Breastplate of Righteousness
We have taken up the shield of faith, and now it is time to realize the importance of the breastplate of righteousness.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, Ephesians 6:14 NIV
Stand firm against the accusations of the accuser of the brethren:
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
It is Finished
When I taught the youth at my church, the one thing God impressed upon me was to teach them about the finished work of Jesus Christ. I told them, before you read the Word of God, speak these three words out loud. “It is Finished”
30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 NIV
The fulfillment of the law that bound us to our sin was finished. He paid the price for our righteousness! To the last penny. There is nothing we need to do to earn it, and if we continue to try we are discounting His awesome sacrifice.
Why do we fight against believing we are righteous in Christ Jesus. That we have obtained the righteousness of God in Christ…did you hear that? Go back and take that in. The righteousness of God.
How righteous is God? Here is the answer:
Completely righteous and free from guilt and sin. Completely! Our souls should rejoice in what He has done:
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 NIV
Betrothed to Righteousness
When I married my husband I completely changed my name. I left my old name at the altar of that church when I said I do. When we say I do believe Christ died to cleanse me of all guilt and sin, our very name is changed from sinner to righteous one!
2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Jehovah Tsidkenu is the Hebrew name of God that means The Lord our Righteousness. This name is found in Jeremiah.
6 In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:6 NKJV
So what are you calling yourself? I have the privilege of using my husband’s name which establishes me as his wife. We are the church, “church “R” us” as my pastor used to say. The church is the bride of Christ. Not the bride to be. But the bride. We are betrothed. To betroth is to give in marriage. Betrothed is the past tense of betroth. It is finished. He has given us His name. His name is who He is.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth. Isaiah 54:5
He presents us Holy and Righteous to Himself, a perfect bride. Here He commands husbands to love their wives as He loves the church.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
Put it On
What good would it do if I didn’t wear my wedding ring? Who would know that I was married? Or, what if I didn’t acknowledge my husband when someone asked my marital status? In the same way we need to put on righteousness, and acknowledge that we are a bride made righteous by Jesus Christ Himself.
When Job defended Himself to His accusers He spoke the following:
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban. Job 29:14 NIV
Job did not know the Savior, but He knew God as His righteousness. How much more should we boast in the righteousness obtained in salvation.
We need to put on it on. (Ephesians 4:24)
Take this verse and submit it to memory and meditation. Read it, Write it, and Speak it over yourself. You were an old sinner, but now you are the Righteous saved by grace. A divine exchange has taken place. When thoughts from the accuser of the brethren, our enemy shouts guilty old sinner we need to shout back our new name.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 1 Corinthians 5:21
1 Corinthians 5:21
Beloved, we are righteous! ❤ Melinda
Another Samaritan Woman 