Category: righteousness

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #62

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

To begin the formidable task of sorting through the innumerable denominational arguments so we can isolate truth from error, it would do us well to remember the following: the nation Israel is God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly people, and their identity has literal, physical, visible, earthly components.

For example, the LORD God demonstrated how the nation Israel itself would spring forth from His own efforts rather than man’s. Wherefore, after Abram “did his best to help God” by producing a son in the energy of his flesh (Genesis 16:1-16)—which son (Ishmael) God rejected (!)—the LORD changed his name to “Abraham” and instituted the rite of physical circumcision (Genesis 17:1-14). After Abraham’s foreskin was cut off, there was literal and physical proof he had been permanently severed from his Adamic or sin nature. The LORD God then used Abraham to father a son (Isaac)… and there is no question that it was God’s power working in Abraham (Genesis 17:15-22; Genesis 21:1-5). As Galatians 4:21-31 affirms, what ultimately matters is what God does for Abraham (Isaac/Grace) rather than what Abraham does for God (Ishmael/Law).

Genesis 17:11 states how physical circumcision is “a token [sign] of the covenant betwixt [between] me [God] and you [Abraham and his seed].” Consequently, the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12:1-3 is titled “the covenant of circumcision” (Acts 7:8). Romans 4:11 explains: “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:….” While physically uncircumcised, Abraham simply trusted God’s words to be justified (given righteousness) in God’s sight back in Genesis chapter 11 (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Hebrews 11:8). However, this does not enter the record of Scripture until Genesis 15:6. Moreover, years later (Genesis 17:24), Abraham is physically circumcised to prove he had already been declared righteous by faith.

Let it now be distinctly understood that signs play an integral role in God’s relations with Israel….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #54

Monday, July 13, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Long before Paul’s ministry, the LORD God of the Bible was gracious or favorable toward man—giving man what he could never obtain by his own efforts, and working to do for man what man was powerless to do for himself. For example, He in His grace provided Adam and Eve with food: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16,17). Or, once they sinned, He gave them physical and spiritual clothes: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). Lastly, grace or unmerited favor spared Noah from perishing in the Great Flood with the rest of the sinful world: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8).

When we come to Paul’s ministry though, God exhibits His grace in an unprecedented way: the Gospel of Grace (and the Dispensation of Grace) is unmerited favor Father God gives to man in spite of man just murdering His Son (Jesus Christ)! This had never happened before in human history. Moreover, that grace extends to every nation without distinction, for Israel (His nation in rebellion) now reckoned amongst the Gentiles can also receive grace and peace instead of wrath and war. Plus, faith alone—and not membership in a special religion (Judaism)—is necessary to be in good standing before Him.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26). This is the Good News which God kept secret until Paul….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #19

Saturday, June 6, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Draw your attention to the fig-leaf aprons of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:7—their religious efforts or futile attempts to regain the spiritual light of God (righteousness) that once covered their now-naked bodies. After works-religion proved unsuccessful, they again evaded accountability by hiding from God (Genesis 3:8-10). Finally, after the LORD exposed and confronted them, Adam shifted the blame to Eve (thereby indirectly accusing God who gave him Eve—“God created me this way!”), then Eve shifted the guilt to the serpent (“the Devil made me do it!”) (Genesis 3:11-13).

Here is human psychology 101. Such a scenario has played out trillions of times since then. Firstly, do whatever you can to cover up your sin. Secondly, hide when that cover-up demonstrates itself useless. Finally, dodge the liability altogether by blaming God or Satan. Man goes to great lengths to justify himself, to declare himself righteous, as he in his pride has no use for God’s standard of righteousness that he has failed so miserably to meet. See, the Bible takes a negative view of man, for it tells the truth about him: that Book of God has embarrassed him! Hence, man in his feebleness aspires to ignore the Scriptures, challenge them, discredit them, change them, and so on, to clear himself. In willfully neglecting to admit his inability to save himself, man is further fallen into the snare or trap of the Devil.

The grace of God is the only thing that can deliver man from satanic captivity and spiritual nakedness, so God works to restore man to himself: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). Such shedding of animals’ blood, innocent beings taking the place of guilty ones, is a type or hint or preview of the cross of Calvary 4,000 years in advance. However, on this side of the cross, where God has dealt with sin once for all, there is still cover-up and denial (works-religion), hiding, and blame-shifting.

May we submit to the righteousness of God by faith….

Something in Which to Glory!

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:12-14 KJV).

In what shall we glory? About what shall we boast? In what shall we find value?

Religion produces people who enjoy bragging all about their “dedication to God.” “Look what I did—the ceremonies in which I have participated, the many prayers I faithfully recited daily, how much I put in the collection plate, see how many pleasures I gave up to please God! Come, see how much I love Him!” Dear friends, the Apostle Paul found great value in something—but that something was not what he did. All that human flesh can accomplish pales in comparison to the work in today’s Scripture.

As Lent begins, the time when religionists temporarily (a mere 40 days) relinquish some pleasant food or activity, let us remember that our performance is often non-performance. Once we place ourselves on that treadmill of “do, do, do,” we are guaranteed to fail at some point. Human flesh is simply too weak to maintain 100 percent—that is sin! Even concerning one rule, we cannot keep it perfectly. We mess up eventually.

If ever we believe that our puny works are worth bragging about, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul in today’s Scripture. While some boast in their religiosity (in the passage, the Judaizers applauding their rite of physical circumcision), and such denominationalists today urge us to obey their church’s instructions so they too may boast in our ability, let us eschew such foolishness. Being imperfect, all their works do not measure up to Christ’s finished crosswork. At Calvary, we find the only sacrifice that will ever please the God of the Bible. If we must boast, let us brag that He did what we could never, ever do!

See our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians observe Lent?”

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #21

Sunday, January 25, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

Instead of resorting to the lame excuse, “This verse does not mean what it says,” we can simply leave it in its dispensational context. Just because we do not see a passage fulfilled today does not prove it to be false; it merely means the verses are not to or about us. We need to be scriptural and dispensational, especially keeping Law/Moses and Grace/Paul separate!

The Devil labors in religion because it is all about self—“I have done this, I have done that” (cf. Exodus 19:5,8). Church members seldom differentiate between this and Christianity, and such bragging demonstrates and reinforces those misunderstandings. “That no flesh should glory in his [God’s] presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). If we boast, let us brag about what the Lord Jesus Christ is for us and what HE did for us!

Romans is the standard of grace/Christian living. We have total forgiveness of all sins in Christ by grace (Romans 4:6-9 cf. Colossians 2:13) and therefore have joy (Romans 5:11), but religion questions this. Guilt weighs us down, and we stumble over 1 John 1:9 and Israel’s Law system (cf. Galatians 4:15,21)! We hesitate to believe we have complete, permanent, unconditional fellowship with Father God through Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8,9). Forgetting our victory in Christ in Romans chapters 6 and 8, we suppose we must keep laws to make God happy with us! Under the Law, we do not have liberty to do right but bondage to keep doing wrong: self-pity and misery consume us! We believe we cannot help but sin, so sin conquers us just as it did poor, hopelessly defeated Paul in Romans 7:7-25! We wonder if God loves us, doubting He has actually made us accepted in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:6). We are not only paupers in religion, but also prisoners….

The Misunderstood Messiah #4

Monday, December 29, 2025

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Society’s anti-Bible, anti-Christian attitude is nothing new. While today’s Bible-believing, Bible-quoting Christian is accused of “hate speech” and “bigotry,” the “non-narrow-minded” face no repercussion for their slandering of the Lord Jesus Christ and their trampling His Word under foot. Due to sin, the world is upside down, and when the Christian attempts to expose it, he or she is to blame. The world wants Romans 3:4 to read, “Let every man be true, but God a liar!”

Like the (self-righteous) Pharisees of old, lost mankind, despite religious participation, has no capacity to stop sin. Never become angry at the world and never let their behavior puzzle you. Sinners do nothing but sin: by nature, man literally knows nothing but sin. As Jesus said to the lost Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:44a). What they need is not simply to stop their activity (sins); they need a new nature from God! Today’s Scripture demonstrates the Pharisees’ willful ignorance of their sinful state.

Like the (“educated”) Pharisees of old, lost mankind, despite several degrees, has no capacity to understand the Bible. The Pharisees studied their Old Testament scrolls, yet they were equivalent to today’s average seminary graduate—years of Bible “study” and no (!) Bible understanding. Today’s Scripture demonstrates the Pharisees’ willful ignorance of one of hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that foretold Jesus Christ’s coming. They had plenty of philosophy and religion, but they had no capacity to understand and appreciate the Bible. People today do not need degrees to comprehend the Bible; they need the Spirit of God! “But the natural [lost] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned [judged, evaluated]” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Let us summarize and conclude this devotional arc….

Convenient Season #3

Monday, November 3, 2025

“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25 KJV).

According to the Bible, when is the “convenient season?”

Paul’s sermon in today’s Scripture was meant to reason with Governor Felix, to communicate to that lost man some spiritual common sense that he so desperately needed. After all, Satan’s evil world system—heathen Roman religion—had hidden the truth of the Gospel of Grace from Felix by blinding his mind (2 Corinthians 4:3,4). Thus, the Apostle delivered a three-point message for the Governor to know what God desired him to know.

Firstly, Paul laid out the truth of “righteousness.” In other words, Felix was a sinner, fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). By his very nature, he failed to meet God’s standard of rightness—the righteousness found not in Adam but exclusively in Christ. Secondly, the Apostle presented to Felix the subject of “temperance.” To wit, the Governor had had no self-control: he was unrestrained in his behavior. According to historians, Felix was a corrupt, brutal politician—whom the Emperor removed and summoned back to Rome within two years. You can see Felix wanting a bribe from Paul, but receiving nothing, in Acts 24:26. Thirdly, Paul outlined the fact of how there was “judgment to come.” That is to say, with his sinful state unresolved, Felix was destined to face God’s justice in Hell and the Lake of Fire. The Bible informs us of how Felix “trembled,” alarmed at his dire predicament to such a degree that he physically shuddered!

It was at this critical point that the Governor could have most easily believed how Christ died for his sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Alas, he delayed and subsequently dismissed Paul from his presence! “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” Felix backed off, as he did not deem it a suitable moment to come to faith in Jesus Christ alone as his personal Saviour. He would wait for a “more appropriate” time, another day, another hour….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #18

Saturday, September 27, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Definitely, those who have not trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone as their personal Saviour have grown accustomed to avoiding the righteousness of God in Christ. Positionally, they are “in Adam” when they need to be “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Tenaciously clinging to their “fig-leaf aprons” (Genesis 3:7), they are under the impression they can produce the same good works Christ can (or, generate what can come only from being “in Christ”—see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Unfortunately, those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone as their personal Saviour, those “in Christ,” can also be deceived here (albeit, practically, or on a daily basis). Remember, a confused believer is just as unusable to God as a lost person is; an ignorant Christian is precisely as handy to Satan as a non-Christian is.

Human nature—the sin nature, the Adamic nature—has two extremes. On one side, there are asceticism (strict living, giving up pleasures for religious reasons), self-righteousness (man’s “fidelity”), philanthropy (desire to help people), and commandment-keeping (regulations, rites, rituals, and ceremonies)—the Galatians’ human “goodness.” On the other side, there are lasciviousness (wild, crazy, loose living), philosophy (man’s wisdom), malice (desire to harm people), and law-breaking (no respect for propriety or authority)—the Corinthians’ human evil. All lost people and most Christians wind up leaning toward either end, failing to realize the only life that will please Father God is that of Jesus Christ (true holiness, genuine righteousness, eternal life).

The Lord Jesus Christ’s life is neither human goodness nor human evil, but solely God’s goodness. Consequently, our trying to live the Christian life in our own strength is just as offensive to God as the lost person’s efforts to live the Christian life—it is flesh, rotten flesh, the Adamic nature or sin nature. Victorious Christian living, grace living, as found in the Book of Romans, is the standard (the standard from which the Corinthians and the Galatians deviated). Let us as believers not attempt to avoid God’s righteousness either….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #17

Friday, September 26, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Ephesians is an advanced form of the doctrine presented in Romans. Read chapter 2 of Ephesians: “[1] And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

“[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

The Christian life begins without “boasting” and without human work (verse 9). Unless believers in Christ firmly understand this, they will assume their Christian life operates on the basis of human effort. Here was the blunder of the Corinthians and the Galatians; they were members of the Body of Christ, but were still like lost people in that they depended on their resources in Adam. Neither group walked by faith in the grace principles of Romans chapter 6, so they fell into the trap of Romans chapter 7 (man’s flesh), needing the recovery of victorious Christian life in Romans chapter 8 (Holy Spirit power)….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #16

Thursday, September 25, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Each and every person is naturally aware of two facts: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:…” (Romans 1:20). They know there is a Creator God, and they know they will face Him in judgment one day. Consequently, they are in a panic—on a manic, frantic quest—to evade such inconvenient truths. Attempting to erase their sinful identity in Adam and/or compensate for its evil deeds, they brag about what “good” they have done. God, however, will have none of that!

Observe Romans 3:26-28: “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Boasting is “excluded” (shut out or removed from consideration). If man wishes to work and brag, he must first never offend or disobey the Law in even the slightest degree. Since such sinlessness is impossible, he can never (!) boast while laboring under the Law/performance/works system!

Now go over to Romans 4:1-5: “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory [boast]; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Since we are imperfect, we cannot approach God via the “works” way. It must only be the “by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone” way….