Dear followers I came across A very beautiful extract from the works of John Bunyan . These thoughts are in line with today’s reality and living under God’s standards. However there is also a misunderstanding of the concept of righteousness . A few words of encouragement today for every Dad or Dad to be . Around the world Dads are honored , given celebrity status for impacts in life , of family friends and loved ones. Dad you deserve it it’s your day . I have a few words of reflection of your life .
[WHO IS THE RIGHTEOUS MAN?]
FIRST. For the first of these, namely, ‘WHAT OR WHO IS THE RIGHTEOUS MAN? This may not be supposed that these words reach to them that are righteous in a general, but in a special sense; such, I mean, that are so in the judgment of God. There are several sorts of righteous men that yet have nothing to do with this blessed promise, or that shall never, as such, have their desires granted.
FIRST. There is one that is righteous in his own eyes, and is yet far enough off from the blessing of the text: ‘There is a generation that are pure’ or righteous ‘in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness’ (Prov 29:12). These are they that you also read of in the evangelist Luke, that are said to trust ‘in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others’ (Luke 18:9). These are set so low, by this their foolish confidence, in the eyes of Jesus Christ, that he even preferred a praying publican before them (Luke 18:13,14). Wherefore these cannot be the men, I mean those righteous men, to whom this promise is made.
SECOND. There are those that by others are counted righteous; I mean they are so accounted by their neighbours. Thus Korah and his company are called the people of the Lord, and all the congregation by them also called holy, every one of them (Num 16:3,41). But as he who commends himself is not approved, so it is no great matter if all the world shall count us righteous, if God esteemeth us not for such: ‘For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends’ (2 Cor 10:18).
THIRD. There are those that indeed are righteous when compared with others: ‘I came not to call the righteous’; ‘for scarcely for a righteous man will one die,’ and the like, are texts thus to be understood. For such as these are, as to life moral, better than others. But these, if they are none otherwise righteous than by acts and works of righteousness of their own, are not the persons contained in the text that are to have their desires granted.
FOURTH. The righteous man therefore in the text is, and ought to be, thus described: 1. He is one whom God makes righteous, by reckoning him so.2. He is one that God makes righteous, by possessing of him with a principle of righteousness.3. He is one that is practically righteous.
First. He is one that God makes righteous. Now, if God makes him righteous, his righteousness is not his own, I mean this sort of righteousness: ‘Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord’ (Isa 54:17). God then makes a man righteous by putting righteousness upon him — by putting the righteousness of God upon him (Phil 3:6-9). Hence we are said to be made the righteousness of God in Christ: ‘For God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’ (2 Cor 5:21). Thus God, therefore, reckoneth one righteous, even by imputing that unto us which is able to make us so: ‘Christ of God is made unto us — righteousness’ (1 Cor 1:30)
God makes a man righteous by bestowing of righteousness upon him — by counting the righteousness of his Son for his. He gives him righteousness, a righteousness already performed and completed by the obedience of his Son (Rom 5:19).Now thus a man is made righteous, without any regard to what he has, or to what is of him; for as to him, it is utterly another’s.Hence God, by putting this righteousness upon us, is said to hide and cover our sins. ‘Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin’ (Rom 4:7,8). For since this righteousness is Christ’s, and counted or reckoned ours by the grace of God, it is therefore bestowed upon us, not because we are, but to make us righteous before the face of God.
This is of absolute necessity to be known, and to be believed. For without this no man can be counted righteous before God; and if we stand not righteous before God, it will benefit us nothing as to life eternal, though we should be counted righteous by all the men on earth. Besides, if God counts me righteous, I am safe, though in and of myself I am nothing but a sinner, and ungodly. The reason is, because God has a right to bestow righteousness upon me, for he has righteousness to spare; he has also a right to forgive, because sin is the transgression of the law. Yea, he has therefore sent his Son into the world to accomplish righteousness for sinners, and God of his mercy bestows it upon those that shall receive it by faith.
Living a life in Him . You can leave a Legacy and be a blessing for people around you .
Blessings
Mathew
Inspirations to live by 