The Righteous Soul
(2Pe 2:4-10)
God is righteous (Ps 7:9; Jn 17:25).
His word is righteous and by His righteousness He judges (Ps 119:60, Ps172), and
He dwells with the righteous (Mt 25:46; 2Pe 3:13).
Faith is acknowledging Him and believing that one has been justified by Him, and
The life of this faith is coming out of unrighteousness and willingly becoming separated from it (2Co 6:14-18).
Righteousness refers to the law, the measuring-stick for what is right.
It judges righteousness and unrighteousness, and
It is absolute, thus, uncompromising.
Since the ancestor of mankind, Adam, took for granted God's law that
Forbade him from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Ge 2:17),
He listened to his wife who was deceived by the serpent and
Eventually he was banished from the Garden of Eden (Ge 3:6, Ge 3:24).
After receiving the warning regarding God's judgment by flood,
For Noah feared God he consistently built the ark for about 70 years, and
As a result, he and his family were saved, becoming heir of righteousness (He 11:7).
When Lot was warned of the judgment by brimstone fire against Sodom (2Pe 2:6-8),
He had been tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard there.
Thus, he was able to leave overnight without looking back and was saved.
Because he received the righteousness of God, the Law,
Moses had to veil his face and became isolated.
For about 40 years he led them (Ex 34:34), and
Finally died alone on Mount Nebo, overlooking Canaan (Dt 34:1-3).
The sanctuary where the stone tablets were inside the Testimony
Reminded the Israelites to fear God the righteous judge.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body
He would reveal that He is the righteousness of God, as
He was testified by the Father in heaven after being baptized by John, which was
To fulfill all righteousness (Mt 3:13-17).
Though He is the Son of God, the righteousness itself (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18),
When He came in the flesh, He came to do the work of the righteous Father (Jn 6:38, Jn 17:25), and
He warned of the coming judgment against the world and
The destruction by fire (Mt 24:37-39; Mk 9:42-48).
Eventually, the disciples all left Him and Jesus died alone,
But He said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. By dying judged as a sinner exalted the Father as the only righteous judge (Rm 3:25-26; Jn 10:18; Php 2:6-11);
2. Judged the unrighteous one, the devil (1Jn 3:8); and
3. By becoming sin -though He knows no sin- opened the way for sinners to leave unrighteousness and become righteous (Jn 14:6; 2Co 5:21).
He rose and ascended the heavenly throne and
Became the righteous king.
The Holy Spirit comes to testify about Yeshua
In him who believed and was baptized in the name Yeshua and
Has become justified (Jn 1:12; Mk 16:16; Rm 3:21-22), and
Gives him the righteous soul.
The Christian is he who is
Distressed and pained by unrighteousness, lawlessness (2Pe 2:6-8),
Not accepting or keeping silence about it.
Therefore, as a preacher of righteousness (2Pe 2:5),
He preaches the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to unbelievers and the truth to believers.
Even if he is persecuted he rejoices,
Even if he is misunderstood he does not cease (Mt 5:11), and
Even if he is not recognized he finishes the lonely path (2Co 6:3-10), for
He longs to enter the new heaven and the new earth where righteousness dwells
When the Lord returns (Mt 25:46; 2Pe 3:7-16).
O Lord,
I can never go to hell!
I also can never see any of the souls You have given me go to hell!
Even if I have to walk the loneliest path
I will never turn back to the world! Amen.
