Biola Broadcaster - 1973-06

of all His creation. There are many who pervert Scripture and say that surely God will let man get by His judgment on some lower scale, such as. human good works. Such a view comes from the pit of hell itself. Finally, there are those who lead others astray with the thought that men can reach heaven with­ out the sacrifice of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will substitute such things as rites and ceremonies, church membership, ordinances, sacraments, and the like. Such will never avail for man's redemption. These are all danger­ ously heretical views. They fall far short of a true characterization of the righteousness of God. These false teachings were abroad in Paul's day as well as being exceed­ ingly prevalent in our day, too. True Christianity is the unswerving avoidance of any of these pitfalls. The Word of God leads us on a straight road and will keep us from any side pitfalls. God must demand righteousness because the very nature of His be­ ing requires it. Since no individual can ever provide that which God demands, through His supreme love He has provided for all men equally through Jesus Christ. To­ day it is the hand of God which holds out the righteousness of the Lord for us to see. If you do not see anything in His hand, I ask you to look at the hand itself. There you will see the print of a nail where it was pierced. By faith, put forth your own hand and touch that wound. When you do you will know that there is manifestated the righteousness of God. This is evidence you can see. The hand will not strike you in judgment because itself was struck in judg-

tory and the explanation of much of what has happened before the time of Christ. It shows the prin­ ciples prevailing in God's dealing with man since the Saviour came. Oh that we might avow with the great Apostle, "T want to be found in Christ; not having my own right­ eousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." The book of Philippians sets forth God's wonderful program of sal­ vation. It is not our own righteous­ ness that will suffice, for this is nothing more than filthy rags, but rather that which is imputed to us, given as a free gift, by God Him­ self, through Jesus Christ. While the lawwas given by God to Moses, yet grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. What a difference between the law as over against God's grace. Paul well reminded the Ephesians, "Now ye who also once were far off are made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ" (2:13). Christ saved us with an holy calling, not accord­ ing to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace (II Tim­ othy 1:9). It is a wonderful thing to know that the righteousness of God is revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is possible to group all false teaching and her­ esies under three headings. First of all, there is the departure from the fact that God is all righteous. This includes those who errone­ ously hold that because God is love His righteousness is going to take second place. Therefore, there can be no eternal punishment or final dealing with sin. Then there is a departure from the fact that God must demand righteousness

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