Seeking After His Perfect Righteousness

Albert Jones begins by discussing the opportunity to study and bring messages on the Sabbath. This discussion is about the righteousness of God and our unique relationship with God. Albert tells us about the importance of seeking after perfect righteousness and the purpose of God's creation. He talks about John the Baptist and his role in bearing witness to Jesus Christ, emphasizing the need to obey the Son and the consequences of not doing so. Mr. Jones then discusses the calling and purpose of salvation, unity among believers, and the interconnectivity within the family of God. Albert mentions the grace given to each person and the work of Jesus Christ as the high priest. They highlight the ongoing work of Christ in perfecting and shaping believers. So good morning, everyone. It's good to be here again on the Sabbath. It's always a wonderful opportunity for us as ministers to give a message because, as was mentioned earlier, we have an opportunity to study into the Word in order to bring the message. And so we're feeding ourselves in order to feed you. And then we also have the opportunity to go back and listen to those and hear our own servants as well. So God blesses that, and he has truly been blessing that in God's church here as of late in terms of the messages being so similar. This morning, we're going to be talking about the righteousness of God. And the title of the message this morning is Seeking After the Perfect, Perfect Righteousness, that is his perfect righteousness. So we have a relationship with God the Father that is very unique. It is built on a sacrifice that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made that would enable us to have that connection again. Truly, he has reconciled us to God the Father and made us whole again, put us back in the proper perspective in terms of our relationship with God. And the instructions from him and the Father is that we would seek after this perfect standing with him, this righteousness which is from above where he resides. We're physical. God made us such, and even that had a purpose. God, he is above all. God is above all. So everything that we do is aspiring unto that standard that he has established for us so that we can live and dwell within it. Our first message this morning, I'm going to have you to turn to John, the Gospel of John chapter 3. John 3, and we're going to pick it up here in verse 22. After these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judah, and there he stayed with them and was baptizing. And John, that is John the Baptist, was also baptizing in Anon, near Selim, because there was much water there. And again, baptism requires full emergence, so you need plenty of water to conduct it. And the people were coming and were being baptized. But John had not yet been cast into prison at that point. And then there arose a question, a question between the disciples of John and some of the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness. And again, John's whole purpose was to bear witness of our Lord and Savior. He says, behold, he is baptizing and all are coming to him. John answered and said, no one is able to receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. Now, at that point, John is recognizing the authority that is above all, that is the authority that is on high, the authority that is with God the Father. And so no one is able to receive anything unless it has been given from heaven. He says, you yourselves bear witness to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. And John did proclaim that. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands by and hears him rejoices greatly because of the voice of the bridegroom. And this then, my joy has been fulfilled. It's a great analogy, if you will. John recognizes his work and his standing in relationship to that one that he was announcing that is Jesus Christ. It is ordained, he said, that he increase. Oh yes, he will increase on out into eternity. And John, as he says, that I decrease. He comes from above. Yes, he who comes from above is above all. And the one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. Now he goes on to say here, and what he has seen and heard, this is what he brought to us, the very word of God the Father that had been given to him to preach to us, to announce to us, to let us know that we are being drawn to something very special. He wants us to recognize our purpose. Jesus Christ came to do so much in revealing not only the Father, but his entire plan, his purpose, and greatly expand upon an understanding of the love of God toward us. He says, this is what he testifies, but no one receives his testimony. The one who has received his testimony, he says, has set his seal. And this is a part of that connection that I wanted to bring out this morning from last night's message, right? Thinking the thoughts of God, I just expressed to you the very purpose for which God created us. These are the things of God, the thoughts of God, the purpose of God, the plan of God, the way of God. All of these things are very much important for us to comprehend in our walk with God. See, God is not just an idea to us. God is creator. God is sustainer. God is power. God is the alternate above the entirety of the universe. We are created beings for his purpose. And we are very fortunate to understand what that purpose is as members of God's family, having his spirit to be able to do so. Yes. Seeking after his righteousness, let us go on. Verse 34. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, and God gives not the spirit by measure unto him. The father loves the son. Keep that in mind, brethren. The father loves the son, and has given all things into his hand. The one who believes in the son has everlasting life. But the one who does not obey the son, it's not just believing. It's just not hearing the word. It is obeying the word, the word, the son of God. Right. If you do not obey the son, shall not see life. You will not see life. For the wrath of God remains on him. So we are all, each and every one of us, if you will, subject to the law of sin and death. Jesus Christ came. He came so that we could have the means of escaping that. Right. You still have to choose. You still have to do. You still have to walk. You still have to act. And God has called us specifically to comprehend that. Again, it is very important for us to comprehend that God is above all, and we are aspiring to that which is above, where he is. And Jesus Christ at his right hand. This is, this goes back in a way to John 3, 16, and expounds it even greater. He was sent by the father. He was sent by the father, specifically for us. Let's turn to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4. And Ephesians 4, we'll pick it up in verse 1. Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, am exhorting you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called. Worthily of the calling to which you were called. What is that calling, brethren? Is it just for salvation? No, not just for salvation. God is saving us for a purpose. He is working with us for a purpose. Salvation includes preparation and preparedness for that purpose. But God wants us to walk worthily of that calling. And verse 2, with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. Remember, Jesus Christ coming with fullness of spirit. And then after returning to the father on the day of Pentecost, sending back that power, sharing that power given to him by the father so that he could give to us. We cannot receive it. We cannot receive it without Christ. There is one body, he says in verse 4, and one spirit, even as you were all so called in one hope of your calling. And what is that hope? Verse 5, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. One God, right? Aspiring to the perfect righteousness of him, of God. And Jesus Christ's instructions to us connected us to the father in a very unique way of understanding. One God and father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all. So that is the interconnectivity that we have from my chair here in Michigan to wherever you are in the world listening to this message. To all the family of God throughout the world, wherever God's spirit is working and molding and shaping and perfecting his people. One God and father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all. Verse 7, but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ. According to the measure of the gift of Christ, God recognizing what you need, God recognizing where you were and bringing you out of that, bringing you to him, working in your life, molding and shaping you, developing you into something totally new, if you will. More aware, wiser with godly wisdom, truth, understanding, and strength. So God truly is within his work in our life, is perfecting us to that end product that he needs. And verse 8, for this very reason he still is after ascending on high. This is after Christ has finished that work that the father sent him to do, and he went back to the father. He is seated at the right hand of God. He laid captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Now he who ascended, Paul is emphasizing here, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He also, he who descended is the same one, the same one who also ascended above are the heavens that he might fulfill all things. And that fulfilling of all things is to recognize, and I emphasize this in previous messages, that the work of Jesus Christ didn't end with his death on the cross. It didn't end with his resurrection from the dead. It didn't end with him receiving his priesthood. He ascended at the right hand of God. And I'm thankful for the understanding that has come out in messages this year from Fred and others. The right hand of God is the work of God. It carries out God's purpose. He is continuing to work at the right hand of the father on our behalf. A part of that work is his officiation, officiating if you will, as high priest, advocate. Relaying to the father our needs, advocating on our behalf, helping us, strengthening us, and enabling us, perfecting us, correcting us, doing those things which this fleshly body needs to have done, officiating in our life the things that need to be done for us to grow in knowledge and grace, to grow in truth and understanding, to grow in Christ. Yes, having the mind of Christ within us as the scripture says. So God is doing this wonderful work. He was given charge by the father to perfect us, the very children of God. Christ revealed, he revealed to us that we are to become perfect. And not just as he was, not just as he was, and he walked the life, and that life is exemplified, that life is witnessed. He walked the perfect life in the flesh. But he has called us to be perfect, not just as he was, but as he is now. Our hope is in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Our hope is in the resurrection, the changing of this physical, vile body that we are into that perfect spirit being that God is. That is what he wants us to truly comprehend. And he wants us to strive. He wants us to fight. He wants us to seek it out rather, that our minds are always, always inclined to do that which is from God. So we want to continue in this relationship with God to do those things. If you'll turn to Matthew 5, 48. Matthew 5, 48, many of us are familiar with this scripture, but I want to read it into the record here. Matthew 5, verse 48. God tells us he expects us to be perfect, and therefore, it is written here, you shall be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. A tall order? Yes. But we have the resources and the help to get there. We have the resources and the help to make it rather than to become this perfect thing that God wants us to be. And there are some exercises that are being fulfilled. There are mechanisms in place that are spiritual in nature. God, the Father, and Jesus Christ is working it out, and they're going to get it done. And we understand it, and we're growing in that understanding more and more each day. So this call to perfection is unique. Let's go to Colossians. Turn to Colossians 3. Colossians 3, and let's read this into the record. Verses 1 through 4. He says, therefore, and consider this for ourselves and the standing that we currently have before God. Therefore, if you, brethren, if you have been risen together with Christ, yes, those who have been baptized in Christ have set our seal, have set our seal that he is truth, that he is the way, he is the life. If you have been raised together with Christ, he tells us, Paul expounds things in such a way because, you see, he came from a really, really dark place into the light of God. And he was very, very repentant in understanding the blindness that he was under. But today, as he's writing these epistles, there's a unique connection to God, a unique desire for God, right? So if you've been raised together with Christ, he says, seek the things that are above for Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affections, your affections, that is everything within you, all of your emotion, passion, drive, energy, desire, set your affection on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. Do not get caught up in the cloudiness, the darkness of this world. Do not get caught up in the glitter that is this world. Why? Because the physical flesh has reward in our, but spiritually speaking, the old man, the old man sought after those things. The new man seeks the things above for Christ is. Verse three, for you have died and your life has been hid together with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with him in glorious glory, perfection, spirit existence, manifested with him in glory. So he tells us in the remaining verses, and I won't take time to read them, to put out of our lives any and all things that causes a division between that goal and us. All these things that are listed below, all the sins of the flesh, all the weaknesses of the flesh, cry out to God that he might come into your life with so much light that that darkness is washed away permanently. Obviously it won't be totally done until this flesh is gone and we become spirit. But we are striving after that day. We are striving in everything to be there. Christ's work at the right hand of the father is a united effort on both their parts. From the beginning, from the beginning, they have had you and I, you and I in their mind, in their plan, in their purpose. Yes, we are uniquely, uniquely created for purpose by God, unlike anything else in the creation of God, anything else. Jesus Christ, right, is a forerunner of everything we were seeking after. He was the first, and we are seeking after him, and his resurrection is our hope. Let's turn to, let's turn to John 4 now. John 4. The gospel of John chapter 4. We're going to understand something a little in addition to that, because everything is centered around God, and we understand that God is love. To be made perfect in love is to walk without fear, because there is no fear in the love of God. Let's take a look at John verse 13 through 21 here. John 4, 13 through 21. Let's back it up and get a proper context here. This is the woman at the well. And verse 11, she tells Christ, the woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing with which to draw water. And the well is deep. How then do you have the living water? And Christ again, being sent by the Father in the flesh to live, dwell among us, to be a light for us, to reveal the Father to us. Verse 12, you are, are you greater, she told him, than their father Jacob? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this, the well, and drank from it, and his sons, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said to her, everyone who drinks this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst, never thirst. Rather, the water that I will give him shall become a fountain of water within him, springing up into everlasting life. The work of God within us, brethren, is being transformed. We are being transformed into something that goes on and on, something that produces a positive result, not just in our lives, but it affects those around us. And in one day, or I should say, in that day, we shall live with Christ, exist as he is, and be a part of the solution that he and the Father is executing upon the earth, springing up into everlasting life for all. Verse 15, the woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I may not thirst, or need to come to draw water. Jesus said to her, go, call your husband and come back here. And the woman said, I do not have a husband. Jesus said to her, yes, you have spoken well in saying that. But God is truly doing an incredible work that we are so much a part of. Verse 22, or verse 21, Jesus said to her, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you shall neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You do not know who you worship or what you worship. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, he said, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. This spirit and truth existence in relationship with the Father is a part of that perfecting that God is doing in us. There's no more darkness in our life. We have truth. We have light. We have power now. Again, all supplied from the Father through Christ for us, because the Father is indeed seeking those who worship him in this manner. The latter part of verse 23. So here is the standard once again. God is spirit. God is spirit. We are aspiring to become more like him. We have the spirit of God within us. It is working. We are striving to become spirit as God is spirit. And that perfection that God is looking for comes through that. Those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. And that's what we are striving to do. God is defined by his law. God is defined by his law. Let's turn to John 14, the gospel of John, chapter 14. John 14, and we're going to pick it up here in verse 8. John 14, verse 8. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and that will be sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long a time, and you have not known me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. Why then do you say, show us the Father? You understand the oneness of Christ and the Father. You understand the relationship between God and the begotten of God. We are one. What they are, we want to be. What they speak, we want to hear. What they do, we want to emulate. What they believe, what they say, we embrace as truth. All of this is based on faith. Again, we have set our seal, our hope. Everything that is us is banking on that. No matter what we see in the world around us, it's not that it detracts us from this goal, this purpose. Verse 10, he told Philip, Don't you believe that I am in the Father? Even at that time, right? And even for us now, we are in Christ, we are in the Father, and the Father in me. Same for us. Does not the Father dwell in you through the Holy Spirit? Does not the Father work in your mind and in your heart? Is Jesus Christ not within you and through the Spirit that you desire to obey God, that you desire to have his mind in you? This is all the work of the power of the Holy Spirit, which came to us from on high. And for you and I, through the laying on of hands. The words that I speak to you, he told Philip, I do not speak for my own self. But the Father himself, who dwells in me, does the works. The Father himself, who dwells in you and I, is doing the work. Jesus Christ also being part of that solution is also influencing your development, your thinking, your heart. Verse 11, believe me that I'm in the Father and the Father is in me. But if not, believe me because of the works themselves. Let's look back at the work of God in our individual life. Do we believe God? Has he made such great strides in your life? I can contest, I can say and state for sure. As they say, he has brought me a mighty long way from where I was to where I am. And now with that, not giving up, not being satisfied. I don't want to get lost in the here and now. This is not enough, brethren. It is not done for you and I yet. We can't say that it is finished yet. But an incredible portion has been provided. No, we are striving. It is out there. Christ will return one day and we're looking forward to that day. We're striving after that. Verse 12, truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me shall also do the works that I do. Greater works than these shall he do because I'm going to the Father. What an incredible truth to comprehend. This, our elder brother, lived a perfect life so that we could have access to this. Him, our elder brother, died on the cross and now is alive and he's talking to us through these words today. He says in verse 13, whatever you shall ask in my name, this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Okay. You see the relationship. Christ came for a purpose. The Father sent him. And now, brethren, let's avail ourselves to this truth. He is indeed alive at the right hand of God, the Father. He and the Father are still working in our lives. They still have work to do. They are still performing that work. The work of God is ongoing. Remember, it goes into eternity. Verse 14, if you ask anything in my name, he says, I will do it. I will do it. Now, that's not a blank check for things that don't make any sense, right? Because it has to be according to God's will. So we act and pray God to give us his will, help us to understand his purpose. And we pray according to his will, all things be done. But here's the key part of it. Verse 15, if you love me, he says, keep the commandments, namely, my commandments. So God is still emphasizing his perfection is in his law. And Christ says, I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age. So God's spirit is not in short supply. God's power is not in short supply. If you need more of it, if you need its influence in your life to be great, you have to ask God for it, for wisdom. If it's to give wisdom, if it's to give strength, if it's to give healing for you, pray. Verse 17 says, even the spirit of truth, that is to understand God's word, which is, which the world cannot receive because it perceives it, not knows it, but you know it because it dwells with you. And at that time he said, shall be within you. But we understand for us is within us. We have the spirit of God. So Christ says, this is how he stays connected to us. He says, I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. I will come to you. And Christ is with us. Christ is with us every day. Let's not forget that. He says, yet a little while in the world shall see me no longer, but you shall see me because I live, you shall live also. Do we experience life as Christ in us today? Verse 20, in that day, this day that we're now walking in for you and I, in that day, that is having received the spirit of God that he's talking about here, we have it now. We were baptized the day of Pentecost, right? It was given the church began. We are members of God's church. All of these things have been fulfilled and are yet being fulfilled in us. So he says, in that day, you shall know that I am in the Father and you are in me and I am in you. The one who has my commandments, who has his law brethren and is keeping them. Now, this is not just law keeping for the sake of law keeping. This is living by the word of God, believing him, walking in his way, thinking his thoughts, valuing the things that he values. And as this world gets darker and darker and darker, your light will stand out like a sore thumb. And God is telling us, don't deviate from this truth ever. The commandments of God, the way of God, the truth of God. He says, that is the one, the one keeping the commandments is the one who loves him. And the one who loves him, that is the one who loves me, he says, shall be loved by my Father. And I will love him, will manifest myself to him. That's from the very mouth of Christ. That's from Christ's own mouth. And it didn't stop at his death. It didn't stop at his resurrection. It didn't stop with him ascending to heaven. No, it is ongoing today. That is the work of God in our lives. Now, that love continues. Our responsibility is to believe, right? To receive the word, right? To listen, to hearken, and to do. So our walk, it's not just thinking of God. Our walk is also doing the things of God as well. Manifested in our words that come out of our mouth. Manifested in the things that are in our mind and heart. Manifested in the work of our hands as we get busy doing the things which God has called us to do. So God has defined yes by his law. Let's go to Psalm 19. Let's get one of the Psalms in here to help us in this journey of being perfected by God's Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Again, Psalm 18. Yep. Let me make sure I've got the right one here. No, I'm sorry. Psalm 19. We'll come back to 18. Psalm 19 first. And we're going to start here in verse one. Everything that is from God is perfect. So let's define some of it. The heavens The heavens declare the glory of God. They're perfect, right? They are not fully being utilized for their total use yet, but God is still doing that work. The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament proclaims his handy work. Day after day, they pour forth speech. And night after night, they reveal knowledge. And we have an opportunity to see more of that language, if you will, in the heavens because of the telescopes and the things that we're able to see now with the web, our telescope. And we see that beauty and that wonderful marvel that is. But our earth itself and its rotation and the orbit, just one micron away, too much. Things can go wrong, but God holds it perfectly in store. Verse three, there is no speech, no language where their voice is not heard. Their line goes out through all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. And then he has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man said to run a race. It's going forth is from one end of heaven, of the heaven, and its circuit is to the other end. And there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is another one is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. So we have in verse seven, two immutable things, right? God's law, which is perfect and his testimony, which is sure. Okay. Verse eight, the precepts of the Lord. Okay. Last night we were learning about thoughts, right? What do we think on? Do we think on the wisdom of this world or do we think on the perfect wisdom and knowledge of God? The whole book of Proverbs is telling you the wisdom that is from God. Okay. So these precepts of God, these ideas, these understandings, these truths of God, these things which are from God's throne, these judgments of God, all of these precepts of the Lord are right. Rejoicing the heart, the commandments of the Lord are pure, enlightening the eyes, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean. That's good. There's a sermon recently entitled to fear God, yes, but not be afraid because you are in this perfect relationship with God and God has this in your eyes and your mind and your heart and you have the desire to honor him, to fear him. It's clean. Enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. We have all of these things described for us because they are the thing that define who we are today. They define where we're going, how we're living, how we're thinking. Yes, and I'm going to get that reference in here because these things are good and sweet, right? And they, the taste is incredible. So this is what we eat. This is what we consume. This is our bounty, if you will, brother. This is our bounty. Verse 10, more to be desired than gold. Yay, much fine gold. It's sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb. Moreover, he says, moreover by them, these things your servant is warned and keeping them there is great reward. Okay, who can understand his errors? Oh, cleanse me from my secret faults, the psalmist writes, and keep, and keep back your servant also from presumptuous sin. Do not let them rule over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. My thoughts, as we were talking about in the sermon last evening, my ways, right? The work of my hands is toward God. He says, he goes on to say that verse 14 again, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord. Again, recognizing who God is, my rock and my redeemer. There is the work of Jesus Christ in his continuing work today at the right hand of God, the father. Let's turn to just one chapter back to chapter 18 of Psalms. And let's talk about this wonderful way of God as defined here. Pick it up in verse 20. The way of God. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness. Now, there is a righteousness of the law. There are righteous works which are from God that we are to do. We are here today doing our righteous work, which is from God, and that is to keep the Sabbath because God said do. He said, keep. And we honor God. We believe God. And yes, we are experiencing the blessings of being here. Yes, the Lord rewards me according to my righteousness and any and all the righteous works which are from God that we do. There is a righteousness of the law. Again, according to the cleanness of my hands, he has repaid me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord. It's something you do, brethren. It is something you choose and you follow and you walk in it. I've kept the ways of the Lord and I've not wickedly departed from my God. Stay away from sin. It separates us from the Father. It separates us from our brother. Yes, he is there as a propitiation for sin, not so that you can keep sinning, but that you can have a lifeline to pull yourself out of sin. Verse 22, for all his ordinances, all his ordinances were before me, he says, and I did put away, I did not put away his statutes from me. I also, I also, he says, I was also blameless before him and I kept myself from my iniquity because the flesh is pulled in a different opposite direction if you don't control it. If you don't give the reigns over to God and let him guide you. Verse 24, therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyes. What is he seeing? What is he hearing in you? Verse 25, with the merciful, you will show yourself merciful. With the upright man, you will show yourself upright. With the pure, you will show yourself pure. And with the crooked, you will show yourself cunning. For you will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes you will bring low. Get rid of pride. You cannot step up before God, bringing yourself as though you can lift yourself up and tell God to pay attention to your righteousness without him. Verse 28, he says, for you will light my lamp. The Lord my God will make my darkness light. God is the source of true light. For by you, I have run through a truth. By my God, I have leaped over a wall. As for God, brethren, his way is perfect. And we want God to guide us in that way. We want God to make that way synonymous with who we are. Because the next phrase in the verse, the word of the Lord is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. For us, I'm sorry, for who is God besides the Lord? The answer, no one. The Lord is the Lord. God is God. Who is the rock to accept our God? Do you stand on, hope in, trust in anything other than him who is at the right hand of the Father? Him who sent him to be at his right hand. They who are our salvation. Verse 32, the God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect. God is doing this wonderful work. Who makes my feet like hind feet. Strong, right? The strength of a horse is in his hind feet, right? And sets me on my high places, on my high places. So again, God is doing that work. His knowledge is without question. Job expressed it. Job expressed it. I'll just give you the verses and you can write these down. Job 36, 4-5 and Job 37, 14-16. It talks about the knowledge of God. Knowledge and wisdom. If we can read the scriptures and we can comprehend the words, it reminds God to help us to see and truly understand. And that is the key, to not only have the words, but to understand the word with wisdom and forethought so that we can live it. The perfect righteousness of God is truly, truly expressed in the Psalms, in the book of Psalms. There are references throughout the scripture pertaining to God's righteousness, because he is righteous. And then this topic, I took a moment and went through several verses and I summarized them. It revealed an incredible thing. And you could do that throughout the scripture, but I just did it here. This is the righteousness that we need. And it can only come from God. Let's take a look at Psalm 4. Let's start there. Let's look at something there. The fourth Psalm. Because we want God in our life. We want God in our life. And we want to understand this righteousness that we're striving for. Now, we have the primary righteousness that really makes this relationship that we have with God possible, which is the righteousness of faith. The imputed righteousness, and that is our faith that God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us. Let's not forget that. I don't think for a moment that I can conjure up through work and activity, ever how perfect I would be able to do them, ever how perfect I would be able to do them. I don't think for a moment that that righteousness will ever justify me for salvation. Right? Christ and God the Father has that covered, and I believe. I believe in the blood of Christ. I believe in his righteousness imputed to me. That doesn't mean that I can stop and sit and wait. God says to me, I have work for you to do. And you need to be doing it. You need to be growing. You need to be overcoming. Okay? So, there is that. And verse one, answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness. You gave me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. God is the author of our righteousness. Should we go a little further here? O sons of men, how long will my glory be put to shame? God didn't make us for sin. God didn't make us so that we could give homage to idols, sticks and stones, as they were. Or in this world today, all the flashy all the flashy things in society, riches, status, all those things. God didn't make us for that. And so, he says to us, how long will my glory be put to shame? How long will you love disillusions and seek after lies? How long, brethren? Think on it. But know that the Lord, he sets apart the godly for himself. The Lord will hear when I call to him. Tremble, he says. Fear. That is fear. Tremble and sin not. Commune with your own heart or with your own heart upon your bed. Think on things. Get your mind engaged and be still. Be still is to say, trusting God, letting God do his perfect work in your life. Stop fighting God. Get out of the way so that God can do his work in your life. Verse 5. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Yes, going against the grain of the flesh and doing the things which are of God. Sacrifices of righteousness requires you to to destroy fleshly things. Put them away and pick up the mantle of God's truth in his way. He says, put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, who will show us good? Who will show us good? And we need some good today. We need God's hand and intervention today. Who will come and fight in this world of darkness and foolishness today? Many will say that. So the word is Lord. Lift up the light of your countenance upon us. We need some light in this crazy dark world that we live in today. You have put gladness in my heart. I am rejoicing in this knowledge, brethren. More than when their grain and their wine increase. You see the connection? This is good. This is plenty. This is a good harvest of truth from the word of God. And verse 8. I will both lie down in peace and sleep. For you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Yes, I run to God for safety. He is my safety. So we pray for this, right? We thirst for this and we cry out to God for this. By grace, he gives it. He gives good things, blessings, plenty, and the best things. Yes. James was correct. Let's turn to James 1. James 1. And let's pick it up in verse 16. So he tells us, brethren, do not deceive yourselves, my beloved brethren. Don't deceive yourselves, thinking that any other source can bring this. Align yourself truly and squarely with God's purpose for you and his plan in your life so that he can perfect his truth in you and so that he can perfect his truth in you and his way in you and his perfect righteous character in you. Verse 17. Every good act of giving, every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of life, with whom there is no variation nor shadow of turning. According to his own will, he begat us by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of his created beings. For this reason, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, because man's wrath, right? Man's frustration and anger, as it might be against the sin we see in the world, man's wrath does not work out God's righteousness. God will get it done. God will get it done. So we have, as a summary, try to just summarize this from what was expressed in the Psalms. All that is good is from God. Psalm 4, 1 through 5. He responds to the prayers of the righteous. He leads us in the righteousness by his spirit and his law. Psalm 5, 8. He shall judge us in righteousness, and he does every day. Psalm 7, 8 through 11 and verse 17. Even the whole world is judged according to God's righteousness. Psalm 9, 8. Only righteousness, brethren, can stand before him. Only righteousness can stand before him. And that's why we have the imputed righteousness of Christ now. And that's why we will be born into his righteousness fully given in that day. Psalm 11, 7. He dwells with the righteous. He does not dwell with the wicked, right? And that is us. He dwells in us because he has imputed the righteousness of Christ to us. Therefore, he dwells in his church. Psalm 15, 1 through 5. And only the righteous shall inherit God's kingdom. 17, 15. And you can also see 1 John 3, 1 through 2. He will reward us according to our righteous works which are from him. Psalm 18, 20 through 24. We shall give glory and praise to him in that day, that day of his return. Psalm 22, 22 through 31. He has set before us today, brethren, a path of righteousness and we are to walk in it. And he leads us in it. Psalm 23, 3. We must wash daily. We must be cleansed daily in the blood of Christ and remain unspotted from the world. Psalm 24, 3 through 4. And he wants us to never be ashamed because we take refuge in him. This is a truth and a promise. He says we shall never be ashamed. Psalm 31, 1. God loves righteousness and justice. He loves righteousness and justice. Psalm 33, 1 through 5. He judges righteously. 35, 24 through 28. His righteousness fills the universe, brethren. It fills all things. Psalm 36, 6 through 12. If we are trusting in him, if we are faithizing in him, that is doing what we believe is true, faithizing in him and living by him. Psalm 37, 4 through 7. I have given several messages, brethren, over the last two years on this understanding of righteousness that is in God, righteousness that is imputed to us, righteousness of the law, many of these topics. But take a look at Psalm 40. Let's turn there. Psalm 40, the 40th Psalm. And in here, 9 through 11 says, I have preached righteousness. In the great congregation, that is you, God's church. Lord, I have not kept back my lips, O Lord. I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. No, I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I've not hidden your loving kindness and your truth from the great congregation. Brethren, it's right here in God's word. And the book of Psalms is full of it. Seek it out like hidden treasure. Go find it. Get a serving of it. Enjoy it. This is part of the gospel of Christ. Psalm 45, 4 through 7. God's work is perfect righteousness. In us, that is the work of God. And again, all of this for the Father and for the purpose and for his purpose for us. So let's not forget this wonderful truth. Let's go back, if you will. Let's go back for a final verse. Let's go back to James. Yes, let's go back to James, and we'll conclude here. James 1, and we read, we picked it up in 16 before here. The point that this verse kind of conveys for us is that this perfection that we are striving to is not achieved by man's efforts without Christ, but it's achieved by God. But it's achieved by God. The Father is perfect. To die in Christ is to be committed to a new life raised in hope of the glory of God. That as the Father raised Christ from the dead, he will change our vile bodies in the day of Christ. And God is imputing that righteousness to us today. So let's see. Let's pick it up here in verse, actually, let's pick it up in verse 19. So again, for this reason, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, because a man's wrath does not work out God's righteousness. And so he tells us to rid ourselves, rid yourselves, having rid yourselves of all filthiness and all the abounding of wickedness around you, then in meekness, accept for yourself the implanted word, which is able to save your lives. Then be doers of the word and not only hearers deceiving your own selves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man considering his face in a mirror, who after looking at himself and recognizing the need for something, went away rather, and immediately forgot what he was like. But the one who looked into the perfect law of freedom, right, and have continued in it, this one himself has not become a forgetful hearer, but is a doer of the work. This work God is doing in you, you be doing it, exercising it, become a part of who you are. This one shall be blessed in his actions. And this is where God has called us to, called us to. There are many other verses and I won't have time, but I just want to say this, we walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh. The spirit is perfect and God has given it to us so that we can achieve Matthew 5.48 and become perfect, even as our Father who is in heaven is perfect. And so let's keep striving after that.