Tag Archives: righteousness

March 24, 2019 · 5:23 pm

Reap What You Sow

Peninsula Community Church

March 24, 2019

Galatians 6:6-10 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

I love this time of the year. It is a time for us to see life again as Spring returns, flowers bloom, and it is a season of new beginnings. In just a few weeks, we will celebrate Easter and the power of the resurrection to fill the emptiness in our lives with His grace, healing, and a future. This is also the season that farmers begin to plant their crops for the year. They will begin by plowing the ground. They will determine what they will plant in which fields. They will select the seeds they will use. They will plant or sow those seeds because that is the only way for them to have a harvest. And then they will wait for the harvest.

I am not a farmer but my guess is that when a farmer chooses his seed, he does not just choose any seed. He chooses that seed that will provide the best reward for their time and energy. The reason this is done is that they what to reap an abundant harvest. It is a funny thing about the sowing and reaping process. We can only reap that which has been sown. If you do not sow, you will not reap. Secondly, what you reap is always greater than what you sow. We sow one seed, but from that one seed comes much fruit. Thirdly, there is life in the seed, but that life cannot be energized and revealed until it is planted in the ground.

That is why this is such a powerful verse. It is here that we learn about the idea of sowing spiritual seed. From this passage we learn much about how we are to do life. We learn what it means to sow in a way that brings an abundant harvest of righteousness. With that said let me make some observations about this passage.

First, do not be deceived. What is the deception? The deception is thinking that what you do does not matter. We can be deceived into thinking that our actions and our words do not matter, but they do. We can be lured into thinking that we do not influence others, but we do. We can be deceived into believing that our lives do not make a difference, but they do. We influence others and we make a difference with those around us by our actions, by our words, and by our life. As we discovered last week, the enemy loves to deceive us in order to destroy and minimize our influence for good. The enemy will cause us to believe that what we do does not matter, but I can tell you that God wants to use you for His glory and what you do matters and it matters much.

Second, to reap you must sow. While it is true that we should not be deceived, we must also understand that we will reap what we sow. In terms of sowing there are a couple of things that we need to consider. We must be aware that the size of the harvest will be determined by how much we sow. We sow a little and we will reap a little. Sow much and we will reap much. Listen to Paul’s words. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). This works in our friendships. It works in our giving. It works in how we treat others. It works in how we invest our lives into the ministries we have been called to. In other words, do not hold back from sowing good seed. Sow generously and faithfully because you will reap generously.

Third, you choose what you will sow. There is a choice to be made. Will you sow righteousness or unrighteousness? Your choice will determine what you will sow. You will sow righteousness or you will sow unrighteousness. In return you will reap either righteousness or unrighteousness. Listen to Paul’s words. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. If we sow negative seeds, we will reap negative harvest. If we sow good seed, we will reap a good harvest.

Listen to Hosea’s words Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. (Hosea 10:12-13). Solomon also had a word about this process. He states Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor (Proverbs 22:8-9).

We do not have to look far to see what has been sown in our generation and how those things have impacted our culture. Abortion, euthanasia, gender identity, high divorce rates, gay and lesbian rights, gun rights, voting rights, immigration, mass murders, killings of police officers, and so on all represent the seeds that have been sown into our society. We have sown unrighteousness and we are now reaping the results of the unrighteousness that has been sown. We are dissatisfied with life. We are walking aimlessly looking for answers, but cannot find any because we are looking in all of the wrong places. We are reaping the effects of uninviting God to be at the forefront of our society. We are reaping the effects of marginalizing God in society and the public forum. He has been removed from school, and the ten commandments have been stripped from the halls of our institutions. We are reaping what has been sown.

But there is hope in that we can sow seeds of righteous. By sowing seeds of righteousness we can reap the benefits of increased righteousness. We can change the cultural around us as we sow righteousness into every situation we encounter. One of the first questions in this regard is “Are you a victim or a victor?” Depending on how you answer this question will determine what you will sow and subsequently what you will reap. When we live with a victim mentality we tend to sow into ourselves and not into the world. We become wrapped up in our problems so that we fail to see the victory that is us.

When we live as a victim we tend to sow that mentality into others. When we are living as a victim we tend to discourage those around us because we are too focused on our personal victimization. We blame everyone else for our problems and fail to see what we could do to change things. We drag others into our misery in hopes they will feel our pain but there is hope.

That brings us to our next point. Do not be weary in doing good. Have you ever gotten tired of doing the right thing? Have you ever wanted to take revenge? Have you ever wanted to forget trying to do right because it does not seem to be working. Paul challenges us to not grow weary in well doing. Do not get tired of doing what is right.

The farmer must trust the sowing process and so should we. Notice that the farmer does not worry about what will come forth. He knows if he sows well, he will reap well. At the right time the seed will germinate and will produce fruit. We too must trust that if we do the right thing, blessing will come and we will be rewarded with a harvest at the right time. Sow in righteousness and be faithful to that process and in due season you will reap a harvest of righteousness.

Fourth, sow seeds of goodness to everyone. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Paul here expresses how we should sow good seed. Paul suggests that we should do good to everyone, especially those who are a part of the household of faith. Do not stoop to the level of those around you.

Paul had a great word in this regard. Listen to his words. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. (When someone persecutes you sow seeds of blessing). Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:14-21).

So let me ask you what are you sowing? Are you sowing righteousness or unrighteousness? Have you gotten tired of waiting for the harvest? Do not be weary. Stay strong. Do what is right because it is right. Honor God and sow good seed. Keep sowing!

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Put on the New Man

Peninsula Community Church

Put On the New Man

November 4, 2018

Ephesians 4:20-24 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Scripture on several occasions speaks about exchanging the old for the new as a spiritual act of acknowledging God’s ways and His plan for our life. Paul in particular paints this picture of taking off and then putting on. In our passage today, we have a sense there is an imperative on our part to make this happen. This imperative challenges us to ponder the relationship between our faith and the ordinary affairs of our life. We all have faith to some degree and it is how we work out our faith in every day life that makes a difference.

Research shows us that how we respond to others and how people respond to us can be conditioned on what we wear. The studies show that what we wear effects us psychologically and emotionally. Reader’s Digest reported that one study suggested that what we wear can even create a greater desire in us to exercise and workout. So, what we wear is important. While physical clothing is critical, what we wear spiritually is just as critical.

In essence, Paul is exhorting us to put off our old self. He is saying change your clothes and change what you wear. Paul is saying that we should take off the vestiges of our previous life which is focused on one’s self and is motivated by sin. In place of the old self, we put on the new self which represents a life focused on Christ and a new way of living. What Paul is doing is setting up a stark comparison between the old man and the new man. The old man is ruled by deception but the new man is ruled and guided by true righteousness and holiness.

John Piper suggests that in verses 17-21 there are multiple layers of corruption we must deal with. He states that our root problem is a hardness of the heart. Because of the heart being hardened one’s understanding is darkened. A darkened understanding leads to a gross ignorance of one’s true reality. This ignorance causes individuals to yield to covetousness and licentiousness without little or no filter. This results in an insatiable desire for the wrong things. Since these desires are in not in alignment with Christ, poor choices are made over and over. This leads to a life of guilt and nothing of eternal significance is accomplished. When all is said and done, to function from the ideology of the old man causes one to be alienated from the life of God. Our hardness, darkness, ignorance, promiscuousness, and futile behavior are the marks of living dead men. But, there is hope because we can put off that old man and put on the new man that is full of life and vitality. What was hopeless now has life. What was dead is now alive.

As we read this exhortation, the wording here supports the idea that we are to do something. We cannot depend on others to take this action. It is our personal responsibility to take off the old self. It requires discipline and steadfastness to God’s plan for this new life. And yet while it is our responsibility, God empowers us to do this. He has provided the means and He has made the way for us to accomplish this task, if we will surrender to Him and take steps toward Him.

We exchange the old for the new because the old clothes represent what we were, but as Paul says this is not how you learned Christ. That is who you were, but it is not who you are now. What was in style then is no longer vogue now. We put off our old self, because we are not that person any more. We are a new creation and serve to glorify Him in this new way of life.

While the old man is based in a hardened heart and in deception, the new man is based in a heart that is alive, renewed, and focused on truth. Here, Paul instructs us to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. The new man looks a lot like God, because we are created after His likeness in true righteousness and holiness. We can live out the demands of the old self and be manipulated by the deceptive ways of our old man or we can be renewed in God’s righteousness and holiness. True holiness is contrasted with the lust of deceit which is foundational to decisions made by the old self. The new man however functions from the depths of truth. The old man is motivated by the lies of a life a part from Christ. The new man is motivated by a life founded in Christ and in relationship to Him.

We no longer have to live from the deception of sin but from the power of truth based in God’s righteousness and holiness. Notice something here. Righteousness and holiness is not something we put on. However, when we put on the new self we are taking on righteousness and true holiness. We can finally begin to live as we were created to be: righteous and holy.

While Paul exhorts us to put off the old self, he also gives us a critical step that must be taken to help us to be the person we are called to be. We do so by being renewed in the spirt of our minds. Paul knew that the mind is the one organ in the body that most effects the outcomes of our life. He knew that, in the end, the mind is the entrance way to the heart and that what we believe and what we focus on determines outcomes and determines our perspective on life.

This is a reminder of Paul’s words in Romans 12:2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Paul is saying we can allow the old self to be conformed and manipulated by the world’s schemes and attitudes, or we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The choice we make determines the focus of our life and determines how we will live life. This is critical because we worship that which we focus on.

The renewal of our minds does not happen in a vacuum nor does it occur by osmosis. We have to take progressive steps toward making this happen. There are many things that happen to us without effort but we must take the step to renew our mind. How do we this? We do so through prescribed spiritual disciplines.

First, we must be students of God’s word. When we are students of God’s word, we begin to understand God’s purpose and plan for our life. God’s word is a textbook for living. The Bible speaks to our heart. It gives us commands to follow. It instructs us on sin to avoid. It instructs us on the knowledge of God, so we see whose we are in Him. In reading Scripture, we get to know God more, and we get to experience the grace He gives us through the pages of His written word.

We also need to engage in worship and prayer. This is not just corporate worship, but the personal prayer and worship we do in the secret place of our prayer closet. We meet with God on a personal level. It is there we experience God’s grace and power in a new and exciting ways. We pray and communicate with God. It is there we receive His support and His wisdom. We not only communicate with God, but we give Him the opportunity to communicate with us. It is in our private closet of worship and prayer where we grow and we begin to understand God more. Let me ask you. If you had an opportunity to talk to your favorite author, your greatest hero, or your favorite person in history everyday in a private setting, with no one around to interrupt you, would you do it. We have the opportunity to meet with the greatest man who ever lived every day all day. We do that through our worship and prayer.

We also renew our minds as we join in fellowship with other believers. We stimulate others in their growth and we are stimulated in our growth by their words and their actions. In fellowship, we are challenged with ideas and processes that force us to think about our ideologies and the way we think. It is the iron sharpening iron that causes our minds to be renewed. It is in fellowship that we are encouraged and we encourage others.

Paul closes this passage with a list of a number of aspects of what this life looks like when we are renewed in our mind and we are putting on the new man. Time does not allow us to look at each one of these but listen to Paul’s words of Ephesians 4:25:32. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Here is the final point. We cannot control others. We cannot be responsible for how others respond to God, but we are responsible for ourselves. We are responsible for how we walk out being a child of God and taking on the new man. Will you accept that challenge? Will you accept that new way of life? It is an adventure and an adventure worth taking. Will you wear a different set of clothes today? He will empower you to do so!

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

What is Righteousness?

Peninsula Community Church

What is Righteousness?

May 22, 2016

Today we will look at the question of what is righteousness? To do so we will look at the one of the great fathers of our faith, Abraham. The Bible tells us that Abraham receive righteousness not by working for it but as an act of faith when he believed and acted on God’s word. Look at this pasta with me.

Romans 4:22-25 – That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

As we begin, let me ask you a question this morning? How good are you? How righteous is your righteousness? Are you holy? If so, how holy are you? If righteous, then what makes you righteous? Is it your works or your actions? When it comes to sin, how many sins do you have to commit to be no longer righteous? Is it one, or two, or three? Does the level of the sin or the kind of sin we commit make a difference in whether or not we are righteous?

These might be questions you have asked or at least have considered at some point in time. In fact, I would suggest that one of the big issues we face as Christians is the question of how good is good enough. In attempting to deal with this question, there is a tendency to strive and work hard at being good as if our works make us righteous. I know the struggle as I have attempted to be good enough to please God and gain His favor. There is a problem however when I attempt to be good by my own works and by my own efforts. You see, I can believe that if I act right, do right, and keep all of the rules, I will be accepted by God but the problem is that too often I strive to become something I already am. I am not righteous by my works, I am righteous because of the work of Christ in me.

The question of righteousness and good works is not just an issue in the church but it also an issue in the communities we live. Many around us believe that if they are only good enough they will be accepted by God. They believe that if somehow, at the end of their life, that if they have more checkmarks in their good deeds column and less in their bad deeds column they will end up in heaven. They do not realize what is needed is a relationship with Christ to enter Heaven. Sometimes, we are at fault here in that we do not intend to but we put church attendance above a relationship with Christ. We present a gospel that says if you only go to church or if you do the right things then you will be good enough. But the question has to be asked, how many times do you have to go to church to be righteous? Once a month, twice a month, or every Sunday. What if I miss a Sunday? Does that mean that I am no longer good enough?

In its purest form, the word righteousness means being presentable or good enough to please. It means to be in right standing and and to do the right thing. As believers in Christ, righteousness is not just about doing right or wrong, it is about our position in Christ and what Christ has done for us. You see, we are presentable and good through the work of Christ. Am I perfect? No! But I am growing in grace and in the knowledge of God. The problem too often is that apart from the work of Christ we struggle to do right and be right, but God considers us to be righteous and holy because of His work on the cross and our corresponding faith in Him. It is not what we do that makes us righteous. We are righteous because He has made us that way through salvation.

To understand righteousness let me make a couple of observations about what the Bible has to say about self-righteousness. First of all, we have to know that our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6.) The problem with filthy rags is that there is not much to be done with them other than to throw them out or burn them. Here is the point that is being made; no matter how good our acts or actions might be they cannot be compared to the work of grace in our hearts. The problem is that when we compare our righteousness to the righteousness of Christ we all fall short. But that is the very reason why we have to see ourselves righteous in His eyes. We are all sinners, the only difference is that we have been given the gift of righteousness so that we can live in freedom from sin and the power of sin over us.

Secondly, the Bible tells us that none are righteous. Listen to Romans 3:10-12. “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” When we are left to our own devices the tendency is to live life by our own measure of righteousness. When left to our vices we have a huge inclination toward sin because we are motivated by the carnal nature that is alive and well in us. Apart from God it is impossible to live godly and righteous lives. Without the drawing of the Holy Spirit we cannot possibly be righteous.

Thirdly, we must understand that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all sin and we have all sinned, past tense. There is no-one that is perfect but that does not mean that we do not live righteously. We have all come short of manifesting God’s presence in our life. We may not commit one of the big sins of life but we do sin when we respond to people with a bad attitude or heart that is motivated by anything but God’s word. When it comes to those in our community we cannot approach them with pride but with a humility that bows before our God who has graciously saved us and redeemed us. Except for the grace of God, we would be right where they are spiritually.

Even though we fall short, and fail so often, the Bible reminds us that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. We are also reminded that we can say we have no sin but that makes us a liar. Here is the beauty of this passage. While we might sin, he does not cast us off but rather He accepts us through the work of the cross. The community around us needs this message. No sin, no wrong keeps us from Christ’s grace and His love and the best way to share this is is by way of our personal testimony.

With that said let us now look at the Biblical description of Godly Righteousness. First, Godly righteousness is an act of faith. We find that Abraham’s faith was the channel by which righteousness came to him. He acted on what God commanded by faith and then righteousness was imparted or given to him by faith. His righteousness was not based on his works but on his faith. While circumcision was important to Abraham, his righteousness was imparted to him before he was circumcised. This is important because it was not the act of circumcision that made Abraham righteous, it was his faith in God. In Romans 4, listen to what Paul said. For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

Secondly, Godly righteousness is a gift of God. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). While death came as a result of one man’s transgression grace and righteousness came through the gift of God. Just as His grace is a gift so is His righteousness. We don’t deserve it but He makes us righteous because He loves us and because of who He is. Our acts do not make us righteous we are righteous because of the gift of God. Listen again to Paul’s words.

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: – Romans 4:1-6. Righteousness is a free gift from God.

Thirdly, Godly righteousness is a guide to keep the law. He gives righteousness so we can live free and holy. The teaching of righteousness in the book of Romans served to give a blow to the Jewish the way of thinking. They were living under the false pretense that by living right they were made right. The key here is the order of things. We do not do acts of righteousness to be righteousness but rather we do acts of righteousness because we are righteous. There is a difference. When we do things to become righteous we begin to live a lifestyle oriented toward works and pleasing others. The result is that we find ourselves striving for results and doing things solely so that we will look good. With that said we must understand that while the law does not make us righteous, we do need to follow the law and its commands. Otherwise, we end up doing whatever we choose rather than basing our life in the truth of the gospel.

So what is the application of this? First, we need to accept God’s gift of righteousness. Just as we received God’s gift of grace we must also accept the gift of righteousness. Don’t strive to be righteous. Rest in the work that has already been done on our behalf. Secondly, we must grasp the fact that we are already righteous as believers. We do not work for righteousness, it is a free gift. Because it is a gift we stand righteous because of Christ. Therefore, we don’t work for righteousness we are already righteous through the work of Christ in us.

Thirdly, we must obey and follow God’s commands. To show our love and respect for God’s work in our life we obey and follow God’s commands. We do so because we are righteous and not the other away around. You see we live righteously because we are righteous. This means that we go to the Lord with those areas in our life where we are falling short and failing to keep His commands. He forgives and we are renewed in holiness and righteousness.

Finally, we need to share the power of righteousness with those around us. Remember people can never be good enough they simply need to receive the righteousness of God and His gift of grace. We do that by accepting Christ as our Savior.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Tag Archives: righteousness

Reap What You Sow

Put on the New Man

What is Righteousness?

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