So how can a poor unrighteous sinner, live a righteous life?

This week we are going to dig even deeper into this wonderful topic and see the matchless love of God in providing a plan so you and I and every other person who chooses can partake of His righteousness.

First, to understand these things we must take a look at the gospel, and the plan of salvation, to see just how righteousness fits in and why it is so essential to obtain it.

Listen to the powerful message of God's word:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. - Romans 1:16-17

What is the gospel of Christ? As we just read, it is the power of God unto.... something. Yes, unto salvation.

What does salvation mean? In the most simple terms it means "the act of saving".
What does the plan of salvation save you and I from?

...thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21

Yes, the great plan of salvation is to save people, that is you and I, from our sins.
What is sin? Remember we touched on this in earlier studies, sin is choosing to disobey God, and break His holy law (see James 4:17 & 1 John 3:4).

So we can now see that the gospel of Christ is the power of God to save people from their sins.

But which people? Who is saved from their sins by the power of God? Listen carefully, the Bible says:
"for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth"

Ah! So the picture is becoming more and more clear, like a puzzle, the pieces of God's plan are coming together. We now see that the gospel of Christ is the power of God to save every one that believes from their sins.

The verse continues: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith..."

In the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God to save all who believe from sin, we find the righteousness of God revealed!
Remember what righteousness means? It means to do what is right, holy, just and good. To live righteously, means to obey God and be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

Now, how is the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel?

Please bear with me for a moment and let's read a little more of God's word and clearly see how the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. - 2. Corinthians 4:3-4

These two verses set the stage for what we are about to read. The god of this world, which is Satan, blinds the minds of people who doubt (or believe not) in God. The verse then likens the glorious gospel of Christ to a light, shining to us.

Now lets read verses 6 & 7, keeping in mind that we're discovering how the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. - 2. Corinthians 4:6-7

Remember, how that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth? He said "Let there be light, and there was light" (Genesis 1:1-4). By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth, He spake and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast (Psalms 33: 6,9). And the same mighty power that commanded light to shine out of darkness, shines in our hearts and gives us light, yes the light of the knowledge of the glory of God! (Note: the heart is often used in the Bible to refer to thoughts or the mind, see Genesis 6:5, Psalms 139:23, Mark 7:21)

What is a knowledge of the glory of God? In Exodus 33:18, Moses speaks with God and says "I beseech thee, show me thy glory". In the next verse (v. 19) the answer comes "I will make all my goodness pass before thee" So now, what is a knowledge of the glory of God? It is a knowledge of the goodness of God, not just a theoretical knowledge but an actual experience in knowing the goodness of God at work in our life.

What is God's goodness?
Notice that "goodness" is one of the fruits of the Spirit, "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness..." - Galatians 5:22. Now remember, the fruit of the spirit is in all righteousness (see Ephesians 5:9). So the goodness of God represents His righteousness. Indeed righteousness means to do what is good and right.

Ah, what a beautiful picture is now emerging! Through believing in Jesus the light of glorious gospel of Christ is shined into our hearts. In this glorious light is the knowledge of the goodness and righteousness of God.

What does this goodness and righteousness do in our life? It gives us power! It changes every aspect of our life for the better! We begin to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness etc... This is the power, the wonderful grace of God, that gives us the victory over all our sins!

If we receive Jesus and believe on His name, listen to what the word of God says:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: - John 1:12

This is the power, the goodness, the righteousness of God that is given to every believing man or woman.

Now, let's go back to the next verse in 2. Corinthians:

Here is the amazing love of God manifested: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us". - 2 Corinthians 4:7

What treasure in which earthen vessels (or clay pots)? From the verses preceding we find the treasure must be none other than the glorious gospel of Christ and the light of the knowledge of the glory (goodness or righteousness) of God.

Where is this light shining? Yes! It's shining in our hearts. So therefore we are the earthen vessel!
We are just poor empty, sinful earthen vessels with nothing good in and of ourselves, so that the excellency of the power, the power to change our lives, is of God and not of us.
Praise His holy name! The matchless love of God to send Jesus, the king of glory, to come down from heaven and to die for my sins, for your sins. And then through faith (belief) in Jesus, He gives us His power, His goodness and His righteousness. He changes our lives and gives us the fruit of the Spirit. Above all He empowers and strengthens us to gain the victory over every sin and to live a righteous life in this present world.

So now do we see how the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel?

We've just covered a lot of amazing truth! Let's just briefly summarise before we close.

1. The gospel of Christ is the power of God to save every one that believes from their sins
2. Sin is disobeying God
3. The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel
4. The glorious gospel of Christ is like a light shining in this dark world
5. God's mighty creative power shines this light into our hearts
6. This light gives us a knowledge of the glory of God
7. The glory of God is His goodness
8. The goodness of God represents His righteousness. Righteousness means to do what is good and right.
9. When we believe on Jesus, He gives us power to become sons (or daughters) of God.
10. He gives His righteousness and goodness and empowers us to gain the victory over all sin and to live a righteous life.

We are just empty sinful clay pots! But with the power and light of God shining inside of us, we are changed and this is the wonderful news of the gospel. This, dear reader is the good news of salvation, that Jesus, our loving saviour, bled and died here on this earth, to save us from eternal ruin. To give us a better life, now in this world and for eternity with Him in heaven.

Doesn't this make us want to love Him more! Doesn't this encourage us to exercise even more faith in our wonderful saviour!

Yes! May this be your experience, as you continue to trust in Him.

Next week we will again visit this wonderfully sublime (high, elevated or lofty) topic, and take little more of a look at the part we play in the great plan of salvation.