Breastplate of Righteousness

We need to make sure that we are putting on the full armor of God daily, that we are standing in the power of His might. By standing in armor given by God it excludes our boasting that we might have. Daily you are walking into a war zone, are you prepared for the battle? You wouldn’t walk into a war zone without a helmet and body armor, why walk around this war zone unprotected.

Last week, we looked at the belt of truth, we need to know the truth of God first, before the rest of the armor is significant, we need to be armored with truth. Next is righteousness.

Significance of the breastplate

Very significant piece of armor, this protects the heart the lungs, the chest area from any attack

usually made of leather overlaid with metal, this was to protect the heart, lungs, vital organs from attack.

What is Righteousness?

To do what is right, what is just.

Righteousness was something to be characterized by God’s people.

Proverbs 20:7 ESV

The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

Integrity- Purity, innocence

Why blessed? Because he is walking in the ways of God.

Righteousness of God

The Lord is Righteous in all His ways

Psalm 145:17 ESV

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.

Showing us, righteous isn’t something that God does, it’s who He is.

Everything that He does is right, all the time.

This goes hand in hand with the holiness of God. He is set apart, righteous and Holy and never compromises His character.

1 John 1:5 ESV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

There is no unrighteousness in God.

Not like the yin and yang

Psalm 7:11 ESV

God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

When God judges, it is with righteousness. He approves of the righteous deeds, but the evil deeds, the sin, sickens Him.

He sees sin when he looks at the world. He is filled with disapproval every day when He looks at the world, because He sees how unrighteous the world is.

The current events that sicken us, they sicken God too.

What about my Righteousness?

I try to be a good person, I try to live a good life.

If we are trusting in our righteousness, it won’t satisfy God.

Romans 3:10–12 ESV

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

But what about when I help at the soup kitchen, and I give to the church.

Still trusting in your works

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Ya you did something good, but it’s polluted by your sin.

This is like an unfaithful husband trying to by flowers for his wife.

Micah 6:11 ESV

Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?

Should God become an unjust judge, should he render us righteous, when we are anything but?

This would be going against His nature, who He is.

How do I become Righteous?

God calls us to righteousness, He demands righteousness, but with our works, we can’t get there.

Philippians 3:4-9

We have a righteousness, that does not come from the law, it doesn’t come from your good works from your merit.

It only comes through faith in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus showed us mercy, He forgave our sins, He took them upon Himself when He went to the cross.

But then, He took His righteousness. The righteous life that only God incarnate could have, and he gave us that righteousness.

The great exchange.

This is why God sees us as perfect

This is why scripture calls believers saints!!

Practically, I am not perfect, practically I am a sinner.

But because of the grace of Jesus, giving us His righteousness after taking our sin, God sees us as righteous.

Spiritual Warfare

You are to be putting on the breastplate of righteousness daily.

Not your righteousness your relying on.

It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that He has given to you.

The enemy is trying to defeat you, one way is self loathing.

Self loathing

Not just that you hate the mistakes, but you hate yourself for making them, you constantly feel the guilt of your mistakes.

We should have a contrite spirit over our sin, but not loath ourselves.

Jesus Christ has forgiven us of those sins, he gives us His righteousness.

Are you wearing that righteousness?! Wearing it like a breastplate, where you may have thoughts enter your mind, accusation (THESE ARE FROM THE ENEMY) but becasue your wearing the breastplate they don’t go to your heart, they bounce off.

Do you know that the guilt of your sin no longer hangs over you, it no longer identifies who you are. Your righteousness in Christ now identifies who you are.

Romans 8:33–34 ESV

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

God’s the judge, he’s also the one who has forgiven you and sees you as righteous, Jesus is interceding, He’s the one who made you righteous.

Challenge: Put on the breastplate righteousness.

Communion: 1 Cor 11:23