Becoming Doers of the Word Through the Gift of Righteousness

The other night I was watching the evangelist brother Jimmy Swaggart on television. He was speaking about the communication that was going on between the Lord and him after he was exposed to a worldwide audience for his adulterous behavior. The Lord told him that He had allowed a wound to be leveled upon him like that of Jacob’s, who wrestled with the Lord and came up lame. This was necessary for his correction. At one point in the show, Jimmy picked up his Bible and said, “I don’t know the answer to living a victorious Christian life, but I do know one thing; it can be found in this Book.”


I was deeply touched by his humility, honesty, and transparency, and I agree that the answer to victorious Christian living can be found in the Bible, but not just in reading it, hearing it, understanding it, teaching it, or preaching it; but also, and without a doubt of equal or much greater importance, by trusting and obeying what is written in it!


To hear the word and teach the word without doing the word is at best self-deceiving, self-defeating, and counter productive to receiving God’s blessings in this life, as well as receiving one’s inheritance of eternal life in Christ and the kingdom of God that is to come. It is at worst utterly devastating and totally self-destructive because it is a potential formula for eternal citizenship in Hell and the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.


Consider the warnings of Christ to His disciples,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:12-14)

Consider the words of James to the church, “Be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) And, “You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe and tremble. But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20) And last but not least, “My brothers, not many of you should presume to be teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation and be judged more severely.” (James 3:1) So, we see that our faith must be accompanied with corresponding righteous actions for it to be validated and living. Why? Because an invalid or dead faith cannot save us; it is only a living faith in the living God that can save us. Another word for a living faith is “faithfulness.”


If you don’t believe that the above scripture quotations mean a professing Christian, or especially, a Christian Bible teacher, could potentially end up in Hell, then consider the words of the Apostle John,

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:3-4) And we know that ‘All liars will have their place in the lake of Fire. This is the second death.’” (Revelation 21: 8)


And consider the words of the Apostle Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament,

“I keep my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Corinthians 9:27)


The author of Hebrews, speaking of mature Christian believers writes,

“For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth herbs suitable for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God: But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is near unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.” (Hebrews 6:7-8)


Again, consider the exhortation of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples (not to sinners), who were soon to be faced with the temptation to deny or confess Him before men, and this, if they were to remain faithful, at the very real threat of being martyred in their service for Christ.


“Fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.” (Matthew 10:28)


It is interesting to note that unlike the sermons of most contemporary preachers who warn sinners about going to Hell, whenever Jesus warned of going to Hell, He was speaking to His disciples and not to sinners, except for twice when He was speaking to the Pharisees!


And again the words of the Lord Jesus Christ,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:21-27)



And again, consider these words of the Lord Jesus Christ,
“He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather ‘out of His kingdom’ all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:38-42)



And look at the words of Jesus Christ on this subject once again,
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:5-6)



And last but not least,
“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more. I am come to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled.” (Luke 12:42-49)



Now, for those of us Christian believers like Jimmy Swaggart and me, and perhaps even you, dear reader, who may not know how to live a victorious overcoming Christian life free from sin, but know that the answer to this perplexing question is found in the Bible, and not just in reading it, hearing it, or even preaching and teaching it, but much more so in trusting and obeying it, there is yet hope!


You may be asking, please tell us what is that hope? The answer is definitive,


“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)


If you and I, as professing Christian believers, tried with all our energies and efforts to keep and practice the Word of God perfectly (without a revelation of the grace of the atonement and the gift of righteousness stored up for us in Christ, and released to us through the Holy Spirit) and were somehow successful, it would result in self-righteous religious pride. And remember, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) If we were unsuccessful, it would result in spiritual frustration and drive us to abandon our efforts and remain in, or return to our sins, a condition of unrighteous licensed rebellion.


If we truly understand this dynamic, we will know why the concept of “sinless perfection” (which is a doctrine that teaches it is possible for Christian believers to never sin again after their initial conversion to Christ) is at best, unrealistically ambitious and at worst, heretically erroneous. Of course this does not mean that we, as Christian believes, are not required of God to pursue, perfect, and cultivate the fruit of holiness found in Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, “sinless perfection” will not be ours this side of glory.


When the Bible speaks of “repentance from dead works and faith towards God,” (Hebrews 6:1) it is not just referring to unrighteous works, but also self-righteous works. Concerning the Israel of God and the Hebrew people, “works of law” cannot make them righteous in God’s eyes, even though many of them are still trying to achieve righteousness through works of law. Concerning Christian believers, neither can “works of faith” make us righteous in God’s eyes, even though many of us are still trying to receive righteousness through works of faith!


Our righteousness is through a trust and reliance upon Christ for our salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification), and our works of faith are a result of receiving God’s grace through faith and walking in the revelation of Christ’s accomplished work on the cross on our behalf and in our stead. Our righteousness is also dependent on yielding to the Holy Spirit’s continuing work in our spirits and souls, and patiently waiting in a state of perpetual hope for Christ’s finished work to be revealed in us at His second coming and the first out resurrection of the dead and living in Christ.


As we wait in the hope of His righteousness and glory to be revealed in us, we must also be in hot pursuit of the holiness, godliness, and righteousness already provided for us in Christ. This is accomplished by working with Him and not against in His efforts to reveal Himself in us, to us, and through us to the glory of God our Heavenly Father!


This is of course why the Apostle Paul wrote,
“That I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is of God through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on for the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.” (Philippians 3:9-15)



So in closing, let’s sum up what we’ve learned. Not every one who professes to know Christ, and even teaches the Bible, actually practices doing Christ’s words; therefore these are liars who will have their place in the Lake of Fire. (1 John 2:3-4 & Revelation 21: 8) But sincere Christian believers, or if you will, those who are “loved by Christ” and “who love Christ in sincerity,” (1 John 4:19) are not like the hypocrites mentioned above (Luke 6:46) because they are the recipients of God’s grace (Ephesians 6:24) by which through faith they have been made “the righteousness of God in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Because “they love Christ and keep His commandments, God the Father and God the Son have chosen to come and make their home with them!” (John 14:23)


If we are professing and practicing Christian believers and not as “those who draw back into perdition” (Hebrews 10:38), we have continued in His love by trusting in Christ’s blood and name for our salvation that has been made available through His righteous work on the cross, “Jesus having been made sin for us.” At that moment in time our sin nature was crucified with Him on the cross. We have also been “buried with Him through baptism” and “raised with Him from the dead for our justification.” We are now “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” and “seated with Christ in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:13 & 2:6)


Another way of saying this is that we have received “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 3:24) through continuing in Him and allowing His word’s to continue in us, (John 15:7) thereby not receiving God’s grace in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1) We are also “pressing for the goal to win the prize of heavenward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8) by “living and walking in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) This is accomplished in us through yielding our spirits, souls, and bodies to the Spirit’s leading and not to the dictates of our old sin nature because, “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with its affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:24) In other words, we are in the practice of “mortifying the misdeeds of the body through the Spirit.” (Romans 8:13) Through the Holy Spirit and obedience to Christ’s words, we have become and are becoming “doers of righteousness, (Romans 2:13 & 1 John 3:7) “not allowing sin to dwell in our mortal bodies that we should obey it in the lust thereof.” (Romans 6:12) Also, “the righteous requirement of the law (which is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves) is fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit!” (Romans 8:4)


And last but not least, “we ourselves through the Spirit, by faith, eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.” (Galatians 5:5) This will be ours when Christ returns because at that time we will truly be the “spirits of just men made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:23) The Apostle John tells us, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Praise God, amen!