THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS BY FAITH
We can be religiously self -righteous and functioning from the wrong tree - the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, i.e. the knowledge of the law. Doing all things that we know to be good religious practices - going to assembly, tithing, helping others, praying etc. etc., but if it is not done out of our relationship with Messiah and His life within, then it is dead works and the fruit of self-righteousness.
If self is in control making the decisions, then it is our own works. If we have yielded to the life within and given Him control of our life and all our faculties so that our mind and heart are under His command, then what we are doing is His works and the result of obedience, of yielding to His promptings - His direction.
Righteousness is a result of obedience!
See Romans 6:16
Of submitting to the righteousness of Yahweh and making Him Lord!
No longer living out of one's own self-nature, but instead, living in obedience to His motivations in our heart. His life flowing out from us causing us to bear the 'fruit of the Spirit'.
It is an exercise of faith from our relationship with Yahweh to initiate the life-flow of the Son of God within us. Romans 10:10
And the pre-requisite? - that we execute death on the old self-nature, RECKONING ourselves dead to sin, but alive unto God (Yahweh). That requires another operation of faith. Our sin-nature (the independent self-nature that likes to think its own thoughts and do its own thing) WAS crucified with Messiah - that is a fact! But we have to 'reckon' it to be so in us to experience it. It is by faith that we receive the promises. Read Romans 6:1-11
It is ever the righteousness of Yahweh that is imputed to us - given to us, as a gift. It is the 'gift of righteousness' which we now have Romans 5:17 It is not our own!
"Christ (Messiah) is made unto us ...... righteousness..." 1 Cor.1:30
By FAITH!
By believing - you receive as a free gift that which you did not deserve, which you didn't work to attain to, and can never attain to in your own efforts - His righteousness!
It is a gift bestowed by grace, by His favour, undeserved, unmerited and unwarranted. We can't earn it, deserve it or work toward it - we receive it and live out from it, not only at salvation but thereafter daily, moment by moment.
We have imputed righteousness now! - and to the measure that we live in a faith relationship to that measure it will be evident in our lives. The Bible speaks of the 'hope of righteousness'. For we live in hope of the complete fulfillment of Messiah's righteousness being worked out in our lives. The eager expectation (the hope) of the operation of our faith progressively brings it into reality.
Paul prays that we may be pure and without offence until the day of Messiah, being filled with the 'fruit of righteousness' (Phil.1:10-11)
NOTICE The external, visible righteousness is only the fruit of the life from within - the life of Messiah!
It IS possible to come to a place of being FILLED with the fruit of righteousness. That is, the fruit of living in a faith relationship based on complete obedience to His will - 'abiding in the vine' i.e. the right tree! Another way of saying it is, being filled with the life of Messiah in righteousness, or being filled with Messiah's righteousness in your life.
"For to this we are called, because Messiah suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you may follow in His steps, who did not commit sin .... Who our sins Himself did bear in His body on the tree, that to sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed, for you were as sheep going astray, but you have turned back to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.1 Peter 2:21-25 (Young's Literal Translation & Is.53:6)
He left us an example as a 'man' living in complete union and dependence upon His Father, that we also, having died to sin's lifestyle by identification with Him, should now live up to the standard of righteousness that He exemplified.
Yeshua had no resources that are not available to us as a new creation man. He lived fully within the limitations of human flesh, yet without sin. (without independent self-motivation). He relied fully on His Father to direct Him, speak through Him, heal and deliver the oppressed. He went where the Father told Him to go and did what the Father told Him to do and spoke the words the Father gave Him to speak.
"I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I speak these things. And He who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please Him" John 8:28, 29
"I speak what I have seen with my Father" John 8:38 see also 12:49
"He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin .. Whoever abides in Him does not sin" 1 John 3:5,6
"Little children, let no one led you astray; he who is doing the righteousness, is righteous, even as He is righteous" 1 John 3:7 (Young's literal translation)
We are called to be righteous AS He is righteous!
MAKING IT REALITY
Because this is impossible on our own strength from our own resources, we tend to make excuses and say we can't do it. Only Yeshua through His life within us can enable us to live the life that He lived. The 'life' that he lived has been imparted to us through the Spirit and if we yield to that life within, which is the 'law' written on our hearts, He will fulfill the standard of the 'law' - the Father's perfect standard of righteousness.
We are exhorted to look at the great cloud of witnesses arrayed in the spiritual grandstand watching us run the race when we are tempted to allow temptation to overcome us and to give in to the old nature and allow a besetting sin to reign in our life.
"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Yeshua the author and perfecter of our FAITH ........" Hebrews 12:1-2
For it is by faith that we overcome!
By FAITH those who have gone before us - obtained promises - wrought righteousness Hebrew 11:33
They overcame the fallen human nature by FAITH!!
Look at Abraham the father of faith, who became heir to the righteousness which is of faith (Heb.11:7)
"By FAITH he obtained witness that he was righteous" i.e. he experienced the impartation of Yahweh's righteousness through the operation of his faith. By his faith he obtained righteousness Romans 4:21-25
The scripture says that Abraham BELIEVED Yahweh and that (his faith) was accounted to him for righteousness. Romans 4:1-3
"To him who does not work (put in one's own effort - strive at being righteous) but believes on him who justifies the ungodly (who makes the ungodly justified i.e. just as if he had no sin) his faith is accounted for righteousness" Romans 4:5
FAITH = RIGHTEOUSNESS
By believing in His power/ability/willingness/provision & promise to make your fallen ungodly state righteous, you enter into a position of right standing, and as a result it becomes a reality in your experience.
You are not righteous in your own merit (all our righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight), but on the basis of faith, He reckons righteousness to your account. You are accounted righteous. Whereas you were in a state of estrangement and spiritual separation, you are placed into fellowship, into relationship and union with Him.
Garments of righteousness have been placed upon you to cover your nakedness before Him (which is your state of sin) so that you can come into His presence and be righteous in His sight. You appear before Him in the righteousness of Yeshua, His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased.
This now becomes your position of acceptance with the Father.
"Therefore having been justified through FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Yeshua Maschiach, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace (this undeserved position of favour) wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of Yahweh (the future full manifestation of His power and presence in our lives)" Romans 5:1-3
We were enemies - but now we are reconciled! Read Romans 5:10 And, as reconciled, brought into relationship, we are to live a new life as a transformed creature - old things having been passed away. 2 Corinthians 5:17
"We are to walk in newness of life" Romans 6:4
Read Romans 7:4-6
We have been delivered from the 'law' so that now we can serve in the newness of the Spirit, able to bear fruit to Yahweh. (The law is the knowledge of what is right and wrong, but that does not change us)
Through a change in nature, we have a new life and from that 'life' we can do what is 'right', that is, we do from the heart the things that are pleasing to Him, which is walking in His precepts, according to His law.
So, by faith we receive righteousness and by faith we continue to live out of that righteous nature within. (Messiah in us by the Spirit)
And by faith we must overcome the old nature with its habit patterns so that we continue to abide in Him and allow His life to flow out through us.