HOW RIGHTEOUS ARE YOU?

What was your final answer to yesterday's last question: On a scale of one to one hundred, how righteous are you?

If you answered anything other than 100%, you're wrong, dead wrong! Just as wrong as Hagen was when he believed he was nothing but a no-good, stinkin' buzzard instead of a majestic eagle!

Yes, if you're God's child, you're 100% righteous. Before you label me a heretic, read on, Friend, read on!

Most Christians don't understand this basic concept, and consequently see themselves as being maybe 30% righteous, 50% righteous, possibly 60% righteous. But seldom does anyone dare say he/she is 100% righteous. This is nothing more nor less than "turkey" teaching which has become embedded in their thinking. Therefore their whole lives are given over to trying to earn righteousness by good works.

We need to understand and accept that WE ARE AS RIGHTEOUS AS JESUS CHRIST! Wow! "Now you've gone too far! Prove it by Scripture," you say. OK, I will.

How about I John 4:17b: "(A)s He is, so are we in this world." How is He? 100% righteous! So are we! Is the Bible true or not? How dare you say the opposite of what the Word of God says?

First of all, "As He IS". That's present tense. That's NOW. Not "will be", but "are". Not in the future. Not when we get to Heaven. It's NOW!

Secondly, "So are we IN THIS WORLD." Again, that's NOW, not in Heaven (although, of course, we will be), but "IN THIS WORLD". We're in this world NOW. When we get to Heaven, we'll no longer be in this world!

Let me ask you another question. Who's going to be more careful not to get dirty -- someone who believes his clothes are already dirty or someone who is dressed in white and feels like a million bucks? Of course, it's the one dressed in white. He's going to be extremely careful not to stain his clothes; and if he does, he'll remove the stain quickly before it sets. But if a person is in his old grubbies with paint smatters and dirt all over him, what does one more spot matter? In other words, we act out what we think. Now, can we look at this business of righteousness the same way?

John 16:8 tells us that one of the things the Holy Spirit does is to convict us of righteousness. I used to wonder how we could be "convicted" of righteousness. I thought a person was "convicted" of sin, or "convicted" of a crime. But "convicted" of righteousness? Then I noticed that the Amplified Bible uses the word "convince". Suddenly, it made sense. The crying need of today is that we need to be "convinced" of our righteousness!

Have you been "convinced" of your righteousness yet?

Preacher's Kid