Holy and Righteous

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
RZehr
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Re: Holy and Righteous

Post by RZehr »

We are called to put on righteousness. So this righteousness is not natural to us, it is not of ourselves, it is imputed to us (Romans 4:19-25) and is not our own (Philippians 3:9).

II Corinthians 5:20-21 - Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

How does this righteousness of God fit on us? Like a breastplate in that it is visible to the world around us, and yet they can still see our carnal selfish body sticking out on all sides?
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MaxPC
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Re: Holy and Righteous

Post by MaxPC »

RZehr wrote: Thank you.
This is true and understandable if we understand holy & righteous to mean morally pure, or spiritually perfect, or a personal state of excellence, which is how many people understand these words. And in this case, the opposite of holy would be sinful, or vile, or wicked.
And if we understand these words in the same way, then that can explain our distaste for claiming them, because we feel that we are claiming something that is wholly Gods in a wrongful way.

But if we understand holiness to mean "set apart for a sacred cause", or "set apart for Gods purpose" and the opposite of holy to be "common", then it is easier to accept the word.
Consider 1 Peter 1:14-16 - As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Why would we be told to be holy if we are not to be holy? If I said that I am kind, that might be taken in stride by the hearer. But if I were to say that I am holy, I would be considered a pompous ignoramus.

Given the current general understanding of holy, I'm not promoting that we go around saying that we are holy. But when we don't understand these meanings then when we read these words in the Bible we are coming away with an incomplete understanding of what we just read.

Please correct my thinking on this if needed, or correct my definitions if necessary. This is my understanding right now and I guess I'm just thinking out loud a little bit.

We are called to be righteous and holy. So what does that mean? If we are expected to be such, then there is a way to be such.
I agree with your thoughts on this, RZehr. My addendum: The wordly culture today doesn't use these words as they were once meant to be understood. The prevalence of mass media with worldly values have shaped modern thinking to an extreme degree and that certainly won't reflect Biblical language and semantics.

To answer your question, I feel that to become righteous and holy is to become like Christ. For me to become like Christ I need to spend time with Him in prayer and to study His Word. We come to resemble the person with whom we spend the most time. Why not spend that time with Christ to become like Him?
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
Hats Off
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Re: Holy and Righteous

Post by Hats Off »

The way you explain it, I want to be holy, but I certainly do not want to go around saying I am holy and righteous. It is a bit like modesty - as soon as we claim to be truly modest, we probably lost it.
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Bootstrap
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Re: Holy and Righteous

Post by Bootstrap »

"Are you holy?" is a lot like "Are you saved?"
1 Peter 1 wrote:So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We are called to be holy now. But if we say 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.

This paradox is everywhere in the New Testament. Yes, we are holy because he has made us holy. No, we are not holy, but as we turn to Jesus, he makes us holy. No, we are not holy in this life, but he will make us holy in the end. In worship, we are God's holy people, growing up into salvation. We have tasted that pure spiritual milk, and we long for it. But we aren't quite there yet ...
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Holy and Righteous

Post by KingdomBuilder »

I'd never have either on a bumper sticker, but around other believers I have no problem using either.
I think when we don't use the language, we denote a lack of expectation.
If we remind ourselves and others that they are to be Holy, and that they are Saints, we pass along the expectation and acknowledgment of what the Scripture expresses and commands.

Are we holy? Yes, but only through God.
Are we righteous? Yes, but only through God.

Holiness and righteousness shouldn't be so much about the me; more about the He.
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Valerie
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Re: Holy and Righteous

Post by Valerie »

KingdomBuilder wrote:I'd never have either on a bumper sticker, but around other believers I have no problem using either.
I think when we don't use the language, we denote a lack of expectation.
If we remind ourselves and others that they are to be Holy, and that they are Saints, we pass along the expectation and acknowledgment of what the Scripture expresses and commands.

Are we holy? Yes, but only through God.
Are we righteous? Yes, but only through God.

Holiness and righteousness shouldn't be so much about the me; more about the He.
Yes, I agree with all the posts regarding this topic and questioning, I think that we are all mindful of this parable from Luke 18:

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Apostle Paul didn't seem to have a problem with saying this:

1Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

We just need to always remember it is by His blood and righteousness, that we are partakers of, that we become righteous, and Holy-
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