Holiness and Righteousness

In the New Covenant of Christ’s Grace which we are all in:

Holiness and righteousness interact with each, and both are needed for our salvation. Do not worry when it is not clear whether holiness or righteous is being referred to. Just remember, if you are holy, you are righteous, and if you are righteous, you are holy.

Holiness generally refers to our spiritual relationship with our God. How our Heavenly Father spiritually calls us, washes away all of our sins, and puts the Spirit into our hearts. Spiritually bringing us into His Kingdom in Heaven, and making us His holy children. How in return we will love Him above all things, put Him first in our lives. Constantly praying and meditating with Him, continually growing in our love for Him.

*Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. Matt 22:37-38 NKJV+

Righteousness generally refers to how we live our physical life here on earth, doing the will of our Heavenly Father, obeying all of His commands. As we love and treat our neighbors as ourselves.

*And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Matt 22:39 NKJV+

We must become holy for our Heavenly Father is holy, and we cannot become holy until all our sins are forgiven.

*because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 1Pe 1:16 NKJV+

*for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Ro 3:23 NKJV+

We must become righteous because our God is righteous. We all have sinned against our neighbors, and need to have them forgiven.

*"Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. Isa 45:21 NASB+

*What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; Ro 3:9-10 NASB+

We also need to have the transgression we inherited from Adam forgiven to become righteous. Adam’s inherited sin makes our mind hostile to God, until it is forgiven by the renewing of the Spirit, and Christ’s atoning death on the cross.

*For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Ro 5:19 NKJV+

*the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Ro 8:7-8 NIV+

*For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Ro 5:17 NASB+

The only means our Heavenly Father would accept as atonement for our sins is the sacrificial death of Jesus upon the cross, His agony in Hell. This one time sacrifice is the only sacrifice which will ever be needed.

*And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb 10:10 NIV

*”I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Gal 2:21 NSAB+

*It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 1Co 1:30 NIV+

This means of grace is a free gift of love from Jesus. He willingly shed His blood on the cross as the only means which will ever allow us to become holy and righteous before our God.

*Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jn 14:6 NKJV+

*Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Ro 5:18 NKJV+

*because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Heb 10:14 NIV+

The way our Heavenly Father makes us holy and righteous is through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This baptism is not a physical baptism, but a spiritual baptism. We all receive the baptism of the Spirit in many different ways, at different times in our lives. Some with great emotion, some may not even realize it happened, some instantly, others over a period of time. It doesn’t matter what we said or prayed, or if we mentally made a decision in our minds, whether we are directing our appeal to our God, our Heavenly Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. The intent in our heart is all that matters, whether we are willing to give up our will and follow our God. And then whether we are willing to accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

*I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mk 1:8 NKJV+

*Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Jn 3:5 NASB+

*So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, Ac 15:8 NKJV+

Baptism of the Spirit See Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Our Father calls us, chooses us to be His own.

*For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

*But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1Pe 2:9

*So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ; Col 3:12 NASB+

Ac 2:39 NKJV+

When we give up our will, we will have all of our sins spiritually washed away, through the means of Christ’s atoning grace on the cross.

*He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Tit 3:5-6

*And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1Co 6:11 NKJV+

*Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. EZE 36:25 NKJV+

We will be given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, if we will accept Him into our hearts.

*Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1Cor 2:12 NKJV+

*"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. Eze 36:27 NASB+

*And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Jn 20:22 NASB+

By our faith, the Spirit sanctifies us, continually forgives our sins, so we are holy. Through the means of Christ’s atoning grace on the cross.

*that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Ro 15:16 NKJV+

*to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' Ac 26:18 NASB+

By our faith, the Spirit continually forgives our sins, so we are kept righteous. Through the means of Christ’s atoning grace on the cross.

*For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Ro 1:17 NIV+

*and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, Phil 3:9 NASB+

We must be holy to be righteous, and we must be righteous to be holy.

In the New Covenant of grace, holiness and righteousness automatically interact to save us, we receive them at the same time. We must be both holy and righteous for the Spirit to live in our hearts. And without the Spirit dwelling in us, no one is holy, and no one is righteous.

*Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 1Co 12:3 NKJV+

*You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Ro 8:9 NIV+

*If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Ro 8:10 NASB+

Every part of our salvation is a free gift given to us from our God. There is nothing we must do except give up our will to our God and accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts. When we receive the Spirit into our hearts we become holy and righteous.

*Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Ro 5:5 NKJV+

*But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2Thess 2:13 NASB+

*being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Ro 3:24 NKJV

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