WALKING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS By: Pastor Ruth Boyce The story of the thief on the cross really shows us the love and mercy of our God. Although that story is so true and His forgiveness is so deep, there is another lesson that we must take away from the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus came to DO the will of HIS FATHER! Heb. 10: 9-10.

What was that will? Jesus work was to die for the sins of mankind, setting aside the first covenant and creating the second and better covenant of grace. And, by that, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. Breaking the power of sin over our lives and giving us His blood and name to triumph over the enemy! Jesus said, 'For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life and I Myself will raise Him up on the last day", John 6:40.

This was the will of his father in heaven. And in John 6:29 He tells us plainly what our work is, "This is the only work God wants from you: BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE HAS SENT". That is the gospel, Jesus didn't just wake up one day and say, today is the day that I will die for all mankind. Jesus had to learn to submit and die to his flesh just like you and I have to do everyday. Hebrews 5:8..Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Hebrews 5:9, and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. You see, what Jesus had to go through he went through to literally open a way to get from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. He had to die to his flesh, kill his wants and desires and submit to His father in heaven the same as you and I. He was our way maker. He was our example of HOW WE GET TO HEAVEN! To live in this world is to bring sin and compromise into our hearts. LIVING in this world fills us with unbelief and idolatry. But the death of Jesus on the cross taught us how to live in this world and make righteous decisions everyday to keep us free and covered by the grace that Jesus gave us.

The thief on the cross did not know how to live his life that way for he only met Jesus as he was dying. He was from the first covenant and Jesus' death would bring about the second covenant of grace. You and I MUST LEARN TO WALK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS before the Lord every day (unlike the thief on the cross had to do) to become Holy. It is HOLINESS that qualifies us for the RAPTURE.

Without holiness we will NEVER see God. People like to say that 'we are the righteousness of Christ' therefore we are justified and qualify for the RAPTURE. My friends please listen to these words, Jesus became perfect and became the source of eternal salvation to those who OBEY HIM. Look at that word SOURCE.

When you have a water hose and you turn on the flow of water you can enjoy the benefits of that hose. But, if you never turn on your water hose, then you will not benefit from the SOURCE of living water. He says TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM. Look at this next set of verses from Hebrews 5: 11-14, the writer of Hebrews is upset with the people for their lack of understanding and desire to become righteous. They too think they are just righteous because of what Jesus did. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word ALL OVER AGAIN. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still and infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use HAVE TRAINED themselves to distinguish good from evil.

So RIGHTEOUSNESS is constantly training our hearts to distinguish good from evil. Now the writer of Hebrews continues in chapter l0 to tell us about righteousness and holiness. "But my righteous one will live by faith, And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back". But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews l0:38-39. So let me finish with these words, to be righteous, we MUST LIVE BY FAITH, (By constant use have TRAINED themselves (here is our works of righteousness) to distinguish good from evil). But the writer continues that we do not BELONG to those who shrink back and are destroyed but to those who have faith. We all have a choice to grow in the spirit and not shrink back or to stay a young Christian and only drink the milk of scripture and not train ourselves in the things of righteousness or RIGHT LIVING!

It is true that we are the righteousness of God through Christ but we must TRAIN ourselves by CONSTANT USE to distinguish right from wrong every day. Right choices lead us to a holy walk with the Lord. Jesus had to LEARN OBEDIENCE through the things that he suffered and once made perfect (in the works of righteousness, by killing his flesh) he opened the way for us. October l, 2023