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