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In 2 Peter 1 - From righteousness to righteousness: Re-created in God’s Image I wrote,
When accused of wrong-doing, Christ said nothing to His accusers.  Having established for the scriptures that the judgements of evil-doers has no weight, He refused to take a defensive stand against them.  Though making it appear like He was legitimizing their judgement, it is defending Himself in their court that would have legitimized their right to make such judgement over Him.  He simply yielded to show the extent to which He would go for the love of His sheep, letting sinners follow through on their sin so that He could follow …

 1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
      To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

 2Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Peter is writing this letter to Christians.  He starts out with the clear message that we have received our faith from Jesus.  Knowing that our faith is our belief in God and obedience to Him, it would seem that we have received our rightouesness through God’s righteousness.  This confirms the writings of Paul, which tell us that by being accounted righteousness for belief, we have the opportunity to be just …

So, here are. The last book in the bible on Righteousness!  I always found it interesting that the very first verse in the bible on righteousness tells us how to get it… believe God, and the 2nd tells us how to use it… obey God.  From there, scripture simply uses the terms, only occasionally referencing back to these two verses.  It’s like God did not assume we knew what righteousness was, and so made sure those first verses would tell us.  This set the stage for the rest of our word study this last year.  Well, now we come to the last book on righteousness, 2 Peter, and wouldn’t you know… God assumes we know what righteousness is by now!

In …

The actual righteousness verse is 1 Peter 2:24, which reads as follows:
24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
It’s a simple verse, but there’s a lot to it.  Primarily, what does Peter mean by living for righteousness?  Is he referring to believing, or to obeying?  In short, to obeying, because he speaking to a crowd that already believes, as he opens in his letter (emphasis mine):
 1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
      To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the …

 13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers …

 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
I’m used to a slightly different translation of verse 20: “Faith without …

 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
In other words, faith is believing God.  So, when we someone in scripture commended for great faith, they are being commended for believing God, who then credits them with righteousness so they can be counted among the rightous.  Their righteousness then manifests as obedience, and there obedience is what everyone saw, and what we read of in scripture.  What I find interesting is that the Old Testament does not often bare witness to these great people’s beliefs, but much more so to their actions.  The manifestation of their righteousnes is what we …

Love and hate. Righteousness and wickedness.  In God is the ability to love righteousness and to hate wickedness, and His Son has inherited this flawless trait…
8But about the Son he says,
   ”Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
      and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
      therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
      by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
With righteousness as his sceptor, Jesus rules in justice.  What is justice?  It is blessing the wicked who turned good; cursing the good who turned wicked.  We tend to value human compassion over God’s justice, when justice is the higher value.

One problem man has is the flaw …

Warning: The following is a bit of a downer, but it is the next passage on righteousness.  I cannot help what the scripture says, but I cannot skip it just because it makes me uncomfortable…
 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6For …

Recall yestereday’s scripture on righteousness in 1 Timothy 6:11…
 3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.  

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 11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Today’s scripture, also an exhortation for Timothy, reads …