Righteousness

toLiJC

Senior Member
Jun 18, 2012
3,041
227
✟35,877.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
I know I'm not righteous. But the problem is I don't think I ever will be. I Iived/live a terrible sinful life. Looking back on all my sins I feel disgusted with myself. I feel like I could have done better. I'm so confused with being on the right path. I think it's too late for me. I think I'm going to hell . There's no justification. (Wisdom is justified by her deeds) I want to be a true Christian. Nah I just want to be real.. i don't want to be a hypocrite....the fire is there. I know I love the Lord. I just don't know who I am anymore.. or how to be righteous...and live for the Lord...i have the fire in me though...the passion to live for the Lord is there..i read my bible sometimes though some of the stuff in there is too much for me to comprehend. And I forget a lot. I don't pray much. I never really lived that Christian lifestyle. You know. But I always claimed that I love God. Though my actions never really showed it....and I guess I'm starting to wake up and see that I'm not living right. I guess my question is how does one become righteous or live truly for the Lord?

being righteous means thinking about salvation for all humans/souls, overall salvation to abundant and eternal life in the true Lord God, being on His side in the struggle for it, or working for it...

at one time or another in their life each of the true Saints had to start practicing the faith for the first time...

Blessings
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jenniferdiana
Upvote 0

Shempster

ImJustMe
Supporter
Dec 28, 2014
1,560
786
✟258,881.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
In my view, being righteous is not about believing the right things and following church rules.
Being righteous is about thinking of others as better than yourself. It is about not resisting an opponent, but treating them with respect and love. Looking to meet a need and expecting nothing in return.

Loving those who love you doesn't get you brownie points. Even the evil love their own.
Righteousness is tested on how much you love those who don't love you and mistreat you. Those who have a different religion than you. Those that have different political and social views.
It is only by thinking this way that one could possibly be considered blameless.
Go read Matthew 5 again. It's right there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jenniferdiana
Upvote 0

salt-n-light

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Aug 8, 2017
2,607
2,526
32
Rosedale
✟165,859.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Celibate
I know I'm not righteous. But the problem is I don't think I ever will be. I Iived/live a terrible sinful life. Looking back on all my sins I feel disgusted with myself. I feel like I could have done better. I'm so confused with being on the right path. I think it's too late for me. I think I'm going to hell . There's no justification. (Wisdom is justified by her deeds) I want to be a true Christian. Nah I just want to be real.. i don't want to be a hypocrite....the fire is there. I know I love the Lord. I just don't know who I am anymore.. or how to be righteous...and live for the Lord...i have the fire in me though...the passion to live for the Lord is there..i read my bible sometimes though some of the stuff in there is too much for me to comprehend. And I forget a lot. I don't pray much. I never really lived that Christian lifestyle. You know. But I always claimed that I love God. Though my actions never really showed it....and I guess I'm starting to wake up and see that I'm not living right. I guess my question is how does one become righteous or live truly for the Lord?

You are a child of God, just from believing in Him. So think about children. Are they always perfect? Do they obey all the time to their parents? No, but they are still their child. Even if they throw a tantrum in public, and shame their parents in front of others, people would say " that child is unruly, I hope the dad quiets him down", but the kid is still their child. The child even when they are bad, gets corrected and fears their parents. The child honors the parents through obedience and showing of gratitude. When among friends they are not ashamed of pointing out their parents, a kid faces lights up when the parent they love shows up, in good and bad times. A kid that loves their parents would talk about them, because they are in mind and want others to know how great they are. Any parent face lights up whenever their child does that.That's how a child is in right standing with their parents. That's how you know you're in right standing with the Heavenly Father.
 
Upvote 0

Blade

Veteran
Supporter
Dec 29, 2002
8,165
3,989
USA
✟629,996.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
"I know I'm not righteous."

This is not true. See every believer is 100% in right standing with the Father because we BELIEVE in Jesus "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,"

See... HE IS... no matter how you feel what you do.. good bad.. your the GREATEST believer..your the worse.. you fall more then all.. HE IS FAITHFUL! No matter what HE IS ALWAYS with you ALWAYS loves you ALWAYS for you NEVER against you..and in the FATHERS eyes as He sees US through Jesus.. its JESUS... everything we are and do..all the GOOD ...its JESUS..

When this is all over.. those we read about laying down there crowns? Its US... for EVERYTHING.. was because of this lamb...praise GOD glory to Jesus.. and He LOVES to GIVE AND GIVE AND GIVE and bless and on and on WOW PRAISE GOD..

See.. I too as many here felt the same way. I was going to give up.. walk away.. all I do is sin..and then thats all I SEE (did). Then HE asked me "what is righteousness?" Its right standing with GOD. "how do you get righteousness?" By believing in Jesus :) So.... its NOT how YOU see you.. how does your FATHER see you? THATS the real you! Your SPIRIT was made NEW...all not some ALL things become new. Your spirit can never sin...it was BORN of GOD.. the flesh will.. it has not changed.. we dont always have to sin...but we do at times.

So get up dust off...keep going.. forgive your self... this is faith.. you have to take ALL this by faith! Just receive it lol in JESUS name
 
Upvote 0

Symph

Active Member
Jul 6, 2017
313
303
39
NASHVILLE
✟90,871.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
"I know I'm not righteous."

This is not true. See every believer is 100% in right standing with the Father because we BELIEVE in Jesus "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,"

See... HE IS... no matter how you feel what you do.. good bad.. your the GREATEST believer..your the worse.. you fall more then all.. HE IS FAITHFUL! No matter what HE IS ALWAYS with you ALWAYS loves you ALWAYS for you NEVER against you..and in the FATHERS eyes as He sees US through Jesus.. its JESUS... everything we are and do..all the GOOD ...its JESUS..

When this is all over.. those we read about laying down there crowns? Its US... for EVERYTHING.. was because of this lamb...praise GOD glory to Jesus.. and He LOVES to GIVE AND GIVE AND GIVE and bless and on and on WOW PRAISE GOD..

See.. I too as many here felt the same way. I was going to give up.. walk away.. all I do is sin..and then thats all I SEE (did). Then HE asked me "what is righteousness?" Its right standing with GOD. "how do you get righteousness?" By believing in Jesus :) So.... its NOT how YOU see you.. how does your FATHER see you? THATS the real you! Your SPIRIT was made NEW...all not some ALL things become new. Your spirit can never sin...it was BORN of GOD.. the flesh will.. it has not changed.. we dont always have to sin...but we do at times.

So get up dust off...keep going.. forgive your self... this is faith.. you have to take ALL this by faith! Just receive it lol in JESUS name
I really love everything you said and totally agree, I just want to add that belief will always bear fruit. I just... I don't want anyone thinking it's as simple as tucking belief in Jesus in your back pocket, and being willing to say "oh yeah I believe in Jesus" when someone asks you. True believe is gonna change how you live even if it's just a little bit, even if it just means you feel excited at the sound of His name, even if it just means you can't enjoy certain things you used to because you wouldn't want to hurt him, whatever it is, true belief will have some sort of fruit. And the reason I think it's important to add that is because some people might SAY they believe in Jesus, but never give it a thought, and they could end up being one of the ones "he never knew".

But as long as the belief is real and it causes SOME kind of change in you, yes I agree with everything you said that's how it works.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jenniferdiana
Upvote 0

Jenniferdiana

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jan 7, 2016
1,890
1,212
louisiana
✟174,739.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I really really wish I knew what God really thinks of me. I'm not saying I don't believe what you guys are saying because what you are saying is true but only God knows me and my heart and to be honest only his opinion and what he thinks of me matters. I'm going through some serious stuff right now and I don't know how to fix it. I feel like I really messed up this time. I'm scared and there's no one to talk to about this. I dont have any friends..but..I don't want anyone to pity me or feel sorry for me. I just want to know why this is happening to me.. it makes me feel like i'm a really bad person. It makes me feel guilt. I love God very much and I just want him to love me and accept me. Because he is my only hope ..and everything he is what makes me who I am in Jesus..i feel like death right now..why am I being punished? Why do I feel so much pain and heartache? How can I fix this?
 
Upvote 0

Symph

Active Member
Jul 6, 2017
313
303
39
NASHVILLE
✟90,871.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I really really wish I knew what God really thinks of me. I'm not saying I don't believe what you guys are saying because what you are saying is true but only God knows me and my heart and to be honest only his opinion and what he thinks of me matters. I'm going through some serious stuff right now and I don't know how to fix it. I feel like I really messed up this time. I'm scared and there's no one to talk to about this. I dont have any friends..but..I don't want anyone to pity me or feel sorry for me. I just want to know why this is happening to me.. it makes me feel like i'm a really bad person. It makes me feel guilt. I love God very much and I just want him to love me and accept me. Because he is my only hope ..and everything he is what makes me who I am in Jesus..i feel like death right now..why am I being punished? Why do I feel so much pain and heartache?
But my friend, what everyone's saying isn't coming from their heads, it's coming from the Word! We just know what God's word SAYS about people like you. And IT is what tells us that you are loved by God. Have you tried spiritual warfare? I don't usually put a whole lot of stock in it, because some people take it way too far. But there have been a few times, where I could NOT get my mind to stop doing something no matter how hard I prayed, and it wasn't until I realized it could be a demonic attack and rebuked the demonic that the terrible feeling left. Maybe you should plead the blood! (Gosh I sound so charismatic... lol) But yeah I don't like it when people think that's the answer to EVERYTHING, but if you've really tried everything you know how and nothing is working? Try rebuking the devil, try saying "I am covered by the blood of Jesus, No weapon formed against me can prosper, you can not decieve me Satan in the name of Jesus!"

I mean, in my life, it's not necessary for me to do that very often, but sometimes it really is the answer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jenniferdiana
Upvote 0

Jenniferdiana

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jan 7, 2016
1,890
1,212
louisiana
✟174,739.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
But my friend, what everyone's saying isn't coming from their heads, it's coming from the Word! We just know what God's word SAYS about people like you. And IT is what tells us that you are loved by God. Have you tried spiritual warfare? I don't usually put a whole lot of stock in it, because some people take it way too far. But there have been a few times, where I could NOT get my mind to stop doing something no matter how hard I prayed, and it wasn't until I realized it could be a demonic attack and rebuked the demonic that the terrible feeling left. Maybe you should plead the blood! (Gosh I sound so charismatic... lol) But yeah I don't like it when people think that's the answer to EVERYTHING, but if you've really tried everything you know how and nothing is working? Try rebuking the devil, try saying "I am covered by the blood of Jesus, No weapon formed against me can prosper, you can not decieve me Satan in the name of Jesus!"

I mean, in my life, it's not necessary for me to do that very often, but sometimes it really is the answer.
I don't know
 
Upvote 0

Symph

Active Member
Jul 6, 2017
313
303
39
NASHVILLE
✟90,871.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I don't know
I don't want to push you, it sounds like you're very overwhelmed. I will simply start praying for you, I really feel for you in this. I'm an over analyzer and a person who can't get out of thought loops a lot, I know what it's like when your own mind is betraying you. You are incredibly valuable, I will pray God shortens this season and gives you an answer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jenniferdiana
Upvote 0

Jenniferdiana

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jan 7, 2016
1,890
1,212
louisiana
✟174,739.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I don't want to push you, it sounds like you're very overwhelmed. I will simply start praying for you, I really feel for you in this. I'm an over analyzer and a person who can't get out of thought loops a lot, I know what it's like when your own mind is betraying you. You are incredibly valuable, I will pray God shortens this season and gives you an answer.
Yeah. Thanks. I like your posts. You say the right things
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Symph
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

faroukfarouk

Fading curmudgeon
Apr 29, 2009
35,902
17,177
Canada
✟279,058.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
You are a child of God, just from believing in Him. So think about children. Are they always perfect? Do they obey all the time to their parents? No, but they are still their child. Even if they throw a tantrum in public, and shame their parents in front of others, people would say " that child is unruly, I hope the dad quiets him down", but the kid is still their child. The child even when they are bad, gets corrected and fears their parents. The child honors the parents through obedience and showing of gratitude. When among friends they are not ashamed of pointing out their parents, a kid faces lights up when the parent they love shows up, in good and bad times. A kid that loves their parents would talk about them, because they are in mind and want others to know how great they are. Any parent face lights up whenever their child does that.That's how a child is in right standing with their parents. That's how you know you're in right standing with the Heavenly Father.
Justification is such a key doctrine in the New Testament, isn't it?
 
Upvote 0

paul becke

Regular Member
Supporter
Jul 12, 2003
4,011
814
83
Edinburgh, Scotland.
✟205,214.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Politics
UK-Labour
You would not be looking for God, if he had not put that desire in your heart, Jennifer. St Augustine of Hippo touched upon the matter, when he remarked in his Confessions : 'You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts will find no rest until they rest in you.'

You just know you have always had a sense of God, and evidently think you've strayed far from Him, and in one sense, it's perhaps true, but in another perfectly true sense, his loving interest in you, and loving concern for you, will never have lessened one jot.

I love this verse from the poem, The Hound of Heaven, written by Francis Thompson, a drop-out doctor, indigent and drug addict before it became fashionable :

The Hound of Heaven.

I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter. 5
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase, 10
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,'
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’

It goes on, but gets more difficult, imho.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Presbyterian Continuist

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Mar 28, 2005
21,810
10,792
76
Christchurch New Zealand
Visit site
✟827,333.00
Country
New Zealand
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Wow! from a Pentecostal, like it!
It would be no surprise to you then that along with my Pentecostal theology, I have a very strong foundation in Puritan theology which I think is unbeaten. It came from the golden age of Bible teaching. As the Pentecostal revival was the restoration of the gifts of the Spirit to the Church, the Puritan revival was the restoration of sound Bible teaching to the Church of its time. I have a full set of Calvin's commentaries and his Institutes, and they contain the most sound doctrine available. Put the two theologies together (filtering out the Arminian stuff from some Pentecostal theologies) and you have a very strong foundation of faith and effectiveness in our Christian walk and ministry.
 
Upvote 0

paul becke

Regular Member
Supporter
Jul 12, 2003
4,011
814
83
Edinburgh, Scotland.
✟205,214.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Politics
UK-Labour
"The Law is for the proud and the Gospel for the brokenhearted." - Martin Luther

“Ignorance of the distinction between the Law and Gospel is one of the principle sources of all the abuses which corrupt and still corrupt Christianity.” –Theodore Beza.

"When God gives orders and tells us what will happen if we fail to obey those orders perfectly, that is in the category of what the reformers, following the biblical text, called law. When God promises freely, providing for us because of Christ's righteousness the status he demands of us, this is in the category of gospel. It is good news from start to finish. The Bible includes both, and the reformers were agreed that the Scriptures taught clearly that the law, whether Old or New Testament commands, was not eliminated for the believer (those from a Dispensational background may notice a difference here). Nevertheless, they insisted that nothing in this category of law could be a means of justification or acceptance before a holy God ... The law comes, not to reform the sinner nor to show him or her the "narrow way" to life, but to crush the sinner's hopes of escaping God's wrath through personal effort or even cooperation. All of our righteousness must come from someone else-someone who has fulfilled the law's demands. Only after we have been stripped of our "filthy rags" of righteousness (Isa. 64:6)- our fig leaves through which we try in vain to hide our guilt and shame-can we be clothed with Christ's righteousness. First comes the law to proclaim judgment and death, then the gospel to proclaim justification and life. One of the clearest presentations of this motif is found in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. In the sixteenth century, the issue of law and grace was more clearly dealt with than at almost any other time since the apostles."

Modern Reformation Good News: The Gospel for Christians (May/June 2003)

"The Law is for the proud and the Gospel for the brokenhearted." - Martin Luther
Wow! What an insight. Martin seemed to have a tremendous prophetic gift, didn't he ?
 
Upvote 0
Jul 5, 2017
23
17
24
Melbourne
✟7,829.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I know I'm not righteous. But the problem is I don't think I ever will be. I Iived/live a terrible sinful life. Looking back on all my sins I feel disgusted with myself. I feel like I could have done better. I'm so confused with being on the right path. I think it's too late for me. I think I'm going to hell . There's no justification. (Wisdom is justified by her deeds) I want to be a true Christian. Nah I just want to be real.. i don't want to be a hypocrite....the fire is there. I know I love the Lord. I just don't know who I am anymore.. or how to be righteous...and live for the Lord...i have the fire in me though...the passion to live for the Lord is there..i read my bible sometimes though some of the stuff in there is too much for me to comprehend. And I forget a lot. I don't pray much. I never really lived that Christian lifestyle. You know. But I always claimed that I love God. Though my actions never really showed it....and I guess I'm starting to wake up and see that I'm not living right. I guess my question is how does one become righteous or live truly for the Lord?
Dude, we ain't gonna go t' Heaven thro' our righteousness, we gonna get there 'coz Jesus died fer our sins! You can't clean yourself. That's why Jesus came and died to clean you. Just keep pray'n and doin' yah best fer God. He's gonna come down fer yah. Jes don' let that devil make yah think that yer goin t hell, it ain't true. Jes believe Jesus died fer yo'sins and love Him with all yer heart, soul and might.
I'll pray for you.
Peach.
 
Upvote 0

Robert76

Robert
Jul 19, 2017
135
110
Central Ohio
✟7,841.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I know I'm not righteous. But the problem is I don't think I ever will be. I Iived/live a terrible sinful life. Looking back on all my sins I feel disgusted with myself. I feel like I could have done better. I'm so confused with being on the right path. I think it's too late for me. I think I'm going to hell . There's no justification. (Wisdom is justified by her deeds) I want to be a true Christian. Nah I just want to be real.. i don't want to be a hypocrite....the fire is there. I know I love the Lord. I just don't know who I am anymore.. or how to be righteous...and live for the Lord...i have the fire in me though...the passion to live for the Lord is there..i read my bible sometimes though some of the stuff in there is too much for me to comprehend. And I forget a lot. I don't pray much. I never really lived that Christian lifestyle. You know. But I always claimed that I love God. Though my actions never really showed it....and I guess I'm starting to wake up and see that I'm not living right. I guess my question is how does one become righteous or live truly for the Lord?
I think any honest Christian struggles with this to some extent. You are right in that our righteousness is like filthy rags to the Lord; however, Philippians 3:8-10 tells us, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"
When Jesus died on the cross, the penalty for our sins were imputed to him and in return His righteousness is imputed to us. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." This 'waking up' is actually a really good sign that you are saved and the Holy Spirit is convicting you (as He does all whom He loves) when we are not living right. Your justification by what Jesus did on the cross and your accepting Him as your Lord and savior was immediate. That said, being made into the likeness of Christ (sanctification) is a life-long process.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

ladodgers6

Know what you believe and why you believe it
Supporter
Oct 6, 2015
2,123
743
Los Angeles
✟192,004.00
Country
United States
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Constitution
It would be no surprise to you then that along with my Pentecostal theology, I have a very strong foundation in Puritan theology which I think is unbeaten. It came from the golden age of Bible teaching. As the Pentecostal revival was the restoration of the gifts of the Spirit to the Church, the Puritan revival was the restoration of sound Bible teaching to the Church of its time. I have a full set of Calvin's commentaries and his Institutes, and they contain the most sound doctrine available. Put the two theologies together (filtering out the Arminian stuff from some Pentecostal theologies) and you have a very strong foundation of faith and effectiveness in our Christian walk and ministry.
Interesting...
 
Upvote 0