Pleasure seeing you all. Just
delighted to be with you. Would you turn to Hebrews chapter
11? Hebrews chapter 11. I'd like
to read the fourth verse. Hebrews chapter 11. By faith Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness
that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts,
and by it, he being dead yet speaker. I've entitled this message, Can
a sinner be righteous? Can a sinner be righteous? Now, before we can answer that
question from the Word of God, we need to do some definition
of terms. What does the Bible mean by righteous? Righteousness in the scripture
is a perfect standing before the holy law of God. If you're righteous before God,
that means you've never told a lie. It means you've never
had a covetous thought. It means you've never committed
adultery. No, not in your heart. It means
you've loved God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Righteousness. I'm not talking
about a righteousness that many people have before the law. They
haven't been caught. The law recognizes them as not
guilty, but they haven't been caught. Now those people are
not righteous. The only righteousness that the
scripture recognizes is perfect obedience to the holy law of
God all the time. Now, what does the Bible mean
by the word sinner? Well, a sinner is the one who
commits the sin. You've heard preachers say God
loves the sinner. He hates his sin. Where's that
in the Bible? God doesn't put sins into hell. He puts the ones
who committed those sins into hell. A sinner. A sinner is somebody who all
they do. A sinner is somebody who cannot
not sin. A sinner is somebody who cannot
look down their nose in moral superiority at anybody. They know they're worse. A sinner is somebody who has
no claims on God. If you believe you're a sinner,
that means you believe that God saved everybody in this room
but you. He would be just. He would be
holy. And you have no reason to object
to him. You have no claims on God because
of your sin. Now, how can somebody like that
be righteous? Is it possible? Now in our text, we read, by
faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God made this testimony concerning
him. And by it, he being dead even
right now, is yet speaking. Now, it does not say that righteousness
was imputed to Abel, although it was. It does not say that
Abel was viewed as righteous, though he was. It does not say
that Abel had a legal standing of righteousness before God,
although he did. It says Abel was righteous. He was a righteous man. He was personally righteous. And this was God's testimony
of him. He obtained witness by God himself
that he was a righteous man. God testifying of his gifts.
The offering he brought made him righteous. The gift he brought that God
gave him was righteousness. God was testifying of that which
was real. Abel was righteous. Really righteous. Do you feel
that way? How do you feel? Abel was righteous. So righteous that the living
God looked at him and the scripture says he had respect. He, God, had respect to Abel
and his offering. Abel was righteous. You see, God only respects righteous
people. Now, would you listen real carefully?
There are only two kinds of people in this world. The righteous
and the wicked. Only two. An interesting fact. All of the righteous, without
exception, believe themselves to be wicked. And all of the wicked, without
exception, believe themselves to be righteous. Or at least
they have the potential to be righteous. Now the first time
this word righteousness is used in the scripture It's a reference
to Noah. God said regarding Noah in Genesis
chapter seven, verse one, thee have I seen as righteous before
me. Now, if God sees Noah as righteous,
you know what? Noah is righteous. Now in Genesis
chapter six, verse five, God saw that the wickedness of man
was great upon the earth and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, nonstop. Was Noah included in that group?
Yes, he was. Yet God says that Noah was righteous
and God doesn't play games when he makes statements like that.
If he said Noah's righteous, Noah is righteous. And Romans chapter three, verse
10, we read, there is none righteous. No, not one. And I see it. And I feel myself to be very
evil. Yet I know from the scriptures
that if I am a believer, I in my person am righteous before
God. And I pray that every believer
in this room is going to be enabled by the Spirit of God to rejoice
in the fact that they are righteous before God. God terms people
the righteous. Say ye to the righteous, it'll
be well with them. Say ye to the wicked, it will
be ill with them. Now, if I'm a believer, just
like Abel, Just like Noah, I am righteous before God. How can
that be when I know I'm a sinner? How can that be that I stand
without guilt before God, that I stand perfect before God, that
God's law looks at me and finds no guilt? And the reason it finds
no guilt is because there is no guilt. And yet, in my own
experience, when I look at myself, all I see is sin. How can that be when God says
what is man that he should be clean and he that's born of woman
that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in
his saints and the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much
more abominable and filthy is man that drinketh iniquity like
water. Can that man be righteous? Yes. A sinful man can be truly
righteous before God, and here's how. Now, I'm gonna give you
five points, and all five of these are necessary for a sinner
to be righteous before God. First of all, righteous by union
with Christ. Second, righteous by imputation. Thirdly, righteous by gift. Fourth, righteous by nature. And fifth, righteous by faith. Now we're going to consider each
one of those individually. First of all, righteous by union. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
two. Now I believe That this is, I
don't know what else to say, this is the biggest doctrine
in scripture. Union with the Lord Jesus Christ. And here it
is, verse 11. Hebrews 2, verse 11. Both he
that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. For the which cause he's not
ashamed to call them brethren. The Lord is not ashamed to call
me his brother. because I am one with Him. Not merely close to Him, but
one with Him. You see, the elect have always
been in the Lord Jesus Christ, united to Him. I've always been
in Christ. There's never been a time when
I've not been in Christ. Eternally, according as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him. Now, if I'm one with Christ,
That means who he is, I am. Where he is, I am. What he did, I did. Is the Lord Jesus Christ perfect
before God's holy law? Then I am too. 1 John 4, 17 says,
as he is, So are we in this world. That means right now. Is he perfectly
righteous? So are we. Now John says, herein
may we have boldness on the day of judgment. That as he is, so
are we in this world, 1 John 4, 17. Now what will give you
boldness on the day of judgment? There's only one thing, perfect
righteousness. union with the Lord Jesus Christ
in him. You know, this is all you can
do is proclaim it. You can't much explain it. I
can't really explain how I've always been united to Christ.
I can't explain how I've always had personality and existence
before God. I can't explain that. I don't
understand it. It blows my mind. But it's true. I'm in the Lord
Jesus Christ as he is righteous, I'm righteous. Let me show you
a scripture in Romans chapter five that I think illustrates
union with Christ. Romans chapter five, verse 12. Wherefore, as by one man, sin
entered the world. That's talking about Adam's transgression.
As by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin. So death passed upon all men
for that all had his sin charged to them. Did I read that right? Didn't read that right, did I?
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death
by sin, so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. When Adam sinned, personally,
I did too. It's not just that his sin was
charged to me, but I didn't do it. No, I did it because I united
to Adam. Whatever Adam did, I did. When
he sinned, I sinned. His sin wasn't merely charged
to me, I committed the sin. That's what the passage of scripture
says there, doesn't it? Romans, he says, in that all have sinned. When Adam sinned, I sinned. Just
as truly, everybody in Christ, when he obeyed God's holy law, I did too. I did too. That's my righteousness
before God. Every believer is righteous through
union. Always have been righteous. Always
have been. How long has Christ been righteous?
That's how long I've been righteous. Righteous by union with the Lord
Jesus Christ. Second point is righteous by
imputation. Turn with me to Romans chapter
four. Romans chapter four. Beginning in verse six. Even as David also describeth
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness
without works. Saying, blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Oh, the blessedness. How blessed
by God is that man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin. Now, you and I don't really have any
idea how bad we are. Don't even have a clue. You believe
that about yourself? Now, however bad you think you
are, it's worse. I'll assure you. It's worse. Sin. Full. Full. Of sin. And everything you think about
yourself. It's true. Only. Worse. But here's the believer's
hope. Everything I think about myself,
it's worse than I think, but here's my hope. God. does not
impute my sin to me. He doesn't charge me with it.
It's all true and worse, but the God of glory does not charge
me with my sin. Blessed is the man unto whom
the Lord will not impute sin and in whose spirit there is
no guile. Now here's my hope. God doesn't
impute my sin to me. He doesn't charge me with it.
My sin was placed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It became His so
that He actually became guilty of it. He was guilty before God
and His perfect righteousness, His innocence becomes mine. My
sin becomes His. His righteousness becomes mine
and I am righteous before God by imputation. My righteousness,
my personal righteousness, is not based upon the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. My righteousness is the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. His righteousness, Isaiah 54,
17 says their righteousness, their personal righteousness,
is of me. This is that fine linen, clean
and white, the righteousness of the saints. What is the righteousness
of the saints? The obedience of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, in Romans chapter six, turn
with me there for a moment. Romans chapter six, verse 11. Likewise, reckon, and that word
reckon is the same word that's generally translated impute.
Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves. Believe this about yourself.
Don't just believe the doctrine of this. Believe this about yourself. Here's a true biblical self-image. Reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there's only one reason
why God would tell me to reckon myself to be dead indeed to sin,
because I am dead indeed to sin. Sin has nothing to say to me. It's all been put away. I stand
before God as righteous. Righteous by imputation. Thirdly, righteous by divine
gift. Romans chapter 5. Verse 17, For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift, the gift of righteousness. shall reign in
life by one Jesus Christ. Now, righteousness is called
the gift. And that word carries with it
the idea of the free gift. The causeless gift. The reason
is not found in you as to why God gives it. The free gift of
righteousness. Look back at verse 15. For not
as the offense, so also is the free gift. And look at that word
free. That means No causing you. God does not have to find a reason
in me or you to give it. It's a free gift. Is that good
news? Thank God for that. For if through the offense of
one, many me dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift
by grace, which is by one man, his obedience, Jesus Christ,
hath abounded unto many, and not as it was by one that sinned,
so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. Now what is justification? Not
guilty. If I'm justified, that means
I never sinned. His righteousness given to me
freely. I'm justified. I never sinned. Remember, Abel was in and of
himself just as sinful as I am. And just as sinful as you are.
But yet God gave him the gift of righteousness. What's the
evidence that you've been given this gift of righteousness. You
receive it. That's what the evidence is.
You receive it. This comes as good news to you. You receive
it. You welcome it as good news to them that have received abundance
of grace and the gift of righteousness. Do you receive this? There's
no merit in receiving. You just take what's given to
you by the grace of God. You're mighty grateful you got
it. That's the evidence of him giving you this gift. You receive
it. The gift of righteousness. And Abel was righteous by nature. This has to do with being made
a partaker of the divine nature. This is what the scripture calls
the new birth. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
forever. Now here's the doctrine of it.
Turn to first John chapter two, first John chapter two, verse 29. If you know that he is righteous,
you know that everyone that do it, Righteousness is born of
him. Look in chapter three, verse
six, whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not. What's that mean? What's it say? It means you don't
sin. Whosoever sinneth, hath not seen
him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive
you. He that doeth righteousness, what? Is righteous. Even as he is righteous. He that committed sin is of the
devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him,
and he cannot sin. He lacks the ability to sin because
he is born of God. Now, obviously, that's talking
about the new man, the new creature in Christ Jesus. Born of God,
it does not commit sin. When God saves a man, he's given
a new nature, a holy nature that produces holy actions. Be ye
holy, God said, for I am holy. You can only be holy if you are
holy. Holy brethren, partakers, of
the heavenly calling. Now here's a powerful scriptural
example of what I'm talking about. Turn to first Peter chapter two. What about brother Lot? If it wasn't for this passage
of scripture, every one of us would say that Lot was not saved.
Wouldn't you agree with that? That's what we'd say about him.
I mean, there just wasn't much to him. He lingered in Sodom. After God delivered him, he lingered. He wanted to stay there. He pitched
his tent toward Sodom. He stayed there. The angels had
to yank him by the hand and pull him out. You know what happened
after he went into the cave with his daughters and so on. I mean,
this man was a scoundrel as far as what we see. And I don't want
to justify anything about this man. But look what God says about
him. And God sees things as they really
are. If this is what God sees, this
is the way it is. First Peter chapter two, verse
seven, he delivered just lot. Vexed with the filthy conversation
of the wicked for that, what? righteous man dwelling among
them and seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to
day with their unlawful deeds. That's a second Peter chapter
two verses seven and eight. This is God's testimony regarding
this man lot. And God's testimony is the right
testimony. I'm not excusing any of Lot's
wrongness. I mean, we're not trying to do
that, but still, this is what God says, because when God saves
somebody, that person is a righteous person. If God has saved me,
he's given me a righteous nature, a holy nature, the new nature. And you're looking at a righteous
man. Then shall the righteous shine
forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Heavenly Father. Every
believer is a righteous man. Now here's my big question. How can I know that this is so
regarding me? How can I know that I've been
eternally united to the Lord Jesus Christ? How can I know that the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ has been imputed to me and it's mine? How can I know that he has given
me this gift? How can I know I have this righteous
nature? Because let's be honest, I feel the effects of this righteous
nature. There was a time when I didn't
believe the gospel, I do now. There was a time when I had no
love for God and I do now. I feel the effects of this righteous
nature, but as far as seeing, oh, righteousness, yeah, I see
that. No, I don't see it. Don't see
it. I really don't. So how can I
know that I actually have this righteous nature? we've been
reading of. We'll turn to Romans chapter
four, verse five. But to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him, that justifies the ungodly. Do you believe on him that justifies
the ungodly? Do you believe that God is able
to make you righteous before him? When in and of yourself
you're an ungodly sinner. Do you believe on him that justifies
the ungodly? Let's go on reading. It says
his faith. Is counted for righteousness. If I believe that means faith
itself, faith itself is counted as righteousness, I've missed
it. Faith. is not my righteousness before
God. Jesus Christ is my righteousness
before God. Faith didn't keep the law. Christ
did. Faith believes that. Faith didn't
die for my sins. Christ did. Faith believes that. Faith is not seated at the right
hand of the Father as my great high priest. Christ is. Faith
believes that. So that is not saying that faith
itself is counted as righteousness. Well, what's it saying then?
Because it says, to him that worketh not, but believeth on
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Well, what in the world does
that mean? Well, faith is defined in the scriptures as the evidence
of things not seen. Now, I cannot see that I have
been eternally united to the Lord Jesus Christ. What's the
evidence that I am? Faith. Right now, while I'm talking
to you, I am relying upon Him as my righteousness before God.
I can say with Paul the Apostle, I know whom I have believed and
I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him. What have you committed to him?
The salvation of my soul. Hands off, hands off. I don't
have anything to do with this. Hands off. If you hold on to
something, you've failed to commit. You commit when your hands are
off and you're completely relying on him. I know whom I believe
and I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed
to him against that day. What is the evidence that I've
been eternally united to the Lord Jesus Christ, that I've
always been in him? One evidence, faith. Do you believe
the gospel? Do you believe he's able to save
you? What is the evidence that the
righteousness and merits of the Lord Jesus Christ has been imputed
to me. How can I know it? One way, faith. Faith in Christ. I believe him. And that is evident. That is
the evidence. Faith is the evidence of things
not seen. I can't see that I'm perfectly righteous before God,
but I know I am. And the evidence is faith. What
is the evidence that God has given me this gift? How can I
know God's given it to me? Faith. Whoso believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. Take it for what it says. Faith
is the evidence that God has given you this gift. What is
the evidence that I have this righteous nature that does not
commit sin? Well, because I'm doing some
good? No, no. The evidence is faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. If you believe the gospel, you
have this righteous nature. The only reason you believe the
gospel is because you have this righteous nature. Believe the
gospel. Believe what God says. Faith
is counted for righteousness. With the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness. In Romans chapter 14, verse 17,
Paul said the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness. Righteousness. A perfect standing
before God's holy law. Having never sinned. The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness. And you know what flows from
that? What to say next? Peace. The only thing that gives
me peace is knowing that I am perfectly righteous through the
Lord Jesus Christ, that I stand before God perfectly righteous. I get peace from that. You know
what comes next? Joy. Joy. Oh, the joy and the peace of
believing. In Philippians chapter three,
Verses eight and nine, Paul said, oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of Christ, the righteousness, which is of God by faith. Can you get hold of that? Paul
says, oh, when God comes looking for me, there's only one place
I want to be found in. The Lord Jesus Christ, no other
answer in him. I'm the very righteousness of
God. And in revelation chapter 22,
would you turn with me there? Verse 11. Verse 11, He that is unjust, unjustified,
unrighteous, let him be unjust still, and that one will spend
eternity unjust. And he which is filthy, let him
be filthy still throughout all eternity, suffering God's wrath. What's it say next? And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. You're righteous right now, you
die righteous, you spend eternity righteous. And he that is holy,
let him be holy still. Now this is the heritage of every
child of God. Believe the gospel. Believe that
you are the righteousness of God. in him. Doesn't the Bible say that? For
he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might
be made, what? The righteousness of God in him. Then shall the righteous shine
forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. Yes, a sinner
can be righteous. A sinner, all sinners who believe
the gospel are righteous before God. Let's pray.