The Breastplate Of Righteousness
There are two kinds of righteousness: our own, and God’s. “…I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a RIGHTEOUSNESS of my own, that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – The RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes from God and is by faith.” (Philippians 3:8b-9)
A. We are called to RIGHTEOUS living. (practical righteousness)
1. By resisting sinful desires
“Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin…but rather offer yourselves to God…and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” (Romans 6:12-13)
2. Through obedience
“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 6:16)
B. We are RIGHTEOUS through Christ. (positional righteousness)
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But, if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the RIGHTEOUS one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 2:1-2a) “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 8:10) “it is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us…our RIGHTEOUSNESS, holiness, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30) “God made him who had no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us, that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
Praying The Warrior's Prayer 