What are the grounds or foundations of favour? II
Hello, Dear friends. I pray that you will prosper in everything and be in health even as your soul prospers.
Yesterday we started a discussion on the foundation for God’s favour. We saw that righteousness is the basis on which God chooses to bless and favour us.
However, we must differentiate between two kinds of righteousness, – between legal-based righteousness and practical righteousness.
Through faith in Jesus Christ we become clothed in his righteousness and nature. In the our spirit we have the perfect character of the Almighty God even though we do not become perfect in our actions immediately after becoming followers of Jesus. We reflect God’s life, character and thoughts more and more in our lives to that extent to which we submit ourselves to the new nature in our spirit. Our daily submission to God’s nature and character in us is what I call practical righteousness that qualifies us for God’s favour.
Paul agreed with this, that is why almost all his Epistles are divided into two parts: Our legal position in Christ and the practical implications of that.
For example, the Epistle to Ephesians is divided into two parts – doctrinal part and practical exhortation.
In the doctrine chapters (1-3) the main subject is the great redemption wrought by God through Jesus Christ. In the practical chapters (4-6) we see guidelines laid down for us, as to how to live as Christians in a way that is pleasing to God our redeemer. Both parts are clearly connected and talk about our righteousness in Christ.
The second part of this message is obviously very practical advising us on how to live out our faith (4:1; 6:24).
So we see two sections in Ephesians, the first talks about our status in Christ (chapters 1 – 3), the second talks about our life in the world (chapters 4 – 6).
When the Bible talks about righteousness as a foundation for favour, it takes both of these two aspects into consideration.
Without redemption and the forgiveness of our sins it is impossible to enter into this heritage. Favour is a heritage for God’s children. On the other hand, having accepted God’s redemption and received His forgiveness, God expects you to bring forth the fruits of righteousness in your life. He expects you to live worthy of the calling with which you are called.
