When is one righteous before God?
 

Paul talked of being made righteous by Christ sacrifice. So do you believe being righteous is a faith thing or when one is 100% obedient?

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

Think of it in terms of "Legal" and "Vital" aspects of redemption. These are the terms used "back in the day" when William Durham was presenting the message of The Finished Work of Christ. (That was the first Issue before the New Issue). We might be more familiar with the concepts of "Positional" and "Actual" standing before God. I'm sure there are those here that can explain this better.

We ARE positionally righteous because of the sacrifice of Christ. But in our daily lives we have to walk it out in reality.

We are the righteousness of God In Christ. That IS our reality. Yet at the same time:

1 John 3:7
Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

We have to learn to BE what we ARE!

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

Have you ever read Oswald Chambers devotional? I have to say that this is probably the most significant devotional I have ever read that teaches sanctification in the most amazing way. His writings will reach deep inside your heart, and cause you to reflect on how your life is responding to the Spirit of Jesus living in you.

You see, our God is holy and righteous, and after infilling us with His spirit, He expects that His spirit will be able to transform and mold us into a completely different person than who we were. BUT, it is a daily work. It is not something that is completed the day you were saved, but it began the day you first believed, and it is an ongoing work, moment by moment, of faith, trust, and obedience to the spirit of Jesus living in us.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

It's a faith thing.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

our righteousness is as filthy rags. there are many deluded apostolics that think they are righteous.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

Our righteousness is filthy rags even if we are living right. We still don't meet all the criteria. Our only righteousness comes from putting on Christ and His righteousness. And we put on Christ at baptism.

Our living righteous, or living right according to the word, should be the practical response and application of Christs righteousness. Not our own means of measuring how righteous we are.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

Christs sacrifice is the basis for the forgiveness of our sins. We come to him on that basis. That by no means implies he will always see us as being righteous.

1 John 3:7
Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

If we commit sin we are not right with him until we repent.

1 John 1 6-10

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie , and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another , and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned , we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Verse 9 demonstrates that if one sins they are not righteous but rather unrighteous before God. When one confesses THEN they are cleansed from unrighteousness.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

I believe that righteousness before God begins at justification, which is the result of faith and repentance. It is this state that qualifies one to receive the Holy Ghost. One can't earn the righteousness necessary to receive the Holy Ghost.

Now, that being said, if a Christian doesn't walk after the Spirit and seek to live a righteous life they will suffer great loss before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

If one continues to sin in outright rebellion against God... God has mercy for a season. Then God begins to convict the sinning saint. If the saint doesn't listen to conviction, God will send judgments designed to correct the saint. If the saint refuses correction, God may send a judgment of death, so as to save the sinning saint yet so as by fire... or God may send the judgment of a seared heart and leave the sinning saint reprobate. God's conviction and corrective judgments are designed to encourage confession and repentance.

God is patient, gracious, merciful and long suffering towards His children. A saint of God must be determined to live for self and go to Hell. God doesn't let go easily.

However, keep in mind, these are invisible lines that no man knows. God deals with us justly in accordance to our person. God may appear to be more patient towards one than another. But this is because God alone knows what is within a man or woman.

The only "greasy grace" is a grace that can slip right through your fingers.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

The question remains at what point is one righteous before God? I can post many scriptures that point to righteousness by faith.

Many bible teachers believe your last scripture is speakin to agnostics of that time.

Re: When is one righteous before God?
 

Is there a positional righteousness and a relational righteousness?