Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Diseases have different symptoms, brethren. Some are difficult to, using the symptom, some are difficult to analyze what is the cause. Even though you have some symptoms, you sometimes don't really see what is the cause. And so, not knowing the cause is very difficult to accurately treat it. Now, spiritually speaking, it's the same thing. Certain diseases have symptoms. And the symptoms by themselves are kind of, in a sense, deceitful because they don't tell you what is the real cause. So you've got to dig a little deeper. And sometimes by knowing what some diseases are and some of the symptoms that those diseases have, it may help us identify the actual cause a little bit better. So spiritually speaking, one of the diseases is, for instance, self-righteousness. In self-righteousness, a disease also has some symptoms. Some symptoms that sometimes, by themselves, they don't appear to be related to self-righteousness. So today, brethren, I want to talk about some symptoms of self-righteousness. And what can be done to curb the disease of self-righteousness and to stamp it out by putting in God's righteousness. So the first symptom of self-righteousness ties in very nicely with the sermonette because it is pride in obedience. Pride in obedience. So turn with me, please, very briefly, to Luke chapter 18. And now we have an interesting situation about this Pharisee in verses 11 and 12. As I've stopped reading it, you'll remember the Pharisee. Student prayed, thus with himself, God, I thank you that I am not like any man. Exposions and just adulterous. Or even the steps-collector. And fast twice a day, I did thank, I did tithes for all that I've received. You see, he was proud. He was proud about his obedience.

And therefore, a lot of people associate this attitude of being kind of psycho, being very detailed, obedient, but there was a certain pride attached to it, to that. Now, obviously today, people are a little bit more quote-unquote sophisticated in demonstrating this pride in obedience, such as they might just drop some heat rather than tell it straight. For instance, I don't have all these fine things like other people have, because I give to God. And that's kind of a subtle comment, in a sense there's a bit of pride in it, but it is the same thing. Or, well, I can't have dinner tonight, because I'm fasting. Maybe it could be a little bit of pride in it, not necessarily saying that he's definitely pride, but one has to examine oneself and see if that is the case. So true humility gives no place for self-righteousness. And it ties in very nicely with the sermon, the sermon that we had, because the idea is humility simplifies life. And now we have pride in obedience. It could be a symptomatic of self-righteousness. So yes, we need to do and obey God's laws and do everything, however, we need to strive our best that we're not bragging about it. We've got to be careful with that. But let's look at another symptom. The next symptom that I want to show you is in Genesis chapter 4 verse 13.

And this is the account of Cain.

In chapter 4 verse 13, it says, In Cain say to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. My punishment is greater than I can bear.

In other words, he was saying, God is actually being unfair to me, because I really don't deserve this type of punishment.

And in a sense, it's leading to a position that says, I actually don't need to repent, because the punishment is unfair. I don't deserve it.

Which is basically saying, it's a symptom of self-righteousness. In other words, it's self-pity. Self-pity is a symptom of self-righteousness. You see, what happens is, he does not ask for forgiveness of his self.

Is God so unmerciful? Is God so unmerciful that you could have not forgiven him?

Of course, God could have forgiven him. He come to God, and he repented, and if being truly sorry, he would have received forgiveness. But he felt sorry for himself. And feeling sorry for himself, he had a self-pity, and the self-pity is like a cancer. It eats away inside a person. Destroyes the desire to fight back. In other words, to overcome one's sins. And he becomes therefore self-defeating. It's like saying, well, it's hopeless. It's like that song that says, Kesserah, Serah, will be. You know, rather than change. I can change. I can repent. God opens the door for me to repent and to change. And so, because of self-pity, one can actually be in a position that he does not see that one needs to change, needs to repent. And therefore, does not see his own errors. Does not see what's wrong with him. Now, I want to show you a third symptom of self-righteousness. And this is in Job chapter 27. Job chapter 27.

Let's read verse 6. 27 verse 6. It says, My righteousness, I will hold fast. I will not and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

My righteousness, I'll hold fast. I'm doing the right thing. I'll hold on to what I have. Nobody will let me go out of it because this is the right thing to do. And my heart, my conscience, will not prick me, will not reproach me as long as I live because I'm doing the right thing. I'm self-righteous. He says, He was sure in his mind that he was righteous. And therefore, there was no need to change.

There was no need to repent.

It says, no need to change. There is no need to be teachable, to be taught something else. And so the third symptom here is, when a person is not teachable, because he does not see the need to change. Let's look at another scripture to further illuminate on this example. It is in Jeremiah chapter 2. Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 23. Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 23. And this is about the nation of Judah. Jeremiah is a prophet to the nation of Judah there. And then in verse 23, it says, How can you say, I'm not polluted? God is speaking to the nation, He's saying, how can you say, you've done nothing wrong? I'm not polluted. How can you say, I have not gone after the bias? In other words, pagan gods. How can you say that? In other words, how can you say, I've got nothing to learn, I've got nothing to change, I've got, I don't need to repent. Look a little bit further, in the same chapter, in verse 35.

It says, Yet you say, because I'm innocent, sure these angers shall turn from me. The people are saying, I'm innocent, I've done nothing wrong.

We all outlive my case against you, because you say, I have not said. The people are not acknowledging they've done wrong, they're self-righteous, and therefore they don't see a need to check you.

They don't see a need to open their hand and learn.

They don't see a need to admit that they are wrong, and to open their minds to instruction. So brethren, in this third symptom, is that we need to be teachable. In other words, we need to be weak, pliable.

Now, can you see something interesting in these three symptoms?

Can you see how they tie directly with Jesus Christ's teachings in the Beatitudes?

I have given a few sermons on the first three Beatitudes, as you may recall. But let's look at them in Matthew chapter 5.

Starting verse 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, and that is the humble. There is the ones that are not proud. The ones that want to simplify their lives, for theirs is the kingdom of God. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You see, how many look into God in absolute deep fear and respect, in complete trust, for deliverance? It's the first beautiful attitude that we need to have to be the kingdom of God. And likewise, as far as obedience, we need to have that humility, rather than pride. Because when we have pride in obedience, we're not being humble.

The second Beatitudes in verse 4 says, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Through mourning, based on humility, leads to godly sorrow, leads to repentance. Which action leads to change, and to action. When we mourn for others, we are mourning for the situations. We can't change other people, but we can mourn for others, so we suffer with them. When we mourn for ourselves, we look at what we've done, we see what we've done. It's not self-fitty, but it's actually knowledge in what we've done, and it leads to repentance.

And so, self-fitty, which is a wrong way of looking at ourselves, because you're not really mourning, but you're just mourning to say, oh well, it doesn't make any difference why change, kesirah, kesirah, inhibits repentance. Self-fitty inhibits repentance. So we need true mourning. And thirdly, in verse 5, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, the meek of the gentle, and those that are meek and gentle, they are teachable, they are malleable, they are pliable, they're willing to learn God's way, willing to yield their mouth, in other words, willing to throw away their own preconceived ideas. But if we are not teachable, how can you teach a person that thinks that he's right? How can you teach a person that thinks that he's right? He's not teachable, he's not pliable, he's not meek. So here we see these three Beatitudes in parallel to symptoms of self-righteousness. And that brings us to the fourth Beatitude, which really is blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because it's not self-righteousness, but it's God's righteousness. And so we need to understand a little bit more what is self-righteousness. What is this disease called self-righteousness? What is this malady called self-righteousness? So let's turn first to Job 29. Job 29. In Job 29, we see a man, which was very righteous, to a point that God challenged Satan to say, okay, see what's wrong with this man. But God could see me that what he was doing was good, but it needed to be improved, needed to be fine-tuned. It was good to be righteous, but not to be self-righteous. It needed to be fine-tuned to become God's righteousness. And so we always see in, let's start in verse 7. Verse 7 of Job 29. And let's see what is common here. Now, ask yourself what is common here in verse description. When I came out to the gate by the city, when I took my seat in the open square, the young man saw me and hid, and the age arose and stood. Continuing verse 11. When the year heard, then it blessed me. And when I saw, then it approved me, because I delivered the poor and cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no help her.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sink for joy. And jump to verse 15. I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the land. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case, and I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, and I plucked the victim from his teeth. Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand. My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew duct lies all night on my branch. My glory is fresh within me, and my bowl is renewed in my hand. Men listen to me, and waken, and give silence for my counsel. After my words, they did not speak again, and my speech settled on them as due. For it is calm. Me, myself, and I. Me, myself, and I. He was boasting about himself. Sure, the things he was doing were good, and they should be done. They should not be boasting about himself. And I deliberately jumped verse 14, because I want to go to verse 14 now. It says, I put on righteousness.

You know, it was self-righteousness, not God's righteousness. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was like a road and a turban. You see, he put on righteousness. He put on justice. Good! We all need to do that. But you and I need to be careful that it's not self-righteousness. That's why he said in the chapter before ourselves, we read earlier on, in chapter 27, verse 6, he says, my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live. In Job 27, verse 6. In other words, my conscience will not prick me that I haven't done something that I should have done. I've got a clear conscience.

Now, correct, brethren. Yes.

The conscience is pricking. But the conscience needed to be changed and cleansed because there was something wrong. God could see what was wrong. You see, our hearts need to be sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus Christ, as we read in Hebrews. See, when we say, I'm not let my hand out of this, we've got to be careful whether it is ours versus God's world. We've got to be careful. Because what is our righteousness before God? Turn with me to Isaiah, chapter 64, verse 6. Isaiah, chapter 64, verse 6. Our righteousness before God, it says, yeah. But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags. Our righteousness is like a filthy rag, a filthy cloth, dirty, smelly, yucky before God.

The problem is, if we can't see it, we don't let it go.

And that's why we need to start looking at some of these symptoms. It says, are there some of these symptoms there? A little bit, because they point to the real cause.

And so, do we have any pride in obedience? Do we have any self-pity?

Do we have any lack of teachability? Maybe, maybe we have a little problem of self-righteousness.

We need to understand very clearly what's the difficulty in self-righteousness, God's righteousness. Paul describes it very clearly. Turn with me to Philippians, chapter 3. Philippians, chapter 3. And verses 4 to 8.

Philippians, chapter 3, verses 4 to 8. I had the wrong book, sorry. That's right. I didn't read correctly when I was reading. That's not it. Philippians, chapter 4. I almost said Philippians. I've turned to Ephesians, so I almost said it. Philippians, chapter 3, verse 4. So it says, Though I may have confidence in the flesh, though I may have that feeling I've done the right thing, I am correct in the flesh. If anyone else thinks that he may have confidence in the flesh, I am also. I, Paul, can have more confidence in any of you from things that I have done physically speaking, because I was circumcised the next day. I am of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, which is the smallest tribe of Benjamin, but I'm right there. A Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee. In other words, I am of the most respected, quote-unquote, group of religious leaders of that time. Concerning zeal, nobody must criticize me concerning zeal. I am very zealous, as we know, to the point that I persecuted the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blindness. And it's important to understand, there's not just the righteousness in the law, but the righteousness in the law that the Jews had added, he was blameless, in the editions. So, Yahweh was saying that, you know, if anybody can have confidence in the flesh, I can. But what things were gained to me? These I have counted loss for Christ. All these things I've done, that could say, well, I could pat myself on the back. It says, I counted loss for Christ. Yes, yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things, and I count them as rubbish. I count them as doneg, that I may gain trust.

You see, it listed all the things that it could be, or feel self-righteous about. But in real life, those things were nothing, like filthy rags, like filthy rags, like we saw in Isaiah.

In verse 9, I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, not having my own self-righteousness, which is from the law, which is from obeying and practicing and doing all the things exactly right, and having all the tips absolutely correct, but that which is through the faith of Christ.

In other words, the righteousness which is from God by faith. By faith.

It was not having my own righteousness, but having the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, which is what Christ did. He had absolute faith in the Father, and because He had absolute faith in the Father, He came to earth. He was prepared to die. That faith He had, that gave us the righteousness which is given to us, which comes from God by that faith of Christ.

Before Paul's conversion, he was self-righteous.

After Paul's conversion, he became filled with God's righteousness. As a result of the faith that Christ had in him, and that Christ has in us, He has given us the same opportunity.

Look at another example here of Paul in Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Now he's not talking about himself, but he's talking about the Jews. Romans chapter 10 verse 1 and 2. I'm trying to explain what is this self-righteousness versus God's righteousness. Brethren, says Paul in chapter 10. My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Paul was saying, I am speaking the truth, and God knows that my real desire in my heart is that these fellow men, the people that lived here with me, the Jews, they all may be saved. For I bear them witness, I am their witness, I testify for them, that they have a zeal for God. It's like I was saying, you know, my wish is that all these Christians around here, all these Christians may be saved. Because I can say that a lot of these Christians are zealous for God, and they are zealous for God. There's some very good Christians around us, like there were very good Jews around Paul. And you could say, they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they be ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness. They are ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, that are striving, they're trying hard. Yes, they're trying hard. They're seeking to establish their own righteousness. And because of that, they have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Now, that's quite something. Quite something. Because we've got to be careful that we may not be in the same, trying to do the same thing. Trying to seek to establish our own righteousness. And in process, we may not be submitting to the righteousness of God. Because Christ is the fulfillment. Christ is the end, the fulfillment, the example, the ultimate of the law for righteousness. Christ is our righteousness to everyone who believes.

Christ is the only way to God's righteousness. Not saying that I must not try my best and do my best, sure, but it's like a fine tuning into this understanding of righteousness. That it says, whatever I do, it's done. I've got to do it, but whatever I do is done because I have to rely on Christ living in me and becoming a new person, a new man like Christ. And then, He is the end of the law. He is the full fulfillment of the law. He is the full righteousness when He's living in us. Now, that's interesting. So now, let's look at the example of Christ when He lived on earth. Because when He was a human being, He was subject to the same difficulties and stresses and pressures like you and I. So, let's look at His example in John 5. John 5, verse 19. John 5, verse 19. Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can't do nothing of Himself. Even Christ, when He was a human being, He recognized that His own self-righteousness was nothing. Nothing.

But what He sees the Father do, for every does, the Son also does, in that manner. So He's doing what the Father does, and that's what we need to do. We need to do what the Son did. We need to have Christ living in us, and then we have the true righteousness of God. You see, Christ did not trust in His own power to be righteous. But rather, He prayed without seizing and asked God for His, God's, righteousness. He seeked God's righteousness. That's what you and I need to seek. Remember, Matthew 6, 33, probably a memory scripture that you know of by heart. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek first the Kingdom of God, that is the goal, and the how-to to that goal is His righteousness.

It's a constant battle. It's a constant battle because it requires daily contact with God through prayers and Bible study. Having God and Christ in you requires contact with God, daily contact through His Spirit. As God lives in you and in me, His righteousness will then replace self-righteousness. Therefore, the next beatitude in Matthew 5, after we work on the other three of humility, of mourning to repentance and being teachable, the next beatitude, in a sense, it's life. An extra layer in that onion scheme that one builds on the next one, they are cumulative, or they are one after the other. After that, it says, once you are humble, once you are mourning in the right way, leading to repentance, and therefore you are now teachable and are willing to repent, now hunger for God's righteousness. Hunger and thirst for His righteousness.

For those who hunger and thirst for God's righteousness, they shall be fervent. Do you feel unfilled, unsatisfied, unappreciated, unfulfilled? It says, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be fooled. A deep appetite and thirst for God's righteousness is the only way to be fulfilled. You and I cannot seek happiness and find it.

There's only one way for true Godly happiness. The way it says that how you will be fulfilled through God's righteousness. Look at what Israelites were seeking in Isaiah 55.

Verse 1-3. Oh, everyone who thirsts comes to the waters to be fooled, right? Because when you're hungry, you're not fooled. When you're thirsty, you feel the need, so you need to be fooled. So everyone who thirsts comes to the waters. Of the Holy Spirit, of course. And you who have no money, come by and eat. Because you don't need money. Yes, come by wine and milk without money and without price. It's a free gift, the Holy Spirit. Why do you spend money for that, for what is not bread? And your wages for what does not satisfy. It is not for. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and let your soul delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me, hear, and your soul shall live. And I'll make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David.

It's an everlasting promise that God says He'll do with us. And then, but further down in verse 6, Seek the Lord while He may be found. Brethren, the Lord today can still be found. There may be a day that might be too late for some of us. So we've got to seek while He may be found. Call upon Him while He's near. Let the wicked forsake His way and unrighteousness His thoughts. Let Him return to the Lord, repent, be teachable, and hunger and thirst for righteousness. And He will have mercy on Him. That's what the kind should have done. And to our God, for it will abundantly pardon. For God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are Your ways God's ways. This is the Lord. You see, we need to seek God while there's a chance. Now, do the Pharisees seek God? Yes, they did. That's what we read in Romans early on. They were jealous for God. But not with understanding. You see, the Pharisees were super obedient. But Jesus Christ with His thoughts there. For one, they didn't have the Holy Spirit. And God gives His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. That's in Acts 5.32. So what was the problem? What was the problem? Why did Christ criticize the Pharisees? The answer is when Christ hit the cracks, the real, the hit on the head, the problem. And Yah is in Matthew 23.23. Matthew 23.23. Also a memory scripture that you may, must I mention the verse? 23.23. You immediately knew what it was, but let's read it. Matthew 23.23. Woe to scrubs and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of men and anise and cometh. Those are tiny little things. You pay tithe yourself righteous in those tiny little things. By the way, He says, you should, you ought to have done anyway. And it is not saying that you must not do that. You pay tithe of these little things and have neglected the weightier matters of the Lord. Justice, mercy and fight. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. This is a problem. When we get so picky about certain items or things in obedience, which we have to obey, but sometimes in our attitude and our motive, we become so picky the way and the approach we do it and we bring it across, then there is no justice and there's no mercy to other people. And we're not doing it in faith. And that we said, you are neglecting. They were forgetting what was fair, what was just, what was justice to other people. They were forgetting mercifulness. And they did not see the need of absolute trust in God in certain situations. And so they did not see the weightier matters of the law. What is the end of the law? What is the purpose of the law? 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 5 to verse 8. 1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy chapter 1.

Verse 5. Now the purpose of the commandment is life. The end of the law is love. 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 5. The end of the law is love. The purpose of the law is genuine, outgoing, concern and love. From a pure heart can a good conscience. A good conscience. You see, the conscience can be bad. The conscience can be trained. A good conscience. And from sincere faith. From which some having strayed have turned aside to idle talk.

You's not stalking. Desiring to be teachers of the law. Being picky in little things. Count to verse, count to that, count to that, count to that, that, that, that, that, that, pick. And they forget mercy and genuine love. And I'm not saying we've got to break the law. Please, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, you've got those little things you ought to have done, but you also must not forget the weightier matters of the law. That's what Christ's talking about. So they're designed to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things that they affirm. For we know that the law is good if one, if, if one uses it lawfully.

Which means you can use the law unlawfully. That's a problem I've seen. You've got to be careful that we don't use the law unlawfully. You know, Christ just after the foot washing, He said, Love one another, and by this you'll know that you're two Christians, by the love that you have for one another.

You see, you have as a further, let's call it fine-tuning, to the symptoms of self-righteousness. If your application of righteousness leads you to a point that you say, Other people are not showing love to me, because I believe I shouldn't be doing this, and other people are not showing love to me, shouldn't it be? How can I show love towards others? If our application of righteousness separates or minimizes Christian fellowship, when so righteous, in certain things, that it minimizes or creates a situation in which you can't have Christian fellowship because of your overly righteous approach of the Lord, then there's something wrong with that.

I'm talking about a fine-tuning of this understanding of righteousness. In other words, if that neglects the deeper spiritual issues of justice, of mercy, and faith, then there's a problem. And we ought to look at that. We ought to look at that. Then maybe we need to re-examine ourselves, because maybe we still have a little bit of self-righteousness in us.

Because, after all, God looks at the heart and intent and motive. So, let's look at that very carefully. Let's look at some instructions of Jesus on this issue in John 6. John 6. Verse 24. John 6, verse 24. And then the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor is the disciples. And they also got into bouts and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, Rabbi, where did you come here?

And Jesus said, Master, surely I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were full. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting, and it was to eternal life, to everlasting life. Which, you know, it was which, there was this eternal life, which, the eternal life, the Son of Man will give you.

Yes, the Son of Man will give you. Jesus Christ will have the power to give us eternal life or not. That's how powerful He is. Because the Father, God the Father has set His seal on me, God has given Him that authority. And then, jump a little bit further to verse 35.

And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and who believes in me shall never thirst. We need to hunger and thirst for righteousness. God's righteousness is Christ. Christ is the end of the law, is the performer of the law. He is the true bread and the true drink that you and I need to have. And then, a little bit further down in verse 53.

Most surely I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood as eternal life, and I'll raise him up at the last day. He has the power to do so. My flesh is food in need, and my blood is drinking in need. And in verse 63, it is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak, and it's the Word of God.

It is the words. The words that I speak. You know, it was the Bible. As we read the Bible, as we study, we read these words. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are eternal life. Christ living in us through the words, through our Bible study, through us having contact with Him, prayer and Bible study, through us being teachable and moldable and malleable, He can live in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We become more and more like Him, and therefore, that is God's true righteousness.

Look how Paul put it in Hebrews chapter 10. In Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 19. Therefore brethren, having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. You know, we can go, when we pray, we can have direct access to the very throne of God, the holiest of holies. Because of the blood of Jesus, because He has paid for us and He reconciled us, we've got access.

Now, look in verse 20. By a new and living way. It's a new way. It didn't exist before. People don't understand that. It's a new and living way, which, because it created for us, it's a new way. It's not our own self-righteousness. It's this righteousness that we have through Christ, by having Him living in us and us behaving like He wants us to do. Through the veil, there is His flesh, and we are part of His body. The flesh that we need, the fossil, is that flesh, part of that body. And having our eyes reached over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.

Yes, a conscience can be bad, and we need to wash our hearts so that we have a good, clean conscience. And our bodies washed with pure water. Let us all fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He will promise His faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir through love and good works. Outgoing concern, outgoing concern. Not forsiking the assembling of ourselves together. And it was putting into practice the opportunity of being assembled one ourselves together. As the manner of some is, in the self-righteousness, they forsake assembling one's self, themselves together.

But exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully, after we have received this knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains to set the fast of the sins. Wow! Wow! See, there's no other way for God's righteousness. Paul lived this new and living way with the power of Christ living in Him. Watch how Paul did it in Galatians 2, verse 20.

Galatians 2, verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in Him. In the life which I am living in flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Paul lived this new and living way with the power of Christ in Him. He had contact with God, and had contact with God, gave Him the righteousness that He manifested daily.

But one inhibitor to God's righteousness is our self-righteousness. The self-righteousness is disease, a spiritual cancer that prevents healthy, godly righteousness. So beware of these very symptoms of this disease. Pride in obedience, self-pity, lack of teachability. Be meek, hunger and thirst for God's righteousness. Don't try to establish your own. Watch the symptoms of this disease. Submit to the righteousness of God. Pray and ask for it. Seek God's righteousness, which is a way to be fulfilled and happy.

Sprinkle your hearts from a conscience which could be evil and wash it with Jesus' blood. Remember the weightier matters of the law, just as mercy and faith. Remember that the end of the law is love. Love is outgoing, not incoming. Love by every word of Christ, because they are spirit and they are life. Strive to have the same love that God had for Christ. Strive to live this new and living way of Christ living you and I.