance of Evil, Having Purity of Conscience, Purity of Faith, Purity of Love, Striving Against Sin, Fleeing Lusts, Disciplining Body, Pursuit of God in Hope, Putting off old man, Putting on new man (Heb.12:10,14; 1Pet.1:15; Rom.12:1,2; Gal.5:22-25; 2Cor.7:1; 1Jn.1:7-9; Rom.12:9; Heb.12:3; 1Cor.9:27; 1Tim.1:5; 6:11; 1Jn.3:3; Eph.4:22-25). Note: Progressive doesn't mean one is less holy today and becomes holier later. One is either holy or unholy; clean or unclean. In the NT, there is no gradation of Holy and Most Holy. Progressive means daily walk of holiness with Christ in the Spirit. No man can say he is immune to temptation while on earth. Also, it demands constant watchfulness and prayer. One is called to be holy, and grow in maturity. One cannot grow in holiness. However, one is called to cleanse oneself, separate oneself from all impurity so that he can be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work (2Tim.2:21). One is called to maintain good works (Tit.3:8,14). Progressive sanctification is life lived in dedication to Christ in earnest expectation of His salvation.
• Perfect Sanctification: Deliverance from the Presence and Power of Sin at Christ's Coming (1Thess.3:13)

Analogy of Marriage:

• Positional Sanctification is like Engagement
• Progressive Sanctification is like Faithfulness and Devotion to the Groom, Having Only Him in Mind, Staying Pure, Expecting Him, Saying No to Others
• Perfect Sanctification is like the Marriage

Shrine Theologies

I asked how is it that the Son of God walked on the dust of this earth and breathed the air that we still breathe, and yet neither the dust nor the air is either sanctified nor does it sanctify us, and I remembered this verse from Haggai:

"If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?"" Then the priests answered and said, "No." (Haggai 2:12).

Sadly, many are deceived by the shrine and fetish theology of paganism that treats places and objects as holier than others and possessing sanctifying and salvific powers. The dust of Jerusalem or the water of Jordan is not holier than the dust of India just because the Savior walked on that ground. There is only one holy place in the world today, and that is the body of a believer, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. God calls us to possess our vessels in holiness (1Thess.4:4), not externalize holiness to places and things like the pagan do.

PS: Haggai 2:13 tells us that the unclean can make the clean (not holy) unclean; this is true of all sinful humans; but, in contrast, the unclean couldn't defile Christ, for He is the Pure One. Athanasius gave a beautiful illustration when he likened the Incarnation of Christ to the rays of the sun falling on the dust of the ground. The dust cannot pollute the sun.

Purity: 5 Effects, 3 Aspects (Matt 5:8)

Matt.5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Psa 24:3-5 - Who will ascend... He who has Clean Hands and Pure Heart
Psa 51:10 - Create in me a pure heart.. v.11. Cast me not away from Presence..

5 Effects of Purity:
1. Pure Humility. Prov.22:11 - pure heart.. speech gracious.. will have the king for his friend. Purity of heart and Humility go together.
2. Pure Eyes. Tit.1:15 - to the pure all things are pure.....
3. Pure Love. 1Tim.1:5 - Pure love can only come from pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. (1Pet.1:22)
4. Pure Pursuit. Seeking. Calling. 2 Tim.2:22 - Flee evil desires... pure heart
5. Drawing Near. Communion with God. Heb.10:22 - Draw near to God with a sincere heart.. cleansed ...washed.. HOLINESS
6. Single Mindedness... James 4:8 (not love of the world, but love of God)


HOW TO BE PURE:
1. Purity by the Blood of Jesus. Forgiveness of Sins (Heb.13:12; Heb.9:14,22-28; Walk in Light, Confess...1Jn.1:7)... Heb.10:2 - no consciousness of past sins.. COVERED, CLEANSED. Tit.2;14 - Purity=> GOOD WORKS.
2. Purity by the Word of God (Psa.119:140. Cleanses Our Walk. Word is pure; Prov.30:5,6; John15:3; 1Pet.2:2..growth by pure word; 1Pet.1:22 - through OBEDIENCE)
3. Purity by the Spirit of God. Sanctifies through His Presence.  (2The.2:13;1Pet.1:2; Service by Spirit Rom.15:16) Spirit Speaks the Word and Applies the Blood (Heb.3:7,8; 10:29)

Pursuit of Holiness

Holiness is not a Mount Everest.

To many people today, holiness seems to be as unscalable as Mt. Everest. Not that they haven’t tried; but, each time they attempted the climb, their efforts (successful to a level) soon met with frustrations. Sometimes, it was the roughness of the climb, then sometimes it would just be the weather, the winds of circumstances blowing hard on them. Many times, the pull of comfort from the world below is so strong that they turn back too easily. But, sadly, the higher the climb, the more crushing the fall.

The desire for holiness is nothing but the desire for God. God is the source of holiness (Exo.28:36). He alone is holy (Isa.6:3). The holiness of anything is not inherent in itself; it is holy because of its relation with God. Thus, for humans, holiness is a relationship. We are separated from the world unto God. The phrase “unto God” is central.

Also, the very desire for holiness is a characteristic of being born again. When we were sinful humans, our desires, tastes and preferences were different. A smoker could smoke a pipe and feel proud about it. Men and women would flirt and feel nothing bad about it. But, a born again Christian will never be happy with sin (Rom.6:20-22). Because, the new man cannot sin, anyone born of God will not sin (1Jn.5:18). Not that Christians don’t fall into temptation, but, temptation is a struggle for them – they love holiness and desire holiness. It is their high calling. “We are called unto holiness” (1Thess.4:7; 2Tim.1:9). The Holy Spirit is zealous within us to produce the salvation of God (James 4:5). He lusts for our sanctification while the flesh lusts for sin (Gal.5:17). Holiness is not possible without the Holy Spirit (1Pet.1:2).

Holiness is possible only through Christ. Unless He washes us we have no part in Him (Jn.13:8).

There are various views about sanctification. In some way or the other, they are all speaking the truth. John Wesley said that sanctification means perfection in love; when it is impossible for us to not love, we reflect the holy nature of God (1Jn.5:1-4).

There is a story of Richard Wurmbrand, who was pastor of the underground Church in Romania. He was arrested and put into solitary confinement for many years. One of the police officers was surprised that Wurmbrand didn’t hate his torturers; instead he loved them. He asked him why he did that and Wurmbrand answered that it is impossible for him not to love because he is a child of God and God is love. The officer later accepted Christ and went to prison.

The Keswick theologians said that sanctification can only happen when we stop trying to be holy in our own strength and surrender absolutely to God. The well known phrase was “Let Go, Let God”. Certainly, we cannot sanctify ourselves. It is the altar that sanctifies the gift. Many times we struggle against sin with our own power; but, God never meant us to do that. It is like a man sent by his Company on business; the Company covers all his expenditures, but somehow he believes that he has to spend it from his own pocket because he wants to show that he is not so poor; and so is burdened. There comes a time when his pride has to break. In God’s case, it is much more different. He wants us to surrender our pockets to Him. Unless we surrender, He cannot sanctify us. Remember the young rich man who came to Jesus. He was not willing to surrender everything. That was the only thing that hindered him from entering the Kingdom of God. What is it that you love above God? We can only be purified in total surrender, in total love.

Now, while it is true that we must grow on the foundation of faith; it is important for us to understand that there is nothing like partial holiness in the Kingdom of God. From God’s perspective, we are sanctified by faith in Christ. There is nothing like the division between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The Veil has been torn in the Body of Jesus (Mark 15:38; Heb.10:20). We are called the Most Holy Place of God (1Cor.3:16). We are the Temple of God. And, in Christ we are complete (Col.2:10). There is nothing like partially holy and partially unholy things. Something is either holy or unholy. We must believe that holiness is not something that we do; holiness is what we are in Christ. The new man is spotless and sinless.

However, in our practical life on earth, the struggle remains. We are called to pursue holiness (Heb.12:14). Again, this holiness is not separate from Christ. What is meant is that our conduct must align with God’s calling for our lives. If we fail to produce the fruit, there is the danger of being blotted out (Rom.11:16, 20,21; Rev.3:5). There is another picture that comes in here. It is of the Vine and the branches (Jn.15:1).

A branch grafted into the Vine will produce the fruit of the Vine; however, if it doesn’t abide (and the choice is ours), it is cut off. Therefore, the command is to pursue holiness, to hunger for purity, and to be holy and God is holy.

5 Essentials in the Cleansing Process

There are many pictures that can be chosen, but let’s chose the Biblical picture of cleansing vessels.

1. We Cannot Be Clean without Christ
We are only clean as long as we are in Christ (Col.1:23). Before we were in Christ we were vessels on the street, full of dust and dirt. But Christ brought us in and cleansed us for His service.

2. Cleansing is both External and Internal (the Internal more Important)
Jesus said to the Pharisees that they were clean outside, but dirty inside. Holiness is both internal and external. The Pharisees thought that Jesus was getting polluted because He was associating with sinners, but Jesus said that He came to seek the lost. They judged His disciples as not fasting, not paying tax, not washing hands, doing work on Sabbath. Jesus pointed out that the internal is more important than the external (Matt.23:25,26). He said that all uncleanness proceeds from within (Mark 7:21-23). The within must be cleansed. Secondly, it should be filled with good things; or else, it will turn worse – the evil spirit returns with 7 stronger ones (the latter state is worse than the former, Matt.12:45). David said that God desired truth in the inner being (Psa.51:6). How is your internal state before God?

3. Cleansing is a Daily Responsibility
Does it mean that we get dirty everyday? Or does it mean that we are getting progressively cleansed so that one day we become clean just before we die? I don’t think the latter is true. God wants to use us today; He wants us clean everyday. We grow in maturity; but, holiness is positional and regular. We need to be continuously clean. (2Tim.2:19-22). In order to be useful, we must be clean. Judas failed to be clean and so fell away from the Twelve (Jn.13:10,11). It is important to ensure that we purify ourselves daily from all defilements of flesh and spirit (2Cor.7:1) because we have been separated for the use of God.
Sanctification positionally is ground for cleansing regularly. We are cleansed by His Word (correction, Jn.15:3). We are cleansed by His Blood (forgiveness, Col.1:14).

4. Cleansing always involves a price
You don’t get anything clean without paying something for it. In the OT, it always involved a sacrifice. In NT, Christ paid the price; however, we need to also understand that discipleship is costly (Lk.14:26,27; Heb.12:1-4). Cheaper things will cost our life. The maintenance charges are high; but, the main price is paid by the Lord. He bought us. It is our responsibility to follow Him. You buy a vessel, but you need to use water and detergent to clean it. If you want to be clean you must spend time in the Word of God, fellowship, prayer. Just 120 minutes on Sunday is not enough. It is not automatic. It involves a price.

5. Cleansing is not always a painless process.
Peter says that he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin (1Pet.4:1). The desire for an easy life brings more trouble. David didn’t fall into sin in the battle field; but, when taking a lazy walk. The process does involve struggle against and resistance of sin (Heb.12:4; 1Pet.2:11).

Fire is the purifying agent. Faith-love-works-patience-truth are connected.

The Cleansing Power of Christ's Blood and God's Call to Holiness

The Bible declares that all men have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23)

1. We Cannot Cleanse Ourselves; So, God took the Steps to Cleanse Us
In Eden, He provided the skin to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve (Gen.3:21)
He provided an Altar. He provided a Temple and ordained the Sin Offering (Exo.29:14)
Then, He became the Sin Offering (Heb.10:8-10)
Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part in me” (Jn.13:8)

2. The Price of our Washing Was Very Great
Something gets spent up for the washing of any dirt. You may use detergents, shampoos, and, of course, a lot of water. But, all these couldn't cleanse us. The price of our cleansing was the Blood of Jesus (1Jn.1:7; Rev.7:14)

3. The Power of Christ’s Blood is Total: The Cleansing is Absolute
“You are clean”, "completely clean" (Jn.13:10) – He alone can clean; He has the authority
He has fully forgiven all our sins – cast them on His back. Remembers our sins no more. He has cleansed us of all sins, past, present, and future (Psa.103:12)

4. He Calls us to Cleanse ourselves
In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. (Pro 16:6 NKJ)
--Atonement is Provided by Christ
--Our Responsibility is to depart from evil
God has called us to holiness. He calls us to cleanse ourselves (1Thess.4:7; James 4:8,9)

Purity in Living

We are purified by the Blood of Jesus (Heb.9:22,23)
We have been purified by obedient faith in the Blood of Jesus through the Spirit (1Pet.1:22; Rom.3:25)

We Live in Purity

• By Faith in God's Word(Jn. 15:3)
• In Confession and Repentance (James 4:8-9; 1Jn.1:7)
• Towards Sincere Love (1Pet 1:22)
• Through Testing (1Pet 4:1)

Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of the Lord (2Cor.7:1)

The word used for cleansing in the Greek is a Levitical, temple word. The priests were very fearful of the Lord.

They knew the fear of the Lord. The New Testament Christians also know this. For instance, they understood what it meant when the Bible said “God is a consuming fire”. They knew it when the Bible said that God will remove the candlestick. God is love but He also put an end to Ananias and Sapphira, as soon as they sinned. It created fear in the people (Acts 5:10,11).

Sadly, today, there is a lack of emphasis on the fear of the Lord. People are afraid that if we speak about a fearful God, people will run away. But, the problem is people are already away; and it makes less difference if we don’t tell them that they must repent from their sins and step into the path of holiness.

The main problem in the world is sin. It is a problem because God is holy.

Holiness is perfected in the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord includes the love of God. It is a reverential fear. It is not being terrified. But, we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling “knowing the terror of the Lord.”

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (Act 9:31 NKJ)
Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. (Act 19:16-17 NKJ)
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness (2Pe 3:10-11 NKJ)

Blessings of the Fear of the Lord

1. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him

The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. (Psa 147:11 NKJ)

2. Fear of the Lord is Joyful

Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. (Psa 2:11 NKJ)

3. Fear of the Lord is Clean

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (Psa 19:9 NKJ)

4. Fear of the Lord is Brings Wisdom

The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. (Psa 25:14 NKJ)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. (Psa 111:10 NKJ)
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. (Pro 15:33 NKJ)

5. Fear of the Lord Brings Deliverance

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.
(Psa 33:18-19 NKJ)
The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. (Psa 34:7 NKJ)

6. Fear of the Lord Brings Sufficiency

Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. (Psa 34:9-10 NKJ)
By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. (Pro 22:4 NKJ)

7. Fear of the Lord Ensures Physical Health and Long Life

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.(Pro 3:7-8 NKJ)
The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. (Pro 10:27 NKJ)
The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. (Pro 19:23 NKJ)

8. Fear of the Lord purifies us

In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. (Pro 16:6 NKJ)
--Atonement Provided by Christ
--We depart from evil

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; (Isa 11:2-3 NKJ)

Fear of the Lord must be Taught

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD (Psa 34:11 NKJ)
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name (Psa 86:11 NKJ)

It is not the spirit of worldy fear; but of godly fear.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:15-16 NKJ)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2Ti 1:7 NKJ)

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. (1Pe 3:15-16 NKJ)
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested." (Rev 15:4 NKJ)

Holiness - Some Thoughts

There are three possibilities of holiness:
1. I am holy therefore I am holy.
2. I am holy and I maintain holiness by avoiding sin.
3. I become holy by forsaking sin and avoiding sin.

The first one is false: All have sinned
The second one is false: All have sinned
The third one is the only option left.

There are two possibilities to the third one:
1. I cleanse myself of sin and become holy.
2. I am cleansed of my sin by someone or something else.

The first one is impossible: The wages of sin is death. But, death is not a medium of cleansing; death is the consequence. Purgatory can’t save. Asceticism (suffering) can’t atone; for nothing short of death is sufficient to take away guilt.

The second one is the only option left.

There are three possibilities to the second one:
1. My sin is exchanged with someone’s holiness.
2. My sin is exchanged with something’s holiness.
3. My sin is cancelled by arbitrary decision.

The third one is impossible; for a debt cancelled only means someone else has paid for it (most probably, the creditor).
The second one is impossible because a thing cannot sanctify a person. (But a thing can be sanctified by a person).

The first one is the only option left.

There is only one possibility of the first one:
1. My sin is imputed to somebody and that person’s holiness is imputed to me.

• I am not holy because of my works; I am holy because of Christ’s blood.

His righteousness imputed to me: His obedience.
His holiness imputed to me: His anointing.

The HOLY SPIRIT is the Answer!

SANCTIFICATION IS POSITIONAL (WE ARE BORN OF HIS SPIRIT/LIVE BY THE SPIRIT – NO SIN)
SANCTIFICATION IS PRACTICAL (WE WALK IN THE SPIRIT – DAILY STRUGGLE BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT:

NOT JUST LIVE A CRUCIFIED REALITY, BUT ALSO WALK IN THE FULLNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT)

IT’S A DAILY BATTLE. SIN CAN WEAKEN A PERSON. BUT, TRIUMPHING OVER SIN ONCE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT ONE WILL STAND THE TEST THE NEXT TIME… IN HIS OWN STRENGTH, HE CANNOT….

CAN WE TALK OF “BAPTISMS” IN THE SPIRIT…DAILY… IN A WAY THAT WE DIE DAILY THROUGH THE SPIRIT AND LIVE BY HIS POWER?

OF COURSE, TO BE BAPTISED IS A ONCE-FOR ALL EXPERIENCE; BUT, WHAT ABOUT THE DAILY EXPERIENCE.

• HOLINESS IS NOT PROGRESSIVE: THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PARTIAL… POTENTIAL HOLINESS.
• MATURITY IS PROGRESSIVE AND IT IS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL OF DISCERNMENT REGARDING WHAT’S RIGHT AND WRONG.
• BUT, HOLINESS IS POSITIONAL AND PRACTICAL. ONE PARTICIPATES IN THE HOLINESS OF GOD AND PARTAKES OF THE HOLY DIVINE NATURE OF GOD.

……..
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Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)

The Roman army was known for its strength, its order, and discipline. For centuries it stood impenetrable and invincible, and had successfully conquered kingdoms, crushed revolutions, and controlled provinces with an iron fist. The Roman military personal equipment itself bore the hallmark of order and discipline and its standard patterns and uses came to be known as the res militaris or disciplina. The very military structure of the Roman forces and ranks has been a matter of deep interest for centuries now. The disciplined maneuvering and formation techniques that they developed have cast an immense impact on the history of military warfare strategy. They had the Testudo or Tortoise Formation, for instance, in which ranks of soldiers would stick closer to each other and raise their shields above and around them forming an impenetrable shell of protection from the fiery missiles that would come sizzling down on them from the enemy at a distance. However, when they got into hand-to-hand combat with the enemy (at wrestling arm-lengths), every piece of the Roman armor counted. And, one of the most important pieces of equipment was the breastplate, because it protected the very vital organs of the soldier.

The Romans referred to the breastplate as kardiophulax or the heart-guard. For Apostle Paul, while the metal plated armor of the day protected the heart of the Roman soldier engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with flesh and blood, it was righteousness that protected the heart of the Christian engaged in a battle with the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Now, while the heart of flesh was the organ that pumped fresh blood into the whole body-system of a human, the spiritual heart that Paul talked about pumped life into the total system of the Christian person. Any harm to this organ spelled death to the believer’s life. Therefore, protecting it was more important than protecting anything else.

“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23, Amplified Bible)

Paul teaches us that there is only one thing that can protect the spiritual life-pumping organ of a Christian, and it is righteousness (Ephesians 6:14). It is not disconnectedly that the breastplate of the High Priest’s garment in the Old Testament was called the breastplate of judgment (Exodus 28:15). But, there was a difference between the two scenes. In the temple setting of the Old Testament, man stood as a condemned sinner, a captive held in chains with the sentence of death pronounced over him. It was the atoning ministry of the High Priest who bore the judgment of man on his breastplate year after year that made possible any point of contact between God and man. But, now, in the New Testament, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, all condemnation is removed. He bore the judgment of God on His breast and wiped away all writing of ordinances against us, nailing them to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Through the sacrifice of His flesh and the pouring of His blood, the veil of separation was torn and we now stand justified, i.e. “declared righteous”, before God (Hebrews 10:20). Now, we are no longer captives and criminals waiting execution; we are soldiers in the very army of God called out to stand our ground and take possession of our inheritance. Jesus built His Church upon the Rock, and the gates of hades can’t prevail against it anymore. No accusation, no missile of condemnation, no assault of the enemy can get through to the heart of Christian; because the Christian’s heart is protected by the blood of Jesus Christ, his heart is protected by the righteousness of Christ. Christ is the righteousness of God (1Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9).

Now, the heart of man is considered to be the seat of emotions. We talk of broken hearts, which refers to the emotional brokenness of a person. The famous adhesive Quickfix of Wembley still runs the slogan “Joins everything except broken hearts.” They seemed to be pretty honest at that! The Bible tells us that “by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Proverbs 15:13). Flesh and blood cannot put together a broken heart. No material thing can heal a broken spirit. The healing has to be spiritual. It has to be by the Spirit of the Lord: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18).

The righteousness of the Law (self-righteousness) brought condemnation; it broke the heart. But, the righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ removes all condemnation and brings justification and spiritual healing to the soul. It purifies our conscience to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14).

Righteousness protects our emotional life. When the sharp weapons of accusation and condemnation try to tear us down, the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness stands in between and blocks them off. When we know who we are in Christ, and that we are in right standing in Him, and that God is not against us but for us, then the assault of world fall like dry leaves on a stiff ground. His gracious love protects our heart. Take the instance of a young woman who is filled with guilt about things in the past and with hopelessness regarding things in the future. Let her ask herself this question: Does the Father treat me this way? Does He treat me as a condemned criminal? Would He like that I treat myself in this way? The answer would be evident: The Father loves us and He has blotted all our sins away. He has left us no reason to still abide under the shadow of guilt. He wants us to walk into the light with the armor of God and stand our ground. When He looks at us, He doesn’t see our failings; He sees the righteousness of Christ upon us. Why do we then try to see what He has thrown behind His back? Why do we search for the living among the dead? Take another instance of a young man who is filled with feelings of loneliness and forsakenness all of a sudden. The devil tells him that he is unloved and uncared for. If the young man will fall for the words of the devil, that might even look sustained by the circumstances around him, he is living by sight and not by faith in the Word of God. What does the Word say? It tells us that we aren’t unloved and forsaken; it tells us that God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son, and that Christ came to give us abundant life, and that He is with us forever. When we live by faith in God’s Word, we have donned the breastplate of righteousness over our heart.

Righteousness protects our thought life. Jesus said that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19). But, a good man, He said, out of the treasure of his good heart brings forth good things; for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34, 35). The heart of a man is like a field. What one allows to be sown in it is what is produced out of it. Jesus demanded, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). What one allows to be sown in the heart can either prove life-giving or fatal to a person. When Annanias and his wife conspired to lie against the Church, Peter cried at Annanias saying, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? (Acts 5:3, God’s Word). In the next few moments, both he and his wife were dead. We can’t allow our hearts to be offguard. Therefore, the Bible commands us to “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24). It calls us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Ephesians 4:23).

Finally, righteousness also controls our walk. While the steel plated armor of a Roman soldier could at times become too heavy for the soldier, tiring him out after a length of battle time, the righteousness of God is always strengthening like the fresh dew from heaven.

“Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.”  (Psalm 85:11)

“For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”  (Isaiah 61:11)

Righteousness not only will keep us fresh like the morning dew; it will also help us to walk in the freedom of the Spirit. Righteousness helps us to not grow weary of well doing; it helps us to not lose heart, so that we reap the fruits of righteousness in due season (Galatians 6:9).

Also scheduled to be published in REVIVE magazine, January 2013.

Inner Reality and Outward Mask

In one of his letters to Indira Gandhi, Nehru distinguished between privacy and secrecy. The terms should not be confused. Much of privacy is regulated by cultural demarcations. Privacy relates to modesty and decency. Secrecy relates to discretion. Privacy is ruled by external culture, secrecy is governed by inner understanding. Shame is opposed to modesty and occurs when privacy is violated. Fear or anxiety often accompanies exposure of secrecy. There is a healthy aspect of both privacy and secrecy. Privacy of our dressing room and secrecy of military strategy, for instance. However, when secrecy tries to cover inner foulness by means of a false masquerade, then the secrecy and privacy are means that are abused. The affront of dignity that conceals inner immodesty is hypocrisy. When the internal fails to accord with the external, inner confusion, delusion, or overt rebellion is bound to occur. Fear conceals inner reality and brandishes a fake glowing face as long as social ties seem necessary. Anonymity breeds evil by deindividualization and dehumanization (see Zimbardo). Shame and fear are thus related. The only thing that can bring accord between the internal and the external is confession. The confession of mouth and an inner brokenness...faith is heart brings healing. Hypocritical Christianity exists because culture exists, because society exists, but more because a sense of the need for acceptance exists. The fear of rejection compels secrecy to guard inner vileness. Privacy can only guard modesty. Where modesty is destroyed secrecy steps in to cover immodesty. Unless the sinner throws away his false coverings, God can neither wash nor clothe him. But the will is imperfect so repentance is a vague point. Repentance needs strengthening. It can only be strengthened by confession. One should stop covering up by means of arguments. One must submit in obedience. Lord have mercy on me the chiefest of sinners! May sin be abominable in my eyes, may your love be supreme, for love is purity and holiness. Forgive me Lord and cover me! If the outward mask is broken, the inner vileness will be revealed. But let it be so for your cleansing waters of grace and mercy to flow in irresistibly and wash my sins away. One can't wear the robe of righteousness over a body of sin. It is only a body redeemed and sanctified by His blood that can don the fair garment. May JESUS reign!

Domenic Marbaniang, 03 June, 2008