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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Tabernacles and the Testimony, #9
Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed. (Isaiah 61:9—NIV)
We notice (above) how the saved peoples of the nations view the members of the Church, of the royal priesthood.
Then we see the purpose of converting the members of Zion into oaks of righteousness is that the people of the world might see God's righteousness and God's praise proceeding from the members of His Church.
For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. (Isaiah 61:11—NIV)
God wants the people of the nations to behold and understand His righteousness and His praise. Obviously this has to be actual righteousness and actual praise because people cannot see imputed righteousness or hear imputed praise. Imputed righteousness exists only in the mind of God. He declares us righteous when we accept the blood atonement. But such righteousness is of little value as a testimony.
In fact the churches of today are under the impression the only Christian righteousness there is is that which is imputed. In this case imputed righteousness is more of a hindrance than an asset to the Divine testimony.
Remembering that Isaiah did not write in chapters, we proceed with the thought of the development of the Divine testimony to the nations of the earth.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. (Isaiah 62:1—NIV)
As we said, if the righteousness and salvation of Zion are to become the light of the world, the witness of God's righteousness and praise, they are going to have to be actual righteousness and actual salvation. Imputed righteousness and imputed salvation do not, obviously, shine like the dawn. They are not something people can behold. If a Christian is dishonest or immoral, he may claim God is imputing righteousness to him because he trusts in Jesus. But it is certain that the people of the world cannot see the imputed righteousness, only the dishonest or immoral behavior. Can you agree with this?
This difference between imputed righteousness and its role, and actual righteousness and its role, is an error in Evangelical thinking so great as to stagger the mind when we consider its awful consequences. Our own government, that of the United States, is being destroyed by sinful practices on the part of the political leaders; and I attribute this moral destruction to the ignorance of the majority of Christian churches concerning the proper role of actual righteousness of behavior. The moral testimony of the Christian churches is the only light the governmental leaders have!
If Sunday after Sunday the Christian churches preach grace-rapture-Heaven, grace-rapture-Heaven, grace-rapture-Heaven, grace-rapture-Heaven, what effect do you think such preaching and teaching will have on the character of the listeners? What effect do you think such preaching and teaching will have on the people of the world who are looking to the churches for moral guidance?
To be continued.