RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS

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THE MINISTERS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
TOPIC: RIGHTEOUNESS AND HOLINESS
TEXT: Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.  Levi. 20:7
INTRODUCTION:  What is the difference between holiness and righteousness? Is there also applied Righteousness apart from the imputed one? I think reading a few verses that contain both righteousness and holiness might help us understand the difference in these two words.
QUESTIONS/DISCUSSIONS:
RIGHTEOUNESS IS IMPUTED: Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in RIGHTEOUSNESS and true HOLINESS.” Also see (Rom 1:17, 3:22, 4:11, Phil. 3:9). We can’t do anything to be righteous; its only God who can impute righteousness on us.
RIGHTEOUNESS IS DEFINED: RIGHTEOUSNESS: The Greek word for righteousness is “DIKAIOSUNE” and means to be justified or vindicated. To be righteous or just means much more than just being declared innocent. It means that we have been declared right and vindicated before God. This speaks to the truth that we become brand new when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We also read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he (God, the Father) hath made him (God, the Son) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in him.” What a gift from God! He, Himself, has made us brand new and declared us to be justified and vindicated in His sight.
RIGHTEOUSNESS ENABLES HOLY LIVING: No one can be holy without imputed righteousness. 1 John 5:18, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not…” when we receive the righteousness of Christ, we become of the same nature with Him and that nature enables holy living (holiness)
WHAT IS HOLINESS: HOLINESS – The Greek word for holiness is “HOSIOTES” and means to be pious, pure, and godly. Holiness is the outward expression of the righteousness of God in the believer. The decency in our appearance, the courtesy in our words, the excellency in our service, the humility in our conducts and the sincerity in our attitudes are all the expression of the righteousness of Christ in the believer once he is saved.
WHAT IS OUR DUTY AS CHRISTIANS: though the bible says whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, when a believer sins, its because he hasn’t fully discovered and yielded himself to the righteous nature of Christ in him or he deliberately went against his nature therefore the bible warned that we yield ourselves to righteousness (Rom. 6:19), flee from youthful lust (2Tim. 2:22) and be holy in all of our conversations (1Tim 1:15)
CONCLUSION: Righteousness is God’s duty while Holiness is our duty. The day we became born again, the righteousness of Christ was imputed in us so that we can be able to live holy lives. Every day every believer must make conscious efforts to yield and not harden himself against the nature of God in him (righteousness of Christ in him). Always let the righteousness of Christ in you to be expressed in all of your actions and conversations. God bless you.

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