Righteousness 101 (cont)

Quick Review:
Sin: = a violation of divine law(s)/doing right - violation = wrongness

Opposite of Sin?
Righteousness:  the state or condition of being right, doing right

Word often used of God because He is Right!!  Psm. 4:1, 145:17, Ezra 9:15

Word sometimes used of man/men... when he is right
Individual - Gen. 6:9   group - Psm. 1:6, 34:17

Last week - distinguished between 2 kinds of Righteousness:

#1.  Positional Righteousness = in right standing, position, relationship with God
Illustration:  The Bridge.
IF haven't crossed, then = state of wrongness!!

#2.  Practical Righteousness = proper action, behavior, practice of doing what's right.
Illustration:  Path, way
If not in the path... then in a state of wrongness!
The two should not be separated, should be one and the same.

Question:  can you have 1 without the other?
Answer = yes, at least - to some degree

Can a person be saved and act lost?  example:  David  (with Bathsheba)
Can a person be lost and act saved?  Matt. 7:21-23

Illustration:  fatherhood - ie:  can man be biological father and not act it?
                                           can man not be biological father and yet act it?

Note:  (1)  We are called to both kinds of righteousness.
          (2)  One should lead to the other
So:  Matt. 5:6  (which? = both)   Matt. 6:33  (which? = both)

Is a 3rd. Category of Righteousness:  Self-Righteousness  Luke 18:9-14

Pharisee's view = "my behavior is (1) pleasing to God   (2)  sufficient for entry into His presence, Heaven
Paul =Pharisee =>  Phil. 3:4-6, Acts 26:5
Paul's discovery = Rom. 3:20-24 - law showed how short he came - only way can ever come into God's presence is if God makes the way.
Publican view = "my behavior is (1) far short of what it should be   (2)  insufficient for entry into His presence, Heaven

Result???  Luke 18:14 - everyone who humbles himself will be saved.  We don't get there because we're good, but because God is good.
ie:  proper recognition of self and of God.

APPLICATION:
So, what does it take to go from Self righteousness to Positional righteousness?

#1.  Three Elements:
       C - Content - Rom. 10:14 - have to know gospel, need specific revelation
       A - Assent - Agreement
       T - Trust - James 2:19 - surrender - my Savior and my Lord

#2.  Three Agents:
     (1)  You - (the Christian) - Christians have the Content - Rom. 10:14
     (2)  Holy Spirit - must bring the conviction, the persuasion, the agreement
     (3)  The Pharisee - who's willing to recognize, admit, decide, trust, and CROSS!!!

Self-Righteous is where the majority of American people are today.  Believe in God, even the Trinity, but think reason will be in Heaven is because of their good works.  "I'm as good as those others, and maybe better than most.  Therefore I'm good enough to get into heaven."