Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nyberg. I want to speak to you this morning
on the righteousness of God. That's a very important term
in the scripture, the righteousness of God. Not talking about human
righteousness, but the righteousness of God. I hope you'll listen
very carefully to this message. In Acts chapter 13, we read in
verse 49, after Paul had preached that message in Antioch, that
the word of the Lord was published, spread throughout all the region. It wasn't simply the apostles
spreading the message, it was the people who heard and believed
that message. They were spreading this message
all over that region. And I love the subject of their
preaching, the word of the Lord. Now what is meant by the word
of the Lord? Well, on the surface, the Word of God, not man's word. Now, that's what I'm interested
in hearing. I'm interested in hearing the Word of God. I'm
interested in hearing the message that is God's message. Paul put it this way in Galatians
1.11, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached
of me is not after man. It's not derived from any human
source. He said, I neither received it
of man Nor was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Now, I don't care anything about Baptist doctrine or Catholic
doctrine or Methodist doctrine. Denominations are man-made in
the first place. I want to hear the Word of God,
and that is what they published, the Word of the Lord. Now, in
the context, they're preaching the message they heard Paul preach.
Now, let me show you how this message ended up. We read in
verse 38 of Acts chapter 13, this is Paul's conclusion to
his message. He says, be it known unto you, therefore, I've said
all of this, so you will know this. This is the conclusion.
This is what I'm leading up to. Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins, and by him All that believe are justified
from all things from which you could not be justified by the
law of Moses. Now here's the message that was
spread throughout this region. This is what they want to be
made known that through this man, through the Lord Jesus Christ,
he's God, Very God of very God, and He is the man Christ Jesus. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus Christ
is God. Jesus Christ is man, the God-man. There was a time when he wasn't
a man, but some 2,000 years ago, he assumed human flesh for a
purpose. He became man for a purpose.
Man sinned. His people are men, He came to
save them from their sins. And for Him to do that, He had
to become man. Through this man, there's one
God, one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Through this man is preached
unto you, is declared unto you the forgiveness of sins. Now, what I need more than anything
else is to have my sins forgiven. I need God to do something about
my sins. I can't make them go away. I
can't make them as if they had not been committed. I need the
forgiveness of sins. Now, listen real carefully to
this statement. The forgiveness of sins is not something God
offers you. You don't offer forgiveness,
you forgive. Big difference. God never offered
anybody forgiveness, and it's up to you to accept it or reject
it. That's foolishness. You don't come into somebody
and say, I'm offering you forgiveness. You never do that in human terms,
and yet people say that about God. No, God forgives. It's not an offer, it's a declaration. You find out your sins have been
forgiven. And they've been forgiven, not
because you asked for them to be forgiven, not because of anything
you did. Let's go on reading. Through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by
him, by him, by what he did, not by what you do, by him, all
that believe are justified. Now, don't miss this. If you're forgiven, it's because
by Him you have been justified. Now, if you're justified, I've
heard preachers say, well, that's just as if you never sinned. No, that's not what justification
is. Justification is you've never
sinned. You stand before God without
guilt before his holy law. That's what justification is.
You remember the publican in the temple crying, God be merciful
to me, the sinner. Christ said, I say unto you,
that man went down to his house justified, justified, without
guilt, spotless before the law of God. Now, this is a great
mystery, but this is the mystery of the gospel, how that God can
be just and justify the ungodly through what Christ did on Calvary's
tree. He put away my sins. He made
me righteous by giving me his righteousness. I now have the
very righteousness of God as my righteousness before God.
2 Corinthians 5.21 says, for he hath made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God. That's true of every believer.
Somebody says, well, how can I know if it's true concerning
me? Well, look what he says, by him all that believe are justified
from all things from which you could not be justified by the
law of Moses. The evidence that God has justified
you is you believe the gospel. You believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the son of the living God. You believe that what he
did is all that's needed to make you perfectly accepted before
God. You rest in him. Now this is
the message that was preached in that region. Now, verse 50,
wherever the gospel's preached, this will take place. But the
Jews, the religious fellas, The same ones the Lord said, you're
of your father the devil and the less of your father you'll
do, the Jews, the people opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
Gentiles were opposed to it too. This is not just singling out
the Jews, but at this time it was the Jews who were raising
up this persecution against Paul and Barnabas. But the Jews stirred
up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city,
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled
them out of their coasts." Now the devout women, the word is
also translated religious women. The religious women, the ones
who were perceived as the good women of the town, the religious
women, the devout women, the honorable women, perhaps wealthy
and influential, and the chief men, the men of first ranking.
These are the men the Jews wanted to stir up to raise up persecution
against the apostle Paul and Barnabas. They knew that these
people would have influence, so they incited them. They stirred
them up to raise persecution against Paul and Barnabas for
this message. The token of God's blessing is persecution. Now, let me repeat that. The
token of God's blessing, the token that the message is the
gospel of God, is persecution. Paul said in Galatians 5.11,
and I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, salvation by law,
why am I suffering persecution? then would the offense of the
gospel be ceased. You see, the offense of the gospel
is the message of pure, free grace. If you preach what works,
you're not going to be persecuted for it. But the promise of the
gospel, the promise of God's blessing comes with it. Persecution. What's the last beatitude? Blessed
are you who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Now remember, the title of this
message, The Righteousness of God. Blessed are you who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake. Now that's a state of blessedness. It's the last of the beatitudes.
Blessed are the poor. Blessed are they that mourn.
Blessed are the meek. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed
are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blessed are you who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Now, what does that mean? What is the Lord speaking of
when he speaks of being persecuted for righteousness' sake? Is he speaking of being persecuted
for your righteous acts and your righteous living? You're living
in such a way, so good, so holy, so righteous that people persecute
you because of that. Is he speaking of you standing
up for what you really believe to be right and people who don't
agree with you persecute you? Is he speaking of standing up
against abortion and same-sex marriages? You stand up against
them and you're castigated for it and despised for it. Is that what he's talking about?
Is he talking about you standing up for some political or moral
issue that you feel very strongly about and someone of the opposite
position persecute you for it? Is that what he's talking about? Is he talking about somebody
living a lifestyle that is so wrong, and so contrary to the
Scriptures. The Bible clearly forbids the
way they are living. And you come up to them and confront
them about it, and let them know the way they're living is wrong,
and they don't take what you say well, and they despise you
and hate you for it, and persecute you for it because of your stand
for righteousness. Is that what the Lord's talking
about? when he says, blessed are they who are persecuted for
righteousness sake. Now listen real carefully to
this statement. Most persecution that goes on is not because of
for righteousness sake, but for self-righteousness sake. You're coming across as a self-righteous,
sanctimonious jerk. And people become upset with
you. That's what the problem is. That's
not being persecuted for righteousness sake. That's being persecuted
for self-righteousness. A sanctimonious self-righteousness
that is just offensive when it comes right down to it. And that
is not at all what the Lord means when he talks about being persecuted
for righteousness sake. Now in Matthew chapter six, the
Lord said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Oh, there's the key. Not seek
ye first the kingdom of God and righteousness or a righteous
life, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. David said in Psalm 71 verse
16, I've made mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. Now, why did David say that?
because there is only one righteousness, the righteousness of God. Isaiah said concerning human
righteousness, and he's speaking of his own too, he said, our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Now you can just write
that down, anything that comes from me or you, in God's sight,
it's nothing more than filthy rags. There's no true righteousness
in it. That's why David said, I've made
mention of thy righteousness, even thine only, because his
righteousness is the only righteousness there is. Now Paul said this
in Romans chapter one, verses 16 and 17. Paul said, I'm not
ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek. For therein, listen to this statement,
for therein in the gospel is the righteousness of God revealed. The righteousness of God. Now,
if you would ask the average person, what is it that the gospel
reveals? Probably the first thing they
would say is the love of God. And indeed, the gospel does reveal
the love of God. Somebody else might say the mercy
of God. Somebody else might say the grace
of God. And I wouldn't speak against those things because
the gospel does reveal those things. But if you understand
the gospel rightly, the first thing the gospel reveals is the
righteousness of God. Now, First of all, this speaks
of his righteous character. God is righteous. He's absolutely just. He hates sin. He is holy. He is righteous. He's altogether He's not like
me and you. He is righteous altogether. He's of two pure eyes to behold
iniquity. God is holy. God is righteous. Now, the gospel reveals his righteousness
in the condemnation of the sinner. Now listen to me real carefully.
This is a hard thing to think about, but it's true. There is
a place called hell. There is a place called hell,
and it's eternal because God's justice is never satisfied with
regard to the sin of the sinner. You see, every one of us are
guilty of murdering his son. You can say, well, I wasn't even
around then. Yeah, but you were in Adam. And everything He did,
you did. And if you were left to yourself,
and if I was left to myself, we would have been murdering
God's Son. We would have been right there with Him, driving
the nails in His hands and His feet. And if you don't believe
that, it's because you don't know yourself. If you know yourself, you'll
know that's so with regard to yourself. And God is absolutely
just in sending a man to hell. It's not a reflection of harshness
or meanness on his part or his character. He's absolutely righteous
in sending a man to hell. That man is getting exactly what
they deserve. Oh, the justice of God in condemnation. And you don't understand this
at all if you don't see that this is what you deserve. This
is what I deserve. I deserve to be cut off by this
righteous, holy, just God. But there's something else that's
revealed in the gospel. His righteousness in salvation. Not simply his mercy. not simply
His grace, not simply His love, but His righteousness in salvation. When God saves a man, He makes
that man deserve His favor. Now, how is that if you say our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags? Well, on Calvary's tree,
Christ took my sin and it became His sin. And He paid the debt. He was cut off by his father. He suffered the wrath of God,
the full equivalent of the wrath of God, something that somebody
in hell can never satisfy because his death can't satisfy the justice
of God, but Christ did. Christ satisfied the justice
of God and his very righteousness is given to every believer, everyone
for whom he died, all of the elect. He made a way for God
to be just, and to justify the ungodly, and now the very righteousness
of God demands their salvation. The law of God. The very law
of God looks at everybody that Christ died for, and the law
declares, not guilty. They're justified. They must
be saved. The gospel reveals the righteousness
of God. Now Paul, said in Romans 3, beginning
in verse 19. Now we know that what thing soever
the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that
every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty
before God. Has your mouth ever been stopped?
You quit vindicating yourself and you quit justifying yourself
and you stand before God guilty as charged. That's a good place
to be because it's only then that you can hear the gospel
when you are guilty as charged. Therefore, Paul says in verse
20, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now
the righteousness of God, there's that term. The righteousness
of God, without the law, without my personal obedience to the
law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
This is what the scriptures always taught, the Old Testament scriptures.
Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe. Now, the righteousness
of God, the faith of Jesus Christ, the perfect obedience of Jesus
Christ is given to everybody who believes the gospel. Now,
those are the people he died for, and what's the evidence
that he died for them? They believe the gospel, and
they have the very righteousness of God. Now, Paul said in Romans
chapter 10, beginning in verse one, brethren, my heart's desire
And prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now, let me say two things about
these people. They were not saved, but Paul
wanted them to be saved. He said, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. He said
in the previous chapter, this is his love to these people he's
talking about. He was talking about his Brethren, the Jews that did not
believe the gospel. He said, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now look
what he says next. I bear them record. They have
a zeal of God. They're very religious. They're
very zealous. They're very sincere. They have
a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. for they being
ignorant of God's righteousness. Now here is the knowledge I must
have that I can't be ignorant of. If I stay ignorant of this,
I will not be saved. God's righteousness. His righteous character, His
righteousness in condemning the sinner, and His righteousness
in saving the sinner. We've already looked at that.
They being ignorant of God's righteousness, and here's what
somebody does when they're ignorant of God's righteousness, they're
going about to establish their own righteousness. They're trying
to work, they're trying to do good things, they're trying to
avoid sin, they're trying to establish a righteousness that
they think will render God obligated to save them. If I do this, God's
gonna have to do that. I'm gonna get this taken care
of, I'm gonna get that taken care of, I'm gonna start living
like this, quit living like that, and I'll be saved. No, you won't. No, you won't. Not according
to Paul. They're going about to establish their own righteousness
and they've never submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
Have you ever submitted to God is righteous, He's right and
you're wrong? Have you ever submitted to His
righteousness and your condemnation? Have you ever submitted to His
righteousness in your salvation? How that your righteousness is
the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He provides the righteousness.
You don't do the providing, He does. Righteousness is not something
you do in order to be accepted by God. Righteousness is Him
giving you His own righteousness to make you the very righteousness
of God. Christ, Paul says, is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Now
if your righteousness goes a hair past Christ, you missed it. Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Now I'd like to close by looking
at a statement Paul made in Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three, beginning
in verse Four, the lie might also have confidence
in the flesh. If any man think he has whereof
he may trust in the flesh, I've got more than him. I was circumcised
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew of the Hebrews, touching the law as a Pharisee. Concerning
zeal, I persecuted the church. I felt like my position was so
right, I wanted to persecute everybody who was of the contrary
position. Touching the righteousness which
is of the law, I was blameless. As far as I could tell, I actually
had kept the Ten Commandments. I was somebody who was so obedient,
the law would look me over. Now he proved he was ignorant
of what the law actually required at this time because he's lost,
but in his loss to the state, he thought, I kept the law. Now
look what he says, but what things were gained to me, I counted
them on the plus side. Those I counted loss. refuse
garbage for Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count all things
but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and do
count them but dung. What I've lost, it wasn't worth
much. It was nothing more than dung
that I may win Christ and be found in Him, and listen to this
statement real carefully, not having my own righteousness. I don't want to have anything
to do with standing before God in my own righteousness, because
I know where that will lead. not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, which is according to my obedience, but
that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith. I don't want to stand in my own
righteousness. I want to stand in the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, the Lord, His perfect righteousness. And the
only way I'm going to have that is if He put away my sin on Calvary's
tree and gave me his righteousness and the evidence that he did
it is that I say with Paul, I don't want to have anything to do with
my own righteousness. I'm trusting his only. I'm not looking anywhere
but Christ alone as my righteousness before the righteousness of God. Now we have this message on DVD
and CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Kniper praying that
God will be pleased to make himself known to you. Amen. To receive
a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request
to todd.kniper at gmail.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.