Reference: Romans 10:1-4
Looking up the definition for the wordrighteousness we find that it means a quality or condition of being righteousor just. Our above text tells us that Israel was ignorant concerning God'srighteousness and went about to establish their own righteousness. We find alsothat Israel failed to submit themselves unto the righteousness of God. Whatmost people fail to realize is that the gospel of Christ reveals what therighteousness of God is and that we must submit ourselves to this righteousnessor else we will not truly know Christ in the power of his resurrection. Paultells us that Israel failed to submit themselves unto God's righteousness andwent about to establish their own righteousness. This is yet true today withmost people. The greatest majority of people will not receive and walk in thelight of the truth of the gospel because they would have to make a drasticchange in their way and habits of life. Failing to receive and walk in thetruth of God's word of the gospel will mean that you fail to submit yourselfunto God's way of life. Many thousands of people will fail to walk in the lightof the truth of the gospel because the truth will reveal that they are notwhere they think they are in the sight of God. To walk in the light of truthwill crucify the lusts and desires of the flesh and for this reason most peoplefail to receive it. The apostle Paul tells us that Israel had a zeal for Godbut not according to knowledge, meaning that Israel failed to walk in the truthas it was being revealed to them. We can see in the scriptures that Israelfailed to receive Christ when he began his earthly ministry.
The word of Godtells us that Christ came to his own but they received him not. (John 1:11) Christ came tothis earth for the sole purpose of revealing himself to his own people Israel,but they rejected him as being their Messiah and King. The reason why theyrejected him was because he taught them different from the way that Moses hadtaught them. Before Christ came to this earth and revealed truth, Moses was theone that God had revealed the law to. When Jesus came preaching the gospel,this was found to be opposed to what the law had revealed and so the people ofIsrael rejected his teachings. The leaders of the churches at the time thatChrist came and began preaching, would not allow any of their members toreceive and follow Jesus, because he taught them different from what the law ofMoses had taught. The religious leaders of Christ's day was nothing more than abunch of Pharisee hypocrites, because they confessed to know the law of Mosesbut they were actually ignorant of it which was proven by the fact that Mosesin his writings spoke about the coming of Christ and his redemptive work. Ifthose religious leaders were of God and knew and obeyed the law of Moses likethey said they did then they would have known about Christ and would haveaccepted him as their Messiah and King. When Christ came and began teaching thetruth, the religious leaders found out that he was teaching a way that wasdirectly opposed to the law of Moses. Obedience to the law of Moses revealedwhat is the righteousness of the law. The Old Testament covenant would make aperson righteous only as far as the flesh was concerned. The law could not makea person perfect no matter how close it was obeyed. The Bible tells us that ifthe law could bring forth righteousness in respects to the condition that Godrequired, then there would be no need for Christ to come and die on a cross forthe sins of mankind. Christ came and revealed a perfect redemption plan thatwill perfect man if they receive and walk in the light of the truth that itreveals. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:17 that within the gospel ofChrist is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith. God revealshis righteousness to those that will receive and walk in the truth of his holyword. The church world today is ignorant of what God's righteousness is andhave went and established their own righteousness just like Israel did. Toestablish your own righteousness means that you fail to walk in the truth ofthe gospel and try to obey the laws of the Ten Commandments to the best of yourability. Using the law as your justifier and guide will not justify you in thesight of God. We are told that the just shall live by faith. To live by faithmeans to live by and obey the truth of the gospel. The church today willabsolutely not receive and walk in the light of the truth of the truth that thegospel of Christ reveals. This is because they are not willing to live thatkind of life. Satan has them thinking that a simple belief in Christ is allthere is to salvation and redemption of the soul. The very word of God tells usthat we must submit ourselves unto God's righteousness or else we will not bejustified in his sight. It is a very easy thing to reject truth. Failing towalk in the truth will automatically cut you off from God. God can only save usif we receive and walk in the light of his revealed word of truth. The world isfilled with false prophets and teachers saying that nobody can live withoutsin, but the word of God reveals the very opposite. Anybody that fails toreceive and walk in the truth is actually saying that they don't want to followChrist. Jesus tells us that strait and narrow is the way that leads to eternallife and few there be that find it. God's righteousness is revealed onlyto them that walk in the truth and obeys it. We can only be justified in God'ssight by our walking in and receiving the revealed truth of the gospel ofChrist. The church world today has blasphemed the truth by their direct refusalto receive the truth and obey it. The truth concerning water baptism in thename of Jesus Christ is rejected and spoken evil of by the greatest majority ofpeople today. Speaking evil of truth is the sin that is unforgivable. Jesuswarned about blasphemy against the Holy Ghost in his word, but the averageperson is void of what the Bible reveals thus making them a candidate to becomea blasphemer. Satan has blinded the mind of most people keeping them ignorantof what the gospel truly reveals. The very word of God tells us that God'speople are destroyed because of the lack of knowledge. The word of God alsoreveals that fools despise wisdom and knowledge. So if you despise theknowledge of truth, then you are proven to be a fool in the sight of AlmightyGod. The average person today will not stand still long enough to be taughtfrom the gospel, because they are led to believe that they are already bornagain christians prepared and ready for what they call heaven. The truth of thegospel will either be joy to your soul or else it will utterly cut you like aknife. The apostle Peter tells us that the word will be a stumbling stone and arock of offence to them that have failed to walk in the light of it. But tothem that receive and walk in it, the word is precious. This is why Paul saysthat Christ has come to be of no effect to them that has been circumcised.Circumcision is to reject the truth and try to live righteous in your own powerand ability.....