Experientially, in the Christian walk of discipleship, it is a wonderful reward to find that as His fruit and nature of righteousness becomes increasingly more manifest in our hearts and lives, there is so much healing that takes place – emotionally as well as physically.
In these days, I do find within the Body of Jesus Christ such a hungering for His righteousness and holiness to be evident in our lives. That which is evident and visible to all, even the world.
Yes, we know that true disciples have the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ – but that is not visible to the world. And when someone “who names the name of Jesus Christ” lives on in flagrant sin and blatant unrighteousness, the name and honour of our God is seriously blasphemed. So there is a need for fleshed-out righteousness, so that no longer can the Church of Jesus Christ be dismissed as being hypocritical.
For the ever-increasing number who are hungering and thirsting for His righteousness to be revealed in their lives, there is the wonderful promise of the Beatitude in Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
I am also so aware of the Lord’s preparation of His Bride in this generation. As His righteousness is revealed and made manifest, spots and blemishes are dealt with.
The word of righteousness is the word of maturity. For the babe in the faith, our very dear Saviour comes to us by His Holy Spirit and in a sense meets us down here, where we are living our lives. But, then as we grow more intimate and mature in Him, He bids us to come “up here” to the heavenly realms and to the very Throne Room, where Jesus Christ is no longer the God-man who walked the earth, but the breathtakingly splendid King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who is Holy, Holy, Holy.
This is the One the Bride is to marry, and oh how She sees Her need to be holy, as He is holy…
Hebrews 5:12-14 exhorts us to become mature and skilled in the word of righteousness: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
There is a good, if somewhat hidden analogy of Jesus Christ as the sun in Psalm 19:1-6: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
In Revelation 1:16, John, the revelator, describes Jesus Christ: “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”
I believe that such personal revelation of Jesus Christ, in His ascended power and glory, is a vital prerequisite for anyone called to prophetic office within the Church. It was in the midst of such revelation that Isaiah, the prophet, had the iniquity of his own lips purged, and was then able to heed the call to go, and to be sent -- to speak as God’s oracle to His people (Isaiah 6).
With such revelation comes the fear of the Lord. Yes, as we like to say these days, it is the “reverential” fear of the Lord that comes upon us, but also, along with such noble reverence, comes a good dose of being just plain and simply terrified of the God who is not just a man.
Fear of God is a treasure we should all pursue. One thing it does, is to command our obedience and also it sets us free from ungodly fears, especially the fear of man.
And, oh how thankful we are for His mercy and His grace and His forgiveness to us.
We’re set free to worship Him acceptably, with love and awe. We are able to “proskuneo” (Greek: “to worship”) Him. Like an adoring and obedient dog will come and sit at the feet of his master, licking lovingly the extended hand of his owner. So we can come, kneeling before the King, pouring out our tears of love, thankfulness and worship upon those feet of fine brass… Oh, the King, the King, the King.
The King Himself shines like the Sun – and so too will His Bride.
Matthew 13:43, at the end of the parable of the wheat and tares, says, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
Proverbs 4:18 says: “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.”
The Song of Deborah, in Judges 5:31, says: “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.”
Yes, it is His righteousness, and not yours, but let His righteousness be evident in your life.
1 John 3:7 says: “Little children, let no one deceive you, He who practises righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”
What’s more, we are called, not only to bear the glory and fruit of righteousness ourselves, but to turn many to righteousness. Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”
We need to speak up for righteousness. Psalm 58:1 says, “Do you indeed speak for righteousness, you silent ones?”
Finally, we know that God is wanting to birth or express His fullness through His Bride or Church of this age. The emergent Israel of God in Revelation 12:1&2 is described as the woman clothed with… the SUN.
Through the blood of Jesus
With hands clean and blameless
Our hearts pure by fire
We ascend Your Holy Hill
To worship and adore You, Lord
Distantly, we hear now
Angels and saints proclaim
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord our God the Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come!
Higher we arise now
The mist is cleared away
We see the crystal sea
And then Your splendid Throne
And oh, dear Lord, You are Glorious
Clearly we hear it now
The angelic voices proclaim
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord our God, the Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
We gaze at You in Glory
Too marvellous for words
We fall before You, singing
Worthy is the Lord, Christ on High
Glory, Honour and Power are Yours alone!
Songs of MountZion (Sheet music available on request)