The Fight (Spiritual Battle) Part 14
Let’s continue our spiritual battle discussion on the armor of God by talking about the breastplate of righteousness.
Ephesians 6:14b (NIV)
14 …with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
If we are going to be people of integrity we have to figure out the difference between the righteousness of God and self-righteousness.
His righteousness will keep our hearts soft while self-righteousness will harden our hearts. His righteousness will help us to be more selfless while self-righteousness will make us more selfish.
What is Self-Righteousness?
Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Those who trust in their own righteousness tend to compare themselves with and look down on others. The word in the Greek (Greek, exoutheneō) means to “count as nothing.” We are leaning towards self-righteousness when we judge other people by their actions and ourselves by our intentions.
What is the Righteousness of God?
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Righteousness could be defined as “being right with God”. We have to live this out before the world. We get right with God in Christ and then we try and live by doing what is right, by doing the next right thing. We are not perfect and therefore we do not need to run around pointing fingers of judgment. When Jesus looked at sinners, he saw past their sin and saw the beauty of their potential. He never condoned sin, but He didn’t let sin be the focus. He didn’t label people by their sin.
Jesus was able to do this because He exemplified the grace-filled life. Jesus loved people and people knew it. Being around Jesus made people want to change, to deal with their own brokenness and to live lives that would please Him. His righteousness doesn’t take sin lightly, but understands that people are only really healed from their brokenness as they engage in a relationship with Jesus.
Steve Lawes is a church encourager and the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church.
