Is righteousness an imparted robe placed over a filthy sinner?

sermonindex Jun 1, 2012

Tozer..............

Its an erroneous idea that justification is an imparted robe of righteousness put over a dirty, filthy fellow who terribly needs a bath and is filled with cooties and the accumulation of the dirt of a lifetime, which stands boldly in God Almighty's holy heaven, among seraphim and cherubim and archangels and the spirits of just men made perfect and blithly and flippantly says, "I belong in hell. I'm a filthy man but what are you going to do about it? I have on the robe of Christ's righteousness and that's enough."

God saves only sinners, and He saves only sinners who know they are sinners. He saves only sinners who admit they are sinners and turns them from being sinners to being good men and full of the Holy Spirit. When we teach anything else we teach heresy. John Newton was a Puritan and would have been horrified if he had heard the doctrines we are hearing now (Tozer, The dangers of a shallow faith, pg 73)

R

rbanks Jun 1, 2012

good post brother Frank!

If any man be in Christ he is a new creation and the bible teaches us to put off the old man which is corrupt and to put on the new man (the Lord Jesus Christ). We are to see ourselves as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

P

proudpapa Jun 1, 2012

Appolus I have to say one of the most chilling things that I have ever incountered was when my preacher my friend my father inlaw a man that had showed a lifetime of walking with God who had a good reputation good family good job threw it all away for the areas slut. After almost 35 years of marriage 30 years of ministry and a grandfather.

I can not go into all the details but his mind is shot he is 100% the opposit of what he was just a couple of years ago. Cold to the Bone a lier ,theif and drinker he threw it all away in his last half hour.

One time when I approached Him about it he looked me right in the eye and said that He was saved by What Jesus did on the Cross and there was nothing he could do to pay that back.

S

Sree Jun 1, 2012

Righteousness is positional in Christ. In Christ I am righteous. I have no righteousness of myown. I will never have until Jesus returns when I see him face to face (1 John 3:9).
God never called us to be righteous, but he wants us to be Holy. 'Be Holy as your father in Heaven is Holy' (Matthew 5-48). We can be holy by the Power of Holy Spirit living in us and transforming us, but we can be righteous only in Jesus.

R

rbanks Jun 1, 2012

Proudpapa this is very sad about the man you mention. It is sad that people do not understand the power of the cross, it's purpose for deliverance. We need to understand what we are saved from and what we are saved to be also.

sermonindex Jun 1, 2012

Very sad proudpapa. A mans sins will find him out, God is not mocked, what is sown is reaped. It may take 3 years or 30 years but the fruit of a man will be known by his actions not his words. Tozer further writes..........

"The act of accepting Christ, if it is a true act, has an instant effect upon our entire moral life and it changes the man from being a bad man to being a good man. God will not, by some trick of grace, take evil, foul-minded, self righteous and vile people into his heaven. When He saves a man, He saves him from sin. If he is not saved from sin, he is not saved at all!

There is no act of grace and no trick of mercy and no justification that can take an unholy man into the presence of God or an evil man into God's holy heaven. He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He came not to call people who thought they were righteous but people who knew they were sinfulk. When He calls us to Himslef and saves us, He saves us out of our past and out of ur eniquity; and by a three fold act of justification, regereration and sanctification, He makes people fit for heaven (Tozer, The danger of a shallow faith,pg 73)

And to think, some people boast of their vileness, not truly understanding the three fold process......bro Frank

sermonindex Jun 1, 2012

And to think, some people boast of their vileness, not truly understanding the three fold process......bro Frank

Yes it is very sad that some brethren boast in their vileness believing that this brings glory to the Lord. Our vileness is a thing to be ashamed of. If we speak of it we should do so only to point to the cross where this vileness was borne by the Lord Himself. In that attitude we would make no boast at all. Save that Christ died for me. Then we would know how to walk in the spirit and not boast in the flesh. Many saints have been taught to have a wrong attitude in this regard by those who shepherd the flock of God. Still if we ourselves as individual sheep want to have a better part in the Kingdom of the Lamb we will have to learn how to walk in the spirit and do the "faithful" thing of repentance from dead works.

Andrew

B

brothagary Jun 1, 2012

righteousness is a robe imputed or accouned to us by faith over a regenerated soul by an impartation of his holy spirit

abraham believe god and it was imputed to him for righeousness,and he was called a friend of god , says the scripture

but if we understand ,faith as a gift ,then we have no reason to fall into the trap of contrasst ,and be boasting in our own righeousness

but we can boast in this that we know god ,through grace
and all that we have do or think is an expression of gods grace ,to an unworthy sinner ,and through an unworthy sinner,,and if he took away his grace this miniute,,our filth would seep out and we would be nothing but a lost reble sinner ,god hating at best

ohh thank god for his graces ,and mercys ,that was bought for us by the son of infiniute value

oh how god makes a saint ,and worketh in us to will and to do for his good pleasure ,and works all things according to the councel of his own will

blessings

R

rnieman Jun 1, 2012

It's a robe of Christ's imputed righteousness that is demonstrated in us by us now walking in righteousness(the latter is the imparted or fruit of the imputed)

Russ

sermonindex Jun 1, 2012

Its an erroneous idea that justification is an imparted robe of righteousness put over a dirty, filthy fellow

If this robe of righteousness was put over a dirty man then there would be no need for Christ, the blood of cows and goats would have been sufficient. But Christ totally 100% cleansed all men everywhere pronouncing him clean, we are now without excuse. To all that believe, righteousness is imparted by faith on a clean vessel. It's hard to believe that when we live in this body of death, but the scriptures tells us that we have been washed and cleansed.

C

Christinyou Jun 1, 2012

Ro 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Ro 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Ro 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

What died with Christ when we were crucified on the Cross with Him? This body of death had to be quickened by His Spirit that dwelleth in us. The old father the devil was killed and taken out and this created body was changed into a heavenly temple to contain the Spirit of Christ that now lives in us. "The life I now live I live by the Spirit and Faith of Christ in me".

This is the new creature that is now walking this earth, "As He is in this world so are we."

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Then by His working in me is the only way I am perfect.

Colossians 1:26-29 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

We are perfect in Christ, by Him that is in us. I also must labour, striving according to His working that I might have the mind of Christ that changes the soul into the image of Christ by the renewing of my soul/mind to the Mind of Christ.

The New Spirit of Christ in me born from above cannot sin.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. ((((And if any man sin,)))) we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Christ in me cannot sin, but I am a man and if I sin then Christ is my advocate with the Father and God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Because; 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 That no flesh should glory in his 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.

He is our Glory.

In Christ: Phillip

T

twayneb Jun 4, 2012

Frank: So often in the body of Christ there is the view that righteousness is like a cloak that God puts on us so that He cannot see our sin any more. It is said that He really knows how sinful we are, but He chooses to accept us anyway. It leads to our seeing ourselves as unrighteous in His sight.

But Tozer had it right I believe. One thing critical to our understanding is the distinction between flesh and spirit (spirit, soul, and body). Jesus in John 3 explained that it is the spirit that is born again. Paul again in Romans expounds this point. Paul says that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Think of it...I have been made, by the regeneration of my Spirit, the very righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Some might rebel at this idea. They might think it sounds immodest or boastful. But like Paul, I can make my boast only in Christ. My own self righteousness, that that originated from my own carnal effort, is filthy rags. But His righteousness is genuine, pure, and true. And through Christ my spirit has been made righteous. Holiness comes as I walk in the spirit and not in the flesh and allow the righteousness of God to be worked out through my life. Holiness is the fruit of righteousness.

It is a powerful thing to begin to see oneself as Christ sees me. To understand that we have been made a "good men and full of the Holy Spirit" is, I believe, one of the parts of our new, born again identity that we must accept and embrace if we are to walk in victory and power.

Of course there are those who might accuse me of pride or arrogance with such a statement, but it must be understood that I could NEVER say such a thing if it were not for the reality of Christ making it so through His atonement. So my boast can only be in Him, not in myself.

But I am righteous all the same, praise God!

B

brothagary Jun 4, 2012

it be honest with you brothers ,, i think you acualy taking tozer out of contex

why i say that is he mentions that john newton would be apaled at the fasle justafication doctrine that tozer speaks of

firstly john newtone is a calvinist and he believe in justaficatin by faith , and the imputed righeousnss of christ as the foundation to this justafication

so tozer in not condeming this fundamentel reformed doctrine

what he is being critical of is unregenerent men useing this doctrine as there justafication of habitual sin

brothers tazer spoke highly of the reformed faith in his sermon s,,iv listed to maby 50 or more of his sermons

this is the problem when people cut and paste quoted from people ,,one can easly take it out of the contex spoken ,,,and remove it from the reality of what the speaker believes

that is what has happend here

abrahem believed god
and it was acounted to him for righeousness

it is god own pesonal righeousness that is accounted to us by faith ,by believing

perfect righeosness

and this is what is needed to behold the face of god in heaven

even our imparted righteousness that comes by regeneration ,,doesnt result in us being up to the standed of of god ,,

we grow in this holy righeousnss and become more holy
as we mature ,,but we dont relie on that becasue it is not as pure and holy as the righeousnss that was accouted to us by faith from god

our imputed rightesness given when we believed as abrahm did ,is an unchanging pefect godly righeousnss ,,

that perfect law fulfilling righeousnss

the righeousnss that christ had and lived on the earth
perfectly fullfiling gods holy law without fault and blamless

you will probable find tozer belived that also

blessings

A

ArtB Jun 4, 2012

Righteousness is not the absence of sin in our life.

Righteousness is the real presence of God in our life.

C

cantwait Jun 4, 2012

Please consider that we are justified only by the righteousness of Christ but that justification by imputation is only because of the union of our spirit with Christ. It is not only a legal declaration but a spiritual reality because of the union of the believer's life with the life of Christ in His Spirit. This is what is taught in Galatians by Paul where he says we were justified when the Holy Spirit was received in our lives. The Spirit is united with our spiritual nature that was created at our new birth. ADDITIONALLY, we are growing up into Christ as our personal righteousness grows which is practical sanctification, but our justification will always be solely based in the righteous of Christ "in us" which is our only hope of glory. Ultimately, the remaining sinful nature in our flesh will be done away with at glorification.

sermonindex Jun 4, 2012

Amen brother Travis, I could not agree more. Brothergary, I think you have taken this thread out of context. The context of this thread has nothing to do with Calvinism or reformed theology, nothing at all. This quote is perfectly in context with everything Tozer ever wrote. I gave the book and the page and most of the chapter, so it is pretty clear what he is saying, now you can disagree with what he is saying, but if you know Tozer's writings, if you have even read that book, you will know that the quote is perfectly within context( have you read this book?)

Tozer always focussed on what the Scriptures said about God, not what Calvin said or Arminius or any theological group. That kind of partisanship has been cancerous to the Body of Christ. So, I praise God for what He has done and how He takes sinners and by His blood and by His work turns them into saints. At the very least, each saint should live an exemplary life, not because the rules say so, but because they have been transformed, regenerated, given a new heart, they are new creatures and the Holy Spirit burns within their hearts, not theologically, but actually........bro Frank

T

twayneb Jun 4, 2012

Tozer always focussed on what the Scriptures said about God, not what Calvin said or Arminius or any theological group. That kind of partisanship has been cancerous to the Body of Christ.

Amen! Not to take the thread in another direction, but I think this is a point worth hi-lighting. I am of Calvin, I am of Arminius, I am of Wesley, I am of Christ. Are we not carnal? We are to carry the banner of Christ, not of our individual camp. In my experience we always get off when we begin to espouse the views of any denomination or sect.

M

murrcolr Jun 6, 2012

Is righteousness an imparted robe placed over a filthy sinner?
No it isn’t a robe placed over the sinner. God's work must and will begin inside the man, Christ says to us “Ye must be born again” Being Born Again you are new creation, not a mere transformation it’s the bringing in a new thing, not the change of an old. As we received human nature by natural generation, so do we receive the divine nature by regeneration.

sermonindex Jun 6, 2012

Quote: "Tozer always focussed on what the Scriptures said about God, not what Calvin said or Arminius or any theological group. That kind of partisanship has been cancerous to the Body of Christ."

Quote Reply: "Amen! Not to take the thread in another direction, but I think this is a point worth hi-lighting. I am of Calvin, I am of Arminius, I am of Wesley, I am of Christ. Are we not carnal? We are to carry the banner of Christ, not of our individual camp. In my experience we always get off when we begin to espouse the views of any denomination or sect.

Was just attempting to download an hour long Documentary for reasons I'll explain. You can read the smaller window that scrolls down to view it's content.

http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/let-there-be-light-1946

So why would I want to see this movie about WWII Vets with PTSD? Long story, but in a nutshell, I was taught that you can't truly empathise and thus help another unless you've 'been there done that'. At one point in my life - knowing from my education at that time - that people 'choose' how they'll cope, I took that theory to the test and 'asked' the LORD to let me be tested in this. Having come out of this experience in less than a yr, without the world's solutions of meds or therapy, I know that HE is able to get people out of this and even much much more.

My thoughts, as I watch the News Sites is that people are already panicing.
I believe that The Church should be a Hospital and we should be thinking of "others-always".

PTSD will become commonplace, if the world gets much worse. If there should be war or an economic melt-down - then The Church should be the 'Good Ship Hope' for the people that fall apart during the events that we see on this horizon.
We should understand how to help the soldiers and others that do fall apart. We should be an actual physical 'bridge' for them to get "Safely Across" onto Eternal Life, into Jesus' Arms - leaving this present evil world as not the center of their universe. We Need to Care!

With the economic situation & saber rattling and hatred spinning out of control world-wide and what we see on the horizon and even now in Africa, Greece, and even here, some are taking their lives - others, losing all that they have, including their minds - But 'we' have the solution in Christ Jesus.

We can't think of others-only-always as Christ did, as long as we're divided.
Discussions are one thing but tangible hatred is another.
Individualism is not the description of "The Church / His Body" and neither is the "Look out for Number one" mentality.

Thank you for these posts!
GOD Bless.