public worship and in the empha- sis placed on avoiding the entan- gling sin that encumbers us (12:1) “so that we may share his holiness” (12:10) and “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (12:11).
What is particularly signifi- cant in the New Testament is that everything promised concerning salvation in the Old Testament has been accomplished by Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. The groundwork has been laid for his Creation-oriented purpose of building his Church, “against which the gates of hell shall not prevail” (Matt. 16:18). Conse- quently, believers, constituents of the Church, should not continue in sin with the easy expectation that they will be forgiven because they so easily and readily and unapolo- getically admit to being sinners “like everybody else” and comfort- able with their sins, filthy rags that they are. Sins, debts, and trespasses are to be detested — even now — above all else in a Christian’s spiri- tual life because of their power to separate us from God even now, and what separates us even now are our prejudices, partialities, dis- criminations, distinctions (1 Tim. 5:21; James 2:4, 9; 3:17: KJV, NASB, RSV), even as Jesus encouraged his disciples to act without discrimi- nating, as the heavenly Father did by sending his sun and rain upon the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matt. 5: 45, 48). This point cannot be disregarded or minimized be- cause all sins begin here! It must be underscored, though. Every sin in- volves a consideration that others are less than and have fewer rights than oneself and are without equal human dignity and worth and are, consequently, usable and abusable. Having just noted that God loves without discriminating against any and all, it will be useful to remember how God loves all people without
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discriminating. In keeping with the regulation given in Leviticus 19 and re- sumed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, he treats everyone fairly, justly, equitably, impartially, dispassionately, objectively, and without bias. That is the way he provides justice to one and all. That is the way he deals righ- teously with one and all. The loving God loves righteousness and justice. That is the way he loves. In summary, let us know for certainty that if we love God, we love righteousness and justice. What was impossible in the Old Testament is now, in Christ, in demand, unsurpassable and irreplaceable! Without that kind of love, there is no Christian activity in private or in public worship. The point of the current essay on righteousness, it turns out, offers, not surprisingly, a very effective way to avoid sin and sinning. Those who practice the nondiscriminatory righteousness recommended in Leviticus 19 and by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount will be so occupied doing the right thing regarding others and avoiding doing the wrong thing that they will not have time or occasion to add sins that need pardoning, and they will at the same time have evidence of genuine personal sanctification, that is, of growing in grace, Christlikeness! Now to conclude with relevant observations in the Book of Revelation. Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father, entrusted the work to the Holy Spirit, who has become in the believer the engrafted character and power of Jesus to live Jesus’ life after him and to bring the Bride of Christ to perfection by the righteous deeds of the saints. The Holy Spirit, having brought about that transferal, has effectually placed the building and per- fecting of the Church into the hands of the Bride, who “has made herself ready,” for “[i]t was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:7-8). This is what Jesus had in mind when he commanded his disciples to be perfect even as their Father in heaven was perfect (Matt. 5:48). It was the focus of their purpose.
Note this in particular. All active saints, whether we know it or not,
are by the deeds done in the body in the process of bringing the Body of Christ to ultimate perfection— with help, to be sure — in the image of the Bride and the Holy City (Rev. 21:9b-10), and we currently know our des- tiny and the eventual fulfillment of the Lord’s earthly labors. What are we, the saints to do, then, until Jesus returns since everything is finished? The revealing angel said to John, “Let the one who does wrong, still
do wrong, and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy” (Rev. 22:11, NASB). It is the only thing believers in Jesus Christ are obligated to do. All other Christian activities are but contribu- tive, necessary as they are for bringing to conclusion the building of the Church, whose foundation and eternal inhabitant is Christ Jesus and those he brings with him into his Kingdom of Righteousness! The angel’s imme- diate response is unsurpassable and irreplaceable.
Among Jesus’ earliest teachings was the command to seek God’s righ- teousness first. Among his last teachings was the command to seek others and teach them “to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:18-19), not least of which was the first thing. Prayer: Let us not miss what is first, Lord Jesus, lest we miss it all.
Amen. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
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