Introduction

The message of salvation once again is being echoed as the only message the body of Christ is warranted to propagate both in and out of the church. We have said that the same message that saves the unbeliever sustains the believer. Cutting Deep sessions have examined salvation as:

1. Deliverance from one kingdom and release of the delivered into a new kingdom
2. Arriving in Zion
3. Entrance into rest
4. Spirituality.

We have now come to examine salvation as the Righteousness of God.  The impression that salvation and God’s righteousness are separate matters is not the case. You don’t get saved at one time and do something later to attain or acquire the righteousness of God. The Bible, through the Old to the New Testament, declares the offering of both salvation and the righteousness of God as one event. In any case, without the righteousness, no one can be saved. This point is strongly emphasized in Romans 10:1-3. We find the following from this scripture.

1. Israel was not saved
2. They were robbed by lack of knowledge
3. They were not saved because they did not submit to the righteousness of God.
4. To be saved is to have the righteousness of God.

Let’s Examine the Righteousness of God from Romans 3:21

“But now the righteousness of
 God without the law is
 manifested, being witnessed
 by the law and the prophets.”

Part A

The word ‘but’ in the scripture is more of an adversative conjunction expressing an antithesis or how opposed two ideas are in an expression. A look at the previous statement shows it was a contrast between the law for righteousness and receiving righteousness without the law. It must be said that one cannot look at the righteousness of God without glancing at the role of the law in redemptive history.

• The law was given four hundred and thirty (430) years after the Abrahamic covenant.
• The law could not disannul the Abrahamic covenant after coming to force (Galatians 3:16-17)
• Generally, promises are not conditional with God (Galatians 3:18)
• Why then was the law given if it could not take over the promise (Galatians 3:18)
  • (a) Because of transgression – Galatians 3:19
  • (b)The law was given to receive the true seed of Abraham – Galatians 3:19
  • (c) To show there is no life outside faith in the promise – Galatians 3:21
  • (d) The law was to shut all up under sin with no exemptions – Galatians 3:22-23, Romans 3:19
  • (f) The law was to establish that there is only one way to justification.

Part B

The righteousness of God (ROG) refers to the perfect agreement of God’s nature and His acts to gift man His approval and acceptation (Nehemiah 9:8,33, Deuteronomy 8:3, Romans 1:16-17). Dikaioma / Dikaiosis / Dikaiosyne translated righteousness, does not postulate the meaning of some external standards to be met. God could not have been righteous then because He does not depend on any externality for survival in any area.

• The ROG is, therefore, an administrative, ministerial and dispensational plan of God to bring man to a just and qualified status.
• The ROG as it is Legislative, Transformative and Authoritative.
• Becoming the ROG (2 Corinthians 5:21) is both an administrational offer and administrative appointment (2 Corinthians 3:5-9)
• The ROG is an excelling glorious engagement given the believer. (2 Corinthians 3:7-11)

Without the law:

The word translated ‘without’ is so strongly emphatic, meaning apart, separate, disjointed, disconnected, beside or independent. This is how the law is away from the ROG which has now appeared (Isaiah 53:11, Isaiah 64:6, Ezekiel 33:13, Romans 3:18,4:5, Galatians 2:16, Philippians 3:9)

Manifest:

Make visible-obvious, actualize, expose to view, plainly recognize, render apparent, thorough understanding (Isaiah 61:10, Jeremiah 33:16, Romans 1:17). There should be no confusion when your life does not reflect some things written for you because ‘Now Manifest’ clearly shows that it was ‘Then Hidden’ (Romans 11:25,16:25, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26).

Witnessed by the law:

The content of the law which has been the reason why most are struggling with salvation as the ROG testifies to the now manifestation of the knowledge of God (KOG) – (Acts 28:23)

• Genesis 15:6 – Romans 4:4, 9-10
• Genesis 22:18 – Galatians 3:6-9
• Deuteronomy 30:11-14 – Romans 10:5-10
• Psalm 32:1-2 – Romans 4:6-8

By the Prophets:

The same applies here as read from Paul exposing the people to the witness of the people about the ‘Now Manifest’.

• Isaiah 45:22-25
• Isaiah 46:12-13
• Jeremiah 23:6
• Jeremiah 33:14
• Daniel 9:24-25

Part D

How do I get into the ROG of God, which is the ‘now manifested’ life for all?

• Isaiah 54:17- Know your righteousness is of God, not yourself
• Matthew 6:33 – If you haven’t had it, you seek it, you don’t do it
• Romans 1:16-17 – Accept it as a service and an offer revealed to you
• Romans 5:17 – Receive it again as a gift passed on to you
• Romans 10:1-3 – Submit to it once revealed to you
• Romans 10:4 – Understand that Christ is the end of the law
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 – See yourself as the righteousness of God in Christ

What advantage has the righteous over the unrighteous, and why righteousness? One must come to understand that salvation does not just seek to add more years to your life but also more life to your years.

• 1 Kings 8:32 – Receives according to a new rank
• Job 8:6 – Is never cut off
• Job 17:9 – Established and grows stronger
• Job 36:7 – Divine monitoring, royalty and establishment
• Psalm 1:6 – Known of God in all ways
• Psalm 5:12 – Well defended and favoured
• Psalm 34:15,21 – Watched over and worry not about enemies
• Psalm 37:25 – Never forsaken as well as offspring
• Psalm 37:29-30 – Inherits, possesses, fountain of wisdom and saves
• Psalm 55:22 – Sustained and immoveable
• Psalm 72:5-20 – lives in super abundance
• Prov. 3:32, 1 Corinthians 4:1 – Custodians of Gods’ secret
• Proverbs 4:28 – Shining paths
• Proverbs 10:11 – Mouth is a well of life
• Proverbs 15:6 – House loaded with much treasure
• Rom 10:17, Hebrews 10:38 – Lives not by struggles nor labour but by faith