THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, GREENDALE, INDIANA

Jack Cottrell – August 11, 2019

        Isaiah 61:10 – “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

INTRODUCTION.  Are you ready for the Judgment Day?

        A.    “Being ready” often means, “Are you appropriately dressed?”

        B.    Being ready for the Judgment Day requires us to be wearing the proper clothing.

        C.    What must we wear to be ready?  THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

I.  WE MUST HAVE A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO ENTER HEAVEN.

        A.  What is “righteousness”?  For us, it means “satisfying the requirements of God’s law.”

               1.     In our case, this means obeying the commandments of His law.

               2.     To be truly righteous, we must obey God’s law 100%.

        B.    Why is righteousness necessary for entering heaven? Because no UNrighteousness is allowed                  there.

               1.     Only righteousness:  2 Peter 3:13;  Matthew 13:43, 49;  Matthew 25:46.

               2.     NO unrighteousness:  Psalms 1:5-6;  1 Corinthians 6:9;  2 Peter 2:9;  Revelation 21:27.

               3.     See Matthew 22:1-14.

II.  WE DO NOT HAVE A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

        A.    The bad news:  “There is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10; see 3:23).

        B.    Even our GOOD deeds are “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, KJV).  (This verse literally says that “all                our righteous deeds are as menstruous cloths.”)

        C.    No wonder Paul says in Philippians 3:9a that when Christ comes again for the Judgment Day,                  he wants to “be found in Him – not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law.”

III. GOD GIVES US THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT HE REQUIRES.

        A.    Here is a major Biblical truth that we seldom teach or preach about:  the Righteousness of God                (or, as we can call it:  the RG).

               1.     This is one of God’s main gifts of grace.

               2.     This is what makes us “ready for the Judgment Day.”

               3.     See Romans 1:17;  3:21-22;  5:17;  10:3-4;  Philippians 3:9b.

        B.    This RG is specifically the righteousness of GOD THE SON, Jesus Christ.

               1.     Jesus acts out this RG.  He makes it possible.  Jesus IS our righteousness.

               2.     Jeremiah 23:5-6;  1 Corinthians 1:30;  2 Corinthians 5:21.

               3.     In fact, Jesus IS the Robe of Righteousness that we are wearing!

        C.    How is Jesus our Robe of Righteousness?

               1.     In what ways is Jesus “righteous”?

                       a.     He satisfied the commandments of God’s law—but this was for Himself.

                       b.     For US, He satisfied the law’s requirement for PENALTY to lawbreakers.

                       c.     This is how Jesus is our righteousness:  He became a human being for the specific                                     purpose of suffering on the cross in our place.  Thus He satisfied the penalty of the                                    law—He was righteous—FOR US!  And He transfers this TO US!

                       d.    See Romans 5:18;  8:4;  2 Corinthians 5:21.

               2.     The RG—yes, the Robe of Righteousness itself—is specifically the blood of Christ!

                       a.     This is the “garment of salvation” that covers and hides our “filthy rags.”

                       b.     See Romans 4:6-8.

        D.    How do we receive this gift of the Robe of Righteousness?

               1.     Through faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.

                       a.     Philippians 3:9;  Romans 3:22;  2 Peter 1:1.

                       b.     We are not saved by believing in ourselves—trusting that we are good enough to get                                 past the Judgment Day.  We must believe in Jesus Christ and in His righteousness                                     (i.e., His saving blood).

               2.     Christian baptism is the exact moment when we receive the Robe of Righteousness.

                       a.     Here we are immersed into His death, where His saving blood clothes us: Rom. 6:3-4.

                       b.     Here we put on Christ (our righteousness!) like a garment:  Galatians 3:26-27.

        E.    We then wear this Robe of Righteousness for the rest of our lives, 24/7, for as long as we                         continue to trust in the saving works of Jesus Christ.

“I WEAR THE LORD’S RG” – by Mark Frost, CCU student, 1991

I may never own a Cardin design, strut in a Calvin Klein, shop from the Gucci line,

Never own a Rolex to tell the time – BUT I WEAR THE LORD’S RG!

               I wear the Lord’s RG; I wear the Lord’s RG! 

               I may never own a Cardin design, but I wear the Lord’s RG!

My good works are nothing but filthy rags, made out of burlap bags, fit just for sleazy hags,

Full of smells on which everybody gags – BUT I WEAR THE LORD’S RG!

               I wear the Lord’s RG; I wear the Lord’s RG!

               My good works are nothing but filthy rags, but I wear the Lord’s RG!