Perverted Righteous
George Burnside
We hear much today about righteousness by faith. It is “Righteousness by Faith” everywhere. Great emphasis is placed on Faith. It is Faith! Faith! Faith! But where is the Righteousness? That is the burning question. We see little of righteousness.
UNSEEN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OF LITTLE USE.
The righteousness that our God recognized was lived out in the life. HEBREWS 11:33 The saints “wrought righteousness.”
PSALM 119:172 “All Thy commandments are righteousness.” Righteousness is right-doing. It is keeping God's commandments.
DEUTERONOMY .6:25 “It shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandment before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us.”
LUKE 1:6 “They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
ACTS 10:34,35 “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him.”
In every land, and in every age it is the same. Righteousness is right doing. It is keeping God's commandments.
1 JOHN 2:29 “Know thee that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.” 1 JOHN 3:7 “He that doeth righteousness is righteous even as He is righteous.” 1 JOHN 3:10 “Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.”
HEBREWS 11:7 Noah “became the heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
GENESIS 6:9 “Noah was a just man and perfect.” Was this merely faith alone? Faith is never alone. Faith always acts. It works. Thus of Noah we read -
GENESIS 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him so did he.”
GENESIS 7:1 “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me.”
Noah's righteousness was real and literal. It was seen. It was enacted.
GENESIS 7:5 “And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.”
Many talk of a very abstract righteousness. This imaginary righteousness ignores obedience and repentance. Are not such “believers” merely living in a “fools paradise.” Their hope is little better than the devil's. Remember, “the devils also believe.” Many want only an “imputed” righteousness. That is a righteousness that is merely put to your account without a change in the life. We have noticed quite an array of Scriptures. Now notice the plain, simple words of inspiration from:
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY TESTIFIES.
“His (Christ's) righteousness is imputed only to the obedient.” E.G.W., S.D.A. Bible Commentary on Romans 3:31, page 1072.
The amazing work of imputing the life of Jesus to our account is a glorious fact. It can be for any who are willing to quit their sinning and turn fully to our Savior and Lord. Before this priceless transfer of records takes place, sin must be left behind in repentance. Notice this clear statement:
“Repentance, is the first condition. The only way in which he (the sinner) can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light.” Selected Messages, Volume 1, page 367.
“Everyone who will humble himself as a little child, who will receive and obey the Word of God with a child's simplicity, will be among the elect.” S.D.A., Bible Commentary, E. G. W. on Ephesians l:4, 5, page 1114.
A CHANGE OF CHARACTER
Our character; our whole life, must he changed from sin to right-doing. This must take place in our earthly life. This can only be accomplished by the mercy and power of our God. This is what prepares us for heaven and out Lord's return.
“The change from earth to heaven will not change men's characters. The saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth.” SDA Bible Commentary, Volume 6, page 1072.
Now is the accepted time, now is the Day of Salvation.
PERVERTED RIGHTEOUSNESS IN BIBLE PREDICTION
PSALM 119:126 “It is time for thee, Lord to work: for they have made void Thy law.”
This subtle work of making void God's holy law will be done under the disguise of great piety. It will be done by professed “believers.” As Judas betrayed his Lord with a kiss so these traitors make void His law with a great profession of sanctity. But so we will not be taken unawares our Lord has revealed their method.
ROMANS 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
The true Saint of Christ will say “We establish the law.” Whereas the deceivers “make void the law through faith.” They claim faith in Christ does away with the need of obedience.
ROMANS 7:12 “The law is holy and just and good.” PSALM 119:89 It is “Forever settled in heaven.”
But what makes the closing days of earth's turbulent history so perilous is that too many of the professed “believers” make void their Lord's holy law. And note they do it “by faith”. They claim “faith” is all that is needed. They overlook the solemn fact that even the devils believe and tremble. These traitors wake a big profession, but lack obedience. To them righteousness by faith is merely a profession and not a possession. Note another statement of Bible prophecy.
ISAIAH 30:8-10 “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may he for the time to come (Margin - latter day) for ever and ever: 9. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: 10. Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”
On such a people our God pronounces a “Woe.”
ISAIAH 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children, said the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.”
However out of the landslide of apostasy our Lord will save “Many.”
REVELATION 19:1 “After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven.” They have:
REVELATION 19:8 “The righteousness of saints.” To them “Righteousness by Faith” is a possession not just a profession. It is an experience. Like the saints of past years they “wrought righteousness.”
REVELATION 14:12 They “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” To them it is more than a mere profession, it is a possession; a glorious reality.
REVELATION 22:14 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
These people do not have a perverted righteousness of only a profession, hut a glorious possession.
ACTS 20:29, 30 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
2 PETER 2:1-3 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.”
They “make merchandise of you” by “feigned words,” deceitful words. They cover their “pernicious ways` with talk of “new light”, “the gospel,” but their claims are but “feigned words.” They “say and do not.” They “lie and do not the truth.”
2 PETER 2:21 “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”
They have turned from “the way of righteousness”. They talk about righteousness by faith” but they “turn from the way of righteousness.” They did it by making “void the law through faith.” They did it by talking up a perverted “righteousness by faith,” which was neither righteousness nor real faith. They “turn from, the holy commandment. “ The only time “holy” is mentioned in God's holy law, is “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” This is our God's holy commandment. At the very time when our Lord is sending His last call to this perishing world and calling people to take their foot off His downtrodden but “holy” Sabbath these apostates are turning “from the holy commandment delivered unto them” and they do it by means of a perverted righteousness by faith. To save His saints our Lord has warned us of this apostasy in His sure word of prophecy; “whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19.