What it means to be "called in righteousness." What does it mean to be called in righteousness? Is every member of the Body of Christ called in righteousness?

Yes, he or she is. In fact, the scepter of Christ's Kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.

The new covenant includes two kinds of righteousness. The first is imputed righteousness, that is, righteousness ascribed to us because we have turned away from the Law of Moses and received Christ by faith.

The second kind of righteousness, the actual righteousness of the Kingdom of God, is that which is created in our personality as Christ is formed in us. As we, by praying continually for wisdom and strength, keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles, Christ is formed in us. As Christ is formed in us we begin to act righteously because of our transformed nature. This is the new covenant, the writing of the law of God in our mind and heart.

In our day the first kind of righteousness, imputed righteousness, has been overemphasized until the moral character of the Christians has been destroyed. Instead of imputed righteousness being a means of getting us started on the road to righteousness it has become a ticket to eternal residence in Heaven. This is "another gospel," not the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Every covenant God makes with man requires righteous behavior. The new covenant is no exception. When we present the Christian salvation as being only forgiveness with the objective of going to Heaven when we die we are not preaching or teaching the Divine redemption. We are offering only the destructive traditions of the Christian religion..

God has called us in righteousness, first imputed but then actually created in us until we become a new creation. To behave righteously is to deal fairly and compassionately with people, to tell the truth, to show mercy and forgiveness, to assist the poor and needy, to keep the covenants we make including the marriage covenant, to seek the welfare of others, to render to all their due—especially but not only those in authority, to keep ourselves morally clean, and to walk humbly with God.

God loves this type of person. God will not work in any situation that is unrighteous. The righteous Lord loves righteousness!

What a world this would be if all the Christians behaved righteously. Alas, we have been taught that being saved by grace means we can behave unrighteously and still go to Paradise when we die. This is an error in both means and ends.

The moral light of the Christian churches has been extinguished by a misunderstanding of the New Testament. Therefore there is no moral light to guide the nations of the earth. The coming of the age of moral horrors is due to the lack of emphasis on godly living by the Christian teachers. We Christians are responsible for the moral decline of the nations. The moral decline is due to the lack of a godly witness on the part of the Christian people, a lack resulting from our grace-rapture-heaven mythology and mentality.

Until the Christians approach God in humility and repentance, turning from their wicked ways, our land will not be healed. Are you one who will help hasten the Day of God by your godly conduct?

To be continued.