THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Righteousness

“ ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled’ ” (Matt. 5:6, NKJV).


Beautiful From the Inside
Katelyn Reed, Melbourne, Australia
Sabbath Introduction
Matt. 23:25−28

In many parts of the world, a great deal of emphasis is placed on self-improvement and personal appearances. Much of the desire to be youthful and beautiful is fueled by the advertising industry, whose message seems to be, “If you look good, you’ll feel good, and you’ll achieve more in your life.” Consequently, many people invest considerable effort and expense in dieting, cosmetic surgery, gym memberships, and a wide range of self-improvement techniques to ensure that they are always looking their youthful best.

To exhibit righteousness properly involves one’s interior as well as exterior life.

For two weeks in October 2008, I volunteered to participate in an overseas mission trip. We travelled to aore adventist academy in Vanuatu, where we assisted in the maintenance of several campus buildings. It was a tremendous experience to help restore the exterior of those buildings to their former glory. However, our group felt that we benefited far more than the recipients of our volunteer work. Sure, it was hot, hard work to scrub mold and flaky paint off the outside of the buildings before we could paint them. yet it was not the work that enriched our lives. It was the treasure we discovered on the inside of those buildings—the spiritually sincere and loving hearts of the aore students.

In Matthew 23:27, Jesus compares the teachers of the law and the Pharisees to “ ‘whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean’ ” (NIV). In other words, the exteriors of the buildings were brilliantly maintained, but the contents were dead and decaying. evidently, to exhibit righteousness properly involves one’s interior as well as exterior life.

We cannot hope to develop righteousness as a fruit of the Spirit by merely exercising our personal strengths, resources, and endeavors. at best, our finest efforts can only match the experience of those whom Jesus so pointedly criticized. We will achieve only an outward appearance of righteousness.

Righteousness is a fruit of the Spirit that is beautiful, externally and internally. Jesus is the author of that righteousness, and it is only as we allow the Holy Spirit to help us grow and nurture Christ’s righteousness within us that our lives can become the treasure we desire it to be for our God—beautiful on the outside and on the inside.


A Righteous Cause
Lincoln Steed, Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.A.
Sunday Logos
Matt. 23:25–28; Rom. 3:28; 8:1–4; 10:1–3; Gal. 3:6; 1 John 2:3–6; 5:1–3

Receiving Eternal Life (Mark 10:17–22)
It’s one of the most urgent questions anyone can ask, “ ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ” (Mark 10:17, NIV). The rich young ruler, who asked the question of Jesus, thought he already knew the answer. He thought his careful to-do list of good deeds had already done the trick. and, yes, we read that he went away sorrowful when Jesus added one more item to the list—giving up all his possessions.

The righteous cause we are about is not how good we have to be.

But unless that story is read correctly, it will only deepen the mystery of how we can inherit eternal life. logically, we must recognize that the rich young ruler would still be lacking in effective righteousness even if he had given away all that he had. He would then have been on the right track to “knowing Jesus”—shorthand for something theologians argue about and make obtuse, but yet the very essence of what the entire issue of salvation centers on.

Jesus spent well over three years with His disciples. But did they really know Him by the time the soldiers took Him by force in the garden? Yes, they recognized Him as a Great Teacher. On one occasion, after Jesus had scared many of His followers away with talk of His martyrdom, Peter actually confessed that he thought Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. How much he understood of his own statement is in Jesus’ comment that it came not from man, but an answer given to Him. Certainly Peter resorted rather easily to forbidden force in trying to save Jesus, and then fled the scene of His arrest to perjure his faith by repeated profanities. He knew Jesus well enough to be heartbroken at the loss of a friend; but not until Pentecost did he know what knowing Jesus really meant.

What Does Obedience Have to Do With It? (1 John 2:3)
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3, NKJV). Much of the Christian life is not easily self-perceived. In fact, as with the rich young ruler, it almost goes without saying that someone’s claim to be good or perfect only highlights his or her deficiency—revealing pride if nothing else, which was, after all, Lucifer’s original sin. Yet, a sign of knowing Jesus is in keeping His commandments.

I sometimes think that we have overexplained the dynamic of obedience, perfection, and righteousness. The legality of our salvation is clear. We lost all because of Adam’s sin and our continuing propensity to repeat it. By a life of obedience carried forward even to the Cross, the God-man Jesus Christ redeemed us from the consequences of sin and gave our Creator the moral right before His own creation to reclaim us from the state of disobedience. That much we had nothing to do with. It was unmerited favor from the Creator. It is in the practicality of how we were reclaimed that much of the confusion arises.

In 1 John 5:1, we read that “whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (NKJV). The believing here is more than mental assent. In verse 6, John speaks of water and blood. In this, there is talk of the Spirit. This is, of course, a repetition of Jesus’ counsel to Nicodemus that in order to be saved one must be born of water and the Spirit. In 1 John, we are reminded that for us, water means dying to the old life. However, for Jesus it was “blood”—His actual death—that has practical value for our transformation. and all of this is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

There is a wonderful triumphalism in John’s words. “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world,” he proclaims. “and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (verse 4, NKJV).

Faith without works is dead, James tells us in his epistle (James 2:17). John has shown us that faith is the actual dynamic of belief and action that proves the righteousness of God in our lives. Without this dynamic, we are not saved. Without it we show that we have never “seen” Jesus. Without it we can never begin to emulate our Lord and vindicate the trust He has placed in us.
Put another way, the righteous cause we are about is not how good we have to be. We are all poor judges of our own actions. We are to be about having the mind of Christ. That is quite a tall character call. Thank God we have the power of the Holy Spirit to inspire and mold not only our actions, but our very state of mind.

REACT
1. Can we say, I am saved—present continuous? How else can we express it?
2. Are we saved because we obey? Or do we obey because we are saved? Can we “be saved” without obedience? explain your answers.
3. John seems to put much on the emotional relationship established by Jesus’ life and death. How is this central?
4. If we are under obligation to God, at what point do we meet His expectation?



Love Is a Doing Word
Kate Hollingsworth, Coldstream, Victoria, Australia
Monday Testimony
1 John 4:16

“Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and ‘God is love.’ 1 John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for ‘all Thy commandments are righteousness’ (Psalm 119:172), and ‘love is the fulfilling of the law’ (romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Jesus loves practically.

“Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it.”1

More than merely the absence of sin in our lives, righteousness is God’s love, which is His character and law. Because love is a doing word, righteousness is surrendering to God and allowing His love and goodness to be lived through us. It is trusting that the opportunities, wisdom, talents, resources, and power to love practically come from God. It is listening to the Spirit’s promptings and being a channel through which God can meet needs.

Jesus loves practically. He helped His tired friends catch fish, and He healed entire villages. He befriended outcasts and showed compassion to a woman caught in adultery. He died our death, so that His righteousness would cover us; and now He mixes His righteousness with our prayers and presents them to His Father.

Yet He is not always permissive and softly spoken in His love. Jesus drove money-changers from His Father’s house when they did not honor God, and He spoke the truth in love when it was difficult to hear. Love needs to be clear to be kind, setting boundaries and protecting people from crossing them and hurting themselves. Love is saying “No” when it is not popular to say “No.” Love can be messy, difficult, and tiring. To love this way requires faith, which is also a fruit of the Spirit!

Jesus is our example and Substitute for righteousness. Let us continue to meditate on His life, and “as we discern the perfection of our Saviour’s character we shall desire to become wholly transformed and renewed in the image of His purity. The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness.”2
____________
1. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 18. 2. Ibid., p. 19.



More Than Appearances
Larissa Gredig, Warburton, Victoria, Australia
Tuesday Evidence
Matt. 23:25−27; Rom. 3:28

During the time of Christ, the “letter of and spirit of legalism—of righteousness by one’s own works—which in NT times, came to be identified with Jewish religion, accurately reflected the spirit and teachings of the Pharisees.” They “tended to overlook the fact that the disposition of the heart was of greater importance than the outward act.”* They believed that keeping the innumerable laws they had created would prove one was a righteous Jew and would therefore secure one’s place in heaven.

There are still those who believe that what they do is more important than what they believe.

Jesus had been talking with the people about doing what is right. The Pharisees, hearing that the Sadducees were unable to trick Jesus with their questions, decided they would give it a try. Jesus answered their questions in turn and then delivered a powerful rebuttal. “ ‘you are hypocrites! you wash the outside of your cups and dishes, but inside they are full of things you got by cheating others and pleasing only yourselves’ ” (Matt. 23:25, NCV). Throughout Matthew 23, Jesus shows these church leaders that they are more interested in appearing righteous, honest, and God-fearing than they are in actually fulfilling these actions.

Romans 3:28 takes the issue further, urging that salvation comes through having faith in God, not by obeying laws. Also read Romans 3:29, 30.

We see in our own churches and schools, and sometimes in our own homes, these same battles. There are still those who believe that what they do is more important than what they believe, and that if they act like a Christian on the outside, they can be what they like on the inside.
However, the verses we’ve looked at today make it clear that we need to be “clean” on the inside and that no amount of work, displays of humility and charity, or acting the way we think a Christian should act will get us to heaven. All we need is faith and to accept the gift of salvation. Read Romans 5:16, 18.

REACT
1. How would you explain to a nonbeliever what Romans 3:28 means?
2. Doing good things is important, but how can we make sure that we don’t
turn our faith into a works-based religion? _____________
*Seventh-dayAdventistBibleDictionary, s.v. “Pharisees.”



Getting It Right
Braden Blyde, Adelaide, South Australia
Wednesday How-to
Rom. 10:3

Whenever a new electrical appliance or other piece of equipment arrived at home, it wasn’t long before my mother would become frustrated, because my father, brothers, and I would always try to put it together without reading the instruction manual. Sometimes we’d get it right. I guess it’s our human nature. Even regarding righteousness, people have a history of setting up their own procedures and experiments. The plethora of churches and denominations around the world testify to this. We leave God’s instruction manual in the box and then wonder why our lives and the church don’t look the way they’re supposed to. So just how are we supposed to grow the fruit of righteousness? Here are a few ideas from God’s Word:

Getting it right isn’t about getting anything at all.

Start with yourself. When we think about “getting it right,” it’s easy to pick at others. But as Matthew 23:26 suggests, it isn’t even about getting what’s visible in our own lives right, let alone correcting others.

Stop trying. This is not a call to give up, but as the catch cry suggests, “let go and let God.” We can’t create righteousness under our own steam. We must let God do it for us (Rom. 3:28).

Be willing to sacrifice. Getting it right isn’t about getting anything at all. rather, it’s about giving. First John 2:6 encourages a life modeled on Christ, which at its very foundation was a life of sacrifice.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When it gets to be too much, we don’t have to resign ourselves to failure. ask for help. Seek answers through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and people you can trust. Sure it’s humbling, but humility might just be the answer you’re looking for.

Despite being married for more than 25 years, my father still tackles new equipment without consulting the instruction manuals. and my mother—well, I think she’s stopped trying to make him do otherwise. When we come to understand the duality of righteousness—its imputed and imparted nature—it becomes obvious why our own efforts, like my father’s, are always going to come up short. There is, and always has been, a plan. We just have to be willing to be led.

REACT
1. In what aspects of life have you struggled to let God take control? 2. Why do we always think we have the best way? 3. In what specific ways can we learn from the life of Christ?



God’s Creative Accounting
Desré Nikolich, Sydney, Australia
Thursday Opinion
Rom. 6:23

Creative accounting occurs when accounts are managed in such a way that the resources are reallocated to fit with their requirements, thus absorbing the differences and making the account appear to be balanced. Did you know that God has done some creative accounting? In His case, however, He added only value to the account.

Because God’s value of love was pitted against His value of righteousness, something had to give.

The account in question involves our righteousness. When sin entered the world, humanity deserved to die (Rom. 6:23). Sin unbalanced God’s divine justice, and a cost ensued. The problem was, and still is, that God not only values justice as part of His character and kingdom, but He also values love. Because God’s value of love was pitted against His value of righteousness, something had to give. In His mercy and love, He cried out, “ ‘How can I give you up? . . . all my compassion is aroused’ ” (Hosea 11:8, NIV). God’s love could not fathom losing humanity. So in order for Him to rectify the sin problem, His creative accounting came into being. Jesus—God incarnate—came to die in our place, living a perfect life and dying our death. Through this process, He absorbed the cost of sin, which is eternal death.

“The grace of Christ and the law are inseparable. In Jesus mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”* “The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our lord” (rom. 6:23, NIV). This gift is for everyone who will accept Jesus’ death for their sins.
We all have an opportunity to follow natural justice or divine justice. In natural justice, the wages of sin are payable by our eternal death. Divine justice came through Jesus’ sacrifice, enabling the divine ledger to be balanced. The cost of sin has and will be accounted for. There is, however, a limiting factor. The limitation is not with God (as the cost already has been paid), but with humanity. Provision has been made for everyone to be saved. But God, in order to be truly just, allows us to accept His gift or reject it.

Our righteousness has been paid for, but it will be verified when the accounts are finally audited and confirmed. Our righteousness in and of itself is totally inadequate. It is only as we live in Jesus and accept His righteousness that we can then be made right. God’s creative accounting will be the theme throughout all eternity.
____________
*Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 349.



Christ Our Righteousness
Renee Coffee, Gobles, Michigan, U.S.A.
Friday Exploration
CONCLUDE
Rom. 3:21–23

Righteousness comes not from obedience to the law but from submission to God. When Jesus lived on earth, He surrendered His life to God and followed His Father’s instructions. If we are to live lives of righteousness, we must do the same. each morning, we have a choice. We can sit on the throne of our heart, or we can step aside and let Jesus be our Master. “each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.”*

CONSIDER
•Designing a small poster with the words Christ Is My Righteousness or another similar saying. •Post it where you can see it daily.
•Writing two headings on a piece of paper: “righteousness Is” and “righteousness Is Not.” review this week’s lesson. Then write down words or phrases that complete each of the lists.
•Writing a definition of what it means to “know” Jesus. Singing or repeating the words to the song “Not I, but Christ,” which is no. 570 in The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. Try writing a fifth verse.
•Asking a number of people to define what it means to be righteous, and then creating your own definition.
•Meditating on what you could you do this week that would give you a clearer vision of Jesus and His righteousness.

CONNECT
Joseph Stowell, Simply Jesus and You (Colorado Springs, Colo.: Multnomah Books, 2006), pp. 23–29; Ellet J. Waggoner, “The lord Our righteousness,”Christ and His Righteousness, pp. 58–69; Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right (elgin, Ill.: David C. Cook, 2008), pp. 112–122.
____________ *Steps to Christ, p. 70.

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