John Thiel mp3

I want to spend careful research on Christ our righteousness in practice as declared by God’s mind. I want to quickly qualify what I mean with this because we are dealing here with a subject that has been tossed about by many, many preachers and teachers, and people are still not clear by God’s mind on this matter.

Isaiah 55 is a very important qualification as we commence our meditation:

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As we contemplate Christ our righteousness in practice, we are to gear our mind to realising that we are dealing with something that is not natural to our thoughts and our ways. The apostle Peter puts a very important qualification to this

2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

When we come to God’s sacred Word, we come to the subjects of God’s word and such an important subject as Christ our righteousness, then there is no private interpretation that must come in here. It is only that which is God’s mind and God’s thoughts. I just want to really bring that point in the Spirit of Prophecy. There are just two sentences I wanted to readL

The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scriptures and of the Spirit of Prophecy. These are not to be twisted and turned to mean what man may want them to mean, to carry out man’s ideas and sentiments, to carry forward man’s schemes at all hazards. 2MR 189.2

The facts were plain. There was no dimness of the light. But the work of Christ was interpreted by different ones in accordance with the state of their minds. CTr 234.7

I want to really bring the point home – we are here coming not with the state of my mind, we are coming here to hear God telling us what Christ our righteousness in practice from God’s mind. Not to put human interpretation on that. We want to now proceed, and I appeal to you to be patient with this process because this is now a careful Bible study to hear what God is saying and follow very astutely with me. I advise that you have your Bible to read so you can absorb what God is saying to you.

The question is, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. What are God’s thoughts? What are they in reference to righteousness by faith? Let’s go now to Jeremiah and read it. We want to hear God’s thoughts. What does it say?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

If you read the context of this, God’s thoughts to whom? Who was he speaking to? If you read the context, He is speaking to the Israelites, the Jews, at the time when they were being so wicked that God had to have delivered them to the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar. What were His thoughts toward them? Of peace and not of evil, to give them an expected end, a sinful people.  

Here is the description of God’s thoughts for this sinful people. Pay close attention and then we come to Jeremiah 33 and there again we read and to absorb God’s thoughts. This is to sinners, to people who were ready to be delivered to Babylonian captivity and some of them were already there.

Jeremiah 33:14  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Lord our righteousness. This is God’s thoughts for a sinful people. Let’s pursue together pertaining to the Lord our righteousness that sinners are to be called. The first question to deal with is to define righteousness. If we want to understand God’s presentation of Christ our righteousness, the Lord our righteousness, what is righteousness? Now I am not going to tell you, but I am going to read to you. Again, I reemphasise we need to walk carefully here to pick up God’s thoughts entirely. What is the definition of righteousness which is Christ our righteousness? Here we simply read, and we take hold what righteousness is. It doesn’t need any human interpretation. I

Psalms 119:172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

There is a definition of righteousness. All God’s commandments are righteousness.

Psalm 119:173 Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. ¹⁷⁴ I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. ¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. ¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments.

I have gone astray, life like a lost sheep. Who is speaking here? The one who just under inspiration has given to us the definition of righteousness: all your commandments are righteousness. That same who has been so inspired says – ‘176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments’

King David

King David is speaking here. There, this sinner king David, he sinned drastically. That’s why he is saying; ‘I have gone astray like a lost sheep. While I do not forget Your commandments, but I have gone astray.’ David is the man whom God has delivered to our understanding, according to Isaiah 55.  We go back to Isaiah 55 where in verses 1-4 God is speaking regarding our call to be saved by Him and He points to David and then He says my thoughts are not your thoughts:

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ² Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently.

You see what God is saying here? Be very diligent, listen carefully.

Isaiah 55:2…unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. ³ Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, EVEN THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID. ⁴ Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

God is trying to reach out for us, He is says; ‘I’ve got thoughts for you, you people who are sinners. My thoughts are to give you an end and I want you to be titled by the name called the Lord our righteousness.’ He points us to understand this directly to King David. He says, ‘I want you to listen carefully to me.’ Why is He saying that? Because we’re only half listening. I know we are, because I hear it all the time – we are misinterpreting God.

He says ‘incline your ear, come into me, I will make an everlasting covenant with you,’ which is what? The sure mercies of David. ‘I give him as a witness to you,’ a leader and a commander to the people. Are we listening to what God is saying? It’s a very similar description of God coming to a man as in Isaiah chapter 6:5. Here is Isaiah the prophet and the description that is given in chapter 6 is that Isaiah beholds the throne of God and it’s all described. When he saw God on His throne he says:

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me!

Now think what is he saying? What kind of experienceis he making? He is seeing God on His throne:

Isaiah 6:5 for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Here is the description of men whom God is working upon. David, Isaiah; both of them overwhelmed with their fallen condition. David said ‘I am a sheep that has gone astray’. ‘Woe! I am absolutely in a disgusting sensation, woe is me, I am so unclean. I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips.’ Deeply conscious, of what? That which is written in the Bible. There is none righteous no not one. Hear it with me in detail. None righteous no not one. That’s a sort of generalisation. Let’s go into the detail of what the apostle Paul under inspiration in chapter 3 of Romans is expressing. Here is the detail of what caused Isaiah, and what caused David to be absolutely shattered. Read it carefully with me now, what is God’s knowledge about you and I, everyone of us, not one is missing.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Now this is a generalisation again; let’s follow carefully now)¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; (an open grave, people swallow you up) with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: ¹⁴ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood: ¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways: ¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Do you like the description of yourself an myself? Woe is me! Here is a description of our condition and we don’t understand. We have all gone out of the way, together we have become unprofitable. Our throats are digesting other people. Do you ever talk about somebody evil? The deceit, they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. There is a description that should fill every single one of us with the sensation that Isaiah expressed – woe is me! If you really let it sink in, this is God speaking. How do you feel? Do you feel overwhelmed? With your condition as God sees it, despair? But when we go back to Isaiah chapter 6, what he’s written there when he saw himself like we are looking at it right now and God is declaring this is your case and this is my case? Every one of us, tell me just as we are thinking here, if this applies to you and this applies to me, can you point the finger at me? If it applies to you, can you say oh he is like that and I’m like too? There is no possibility of judging each other none whatsoever. We are all in the same condition and as Isaiah cries out – woe is me, I am here among all the others, we are all the same.

What happens next? The angel brings a call from the altar of heaven and touches his lips with that burning coal and he says what? God says:

Isaiah chapter 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: ⁷ And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

A coal from heaven. What does this represent? Soul of Tarsus can tell you. Do you remember Saul of Tarsus? He was a pharisee of Pharisees a Hebrew of Hebrews and full of himself.  Full of thinking that he was right. What happened to him? He was on the road to Damascus and there the burning coal hit him right in the eyes. What was that? He met Jesus and he became blind because of the powerful light and burning of that Saviour. What is Saul’s response? We read it there in Romans Chapter 7 when Saul became apostle Paul. He expressed what happened to him when he met Jesus:

Romans 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.¹⁰ And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

‘All your commandments are righteousness.’ He met Jesus and he died. He became blind, and he died. He became blind, completely shattered – woe is me! What does he say in verse 24, as he discovers himself as he really is?  

Romans 7:11 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

And the answer is:

Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This coal will touch you and it will take away your sins, and you can go forth as he said to Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:8 lso I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me (now that I have been cleansed, send me). ⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people.

Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Jesus Christ. By what means? Let’s go to chapter 8 of Romans and there we will read by what means the purification of that sinful nature should be achieved.

Romans chapter 8:3 For what the law (the law is of righteousness) could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, (marginal reading: and as a sacrifice for sin) condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

There is Jesus, the law that condemns me, that makes me absolutely woeful and shows me all the details of my sins, as it does that, Jesus taking it in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemning the sin that is in me, in my flesh. That’s the process. As I read this, if you and I will believe this reality then what is written to the believer of this reality? That Jesus has taken my sin and condemned it in His flesh. What is written to the believer about this? John 3:16 you know it well. God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Whoever believes in Him. The reality of what is here introduced to our mind, that you see yourself in your true condition and you just fall apart. A wretched man that I am, the apostle recognised it. As we recognize that and as we see Jesus, what is meant? The righteousness that can be fulfilled upon us through Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For THE LOVE OF CHRIST (my thoughts are different from your thoughts, my ways are different you’re your ways) constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead (are we not all dead? We have all been condemned, we have all violated in every way, not one of us has not violated heavily in the detail that we read in the Romans. But it says that God shows us a love that I am a dead man, and Jesus came and joined me as a dead man): ¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (Here comes a very important addition to that)¹⁶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

What’s Apostle Paul saying? Jesus died with me. I died with Him. From here onwards, that is past that happened, I’m dead, Jesus was dead. We were both dead, and we were both resurrected together with Jesus and from this time onwards, as I believe in that, I am resurrected and together with Jesus, it says that we will not know each other according to that anymore. Get that very clear. No more according to the flesh to the person who believes this.

Let’s read it in Romans chapter 5 to really let the word sink in:

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

I believe in what Jesus has done, I believe I was dead, and that’s what Isaiah, Apostle Paul and what David expressed; oh dear, I’ve gone astray, I have been terribly sinful. I am in desperate need of life, I am dead. Jesus says, I’m right here with you in your death. Now you come with me, I have justified you. You are no longer to be seen as a sinner (the Lord our Righteousness). We were enemies. As enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.

Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

What is it here? If you believe, if you take hold of Jesus in the deep appreciation of your undone and sinful condition and you have been completely overwhelmed with the hopelessness of your case, you are an enemy and you are now dead together with Christ. Your life is hid with Christ in God. What does all that mean? We are all dead men, we’ve got no hope for the future, apart from one reality. That I’m dead together with Christ and that I am in hiding with Him in God. Are you picking it up? Let’s move carefully forward. I am dead together with Christ and Christ was resurrected and we don’t know Him anymore according to the flesh. What is He now? And what am I together with Him?

1 Corinthians 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence (no flesh, we cannot glory in His presence according to our flesh. We are dead). ³⁰ But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: ³¹ That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Is there anything to glory about you and me? Not at all! I am crucified with Christ. Jesus has died and I am dead together with Him and now I live no longer in reference to my past, dead. If we believe that, what is written in simple plain appreciation of this fact?

It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. SC 62.2

No man shall know you according to the flesh anymore, you are righteous, because He has placed His righteousness upon you, if you give yourself to Him, if you believe in this:

christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. SC 62.2

Do you believe that? That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? I am accepted by God as if I have not sinned. My thoughts are not your thoughts He’s saying. I am showing you something here that is not your thought. You cannot quite comprehend this. This is my thought. I have literally taken you, if you believe in Me, and I have taken you into the death together with Jesus. You’re dead men. If you believe in this, if you give yourself to me totally, give yourself to me and accept Jesus as your Saviour, then you are now to be understood and accepted with God just as you had never sinned! Hard to believe? But that’s what God’s thoughts are. That’s what God is declaring; The Lord our Righteousness.

More than this (remember what we read? That we are all dead men and we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son but we are saved by His life), Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. SC 62.3

But what was that in Colossians 3:3? You are hidden with Christ in God, hidden? Hiding in Christ. Why are you to be hidden with Christ? Because you are still a work in progress. You are still being saved. You are reconciled. You are no longer regarded as a sinner by God. He looks upon you in Jesus, as you had never sinned but you are still a work in progress.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (Now remember, we are not to know each other anymore according to the flesh. When somebody has willingly submitted himself to Jesus all the way, then he is regarded as not having sinned anymore, but is an ongoing work in progress): ¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

You are still a work in progress, you are still being changed. God regards you as the Lord our Righteousness; that’s our name. But you are still a work in progress. You will be changed as you behold. As you look at this God that has done this for you, you are overwhelmed. You are affected. Your mind is occupied with this and you are being affected to change from faith to faith, from glory to glory, from one character trait to another, glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The work is progressive, there are still character defects, there are still things that need to be cleaned out of your life. But you are righteous: The Lord our Righteousness, if you believe as it is written:

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just…

The person who’sbeen justified, the person who has been accounted by God through Jesus Christ as having never sinned. The just is the path and way of that person; God’s way:

Proverbs 4:18 …is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

It shineth more and more to perfection but you are already in Christ righteous. Can you pick up God’s thoughts here? This is God’s thoughts. There is something very important here and I want to make sure that we understand what we are reading. From glory to glory, more and more to a perfect day.

Under the influence of divine grace, every good quality would be gaining strength, while evil traits would as steadily lose their power. 2BC 1016.8 This is the work which the Lord proposes to do for all who consecrate themselves to Him (The Signs of the Times, September 7, 1882, reprinted in The Review and Herald, November 8, 1887). 2BC 1017.1

Evil Traits

What are you looking at here? The good will increase, but the evil that is still there will decrease. That’s what it says. The evil traits would decrease, while the good traits would grow unto the perfect day. As the morning light, darkness goes into the light slowly, from glory to glory. This is the work which the Lord proposes to do for all those who consecrate themselves to Him. The good traits that you are learning by beholding, will be increasing, and the evil traits will be decreasing. What does that look like in living reality? Work in progress, the good traits will be developing while the evil traits are dropping off. Steady changes. Will those evil traits that have not yet dropped off while the good traits are increasing, will those still be manifest now and then? Will those evil traits at times manifest themselves? For example, Moses, the meekest man on earth, he had already been beautifully saved from his mistake in Egypt. But he traveled with the children of Israel and what happened? He struck the rock against God’s own word. What was manifest in there? An evil trait. Abraham, lied! He lied about Sarah being his wife or not. An evil trait manifesting itself. King David; an evil trait still revealing itself. King Solomon evil traits still revealing itself. Apostle Peter denying Jesus three times. Was he cast off? Not at all! He was still developing. I want you to reflect on this now, because this is Christ our Righteousness in practice.

Apostle Paul Said it Plainly

Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, ¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus has apprehended me. He recognises me to be perfect one day. I haven’t reached that yet, I am not there yet. I press toward the mark. You who are perfect because you are in Christ know it. You still make mistakes. You may fall again and again until you recover yourself entirely from that faulty characteristic but you are in Christ and Christ is regarding you as if you have never sinned. Try to comprehend this. Remember He has died with you like that so you don’t have to keep going through that ground of shattered hopelessness, despair, look at me, I am terrible still. The good traits are increasing, the bad traits are decreasing.

In Conflict and Courage, the most encouraging message for us who are believing in Jesus as our personal Saviour:

The lives recorded in the Bible are authentic histories of actual individuals. From Adam down through successive generations to the times of the apostles we have a plain, unvarnished account of what actually occurred and the genuine experience of real characters. It is a subject of wonder to many that inspired history should narrate in the lives of good men facts that tarnish their moral characters…. The inspired writers did not testify to falsehoods to prevent the pages of sacred history being clouded by the record of human frailties and faults….” CC 7.2

Had our good Bible been written by uninspired persons, it would have presented quite a different appearance and would have been a discouraging study to erring mortals, who are contending with natural frailties and the temptations of a wily foe. But as it is, we have a correct record of the religious experience of marked characters in Bible history. Men whom God favored, and to whom He entrusted great responsibilities, were sometimes overcome by temptation and committed sins, even as we of the present day strive, waver, and frequently fall into error. But it is encouraging to desponding hearts to know that through god’s grace they could gain fresh vigor to again rise above their evil natures; and, remembering this, we are ready to renew the conflict ourselves.1 Testimonies for the Church 4:9-11. CC 7.4

Are you taking God’s word in here? Are these souls (Moses, Abraham, David, etc.) that the Bible talk about being wicked? Are they wicked in heart? NOT AT ALL! They are covered by Christ’s righteousness and their hearts are contemplating as we read in the words of the psalmist, ‘I have gone astray like a sheep but I keep my mind on your law. I am continuing to come closer and closer to what you are telling me, I am making progress, I am not at heart wicked. That’s what the Scripture is conveying. These people, even though they have sinned, and sinned grievously are still at heart totally contritious. They dwell in a high and lofty place with Him who dwells in a high and lofty place with those who have contritious hearts.

That is what these people are. They have been redeemed; they have been accounted righteous before God. And yes, they sinned, but they were still hiding in Christ. Hiding from what? I want you to really pick this up from God’s word. If God’s mind to sinful Israel, David, Paul and Peter, whoever they are; sinners. We all have miserably failed along the way as we are being perfected because we have taken Jesus as our personal Saviour, we are going to make mistakes and we have made mistakes. What is this word about hiding? What is meant with that according to God’s word? Hiding with Christ.

Psalms 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

What’s that? He shall hide me in the time of trouble. He shall hide me in His tabernacle. He shall set me upon a rock. He shall hide me.

The Strife of Tongues

Psalms 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! ²⁰ Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Did you get that? Where are we hiding? In God’s pavilion. I trust Him. You depend upon Him, you failed, you have sinned, but you are hidden from the strife of tongues.

Psalms 31:21 Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. ²² For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. ²³ O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.²⁴ Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

He shall hide you where; from what? He shall hide you from the strife of tongues. Does that mean you won’t hear the strife of tongues? Oh yes, we will hear the strife of tongues, but we are hidden from their judgment. We are not judged as they judge us. We are hidden in Christ in His righteousness.

Has He Repented?

I love it in Isaiah 54. Listen to that. This is what it means to be hiding in Jesus from the strife of tongues because the failures of somebody who is still a work in progress will be looked upon by the proud, by those who don’t understand Christ and His righteousness. They will point at that person and say, ‘look at that!’ ‘Has he repented?’ That’s none of their business. It is your business between Christ and you if you have repented of your sins.

In Isaiah 54 is the true repentant soul who is hiding in Christ recognising his failure but trusting in Christ’s righteousness:

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon (with the strife of tongues they will attack you) that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Did you hear that? To hear God’s thoughts which are not our thoughts, the people who look at the sinner, pick to pieces everything about his failures and sins, but that believer is a believer in Jesus and if they are striking with their tongue, the tongue that rises against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. Why? Because this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. They are learning, they are covered. Covered?

Here was the case of Moses. You know very well that Satan was fighting over Moses’ body. He said, ‘no, no, he’s mine, he sinned. I can’t let him go.’ And Jesus said, ‘the Lord rebuke thee O Satan.’

The Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” When Satan seeks to cover the people of God with blackness, and ruin them, Christ interposes. although they have sinned, Christ has taken the guilt of their sins upon his own soul. he has snatched the race as a brand from the fire. By His human nature He is linked with man, while through His divine nature He is one with the infinite God. Help is brought within the reach of perishing souls. The adversary is rebuked. COL 169.1

They have sinned, yes. Moses had sinned, yes. But he is plucked out of that, because he believed in his Saviour Jesus Christ. We are taken away from the strife of tongues. The strife of tongues will be condemned. Hear the words of Jesus, those who engage in strife of tongues, if any of them are God’s children, what does God’s children do in among the strife of tongues? You know the beautiful words of Matthew chapter 5:7 and 9:

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

When God’s children meet each other and we see a fault or sin, will we condemn them? Or will we be merciful? Among the strife of tongues, those who are God’s children, will not enter into this strife of tongues. They will be merciful and they will be peacemakers. Not checking the people out asking ‘are you really so bad as these people say?’ Forget about what people are saying. These are God’s people, and God’s people will be merciful and will not enter the strife of tongues.

For those who persist in strife of tongues, losing sight of Christ our righteousness, hear Jesus in Matthew 25:40:

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

To accuse and criticize those whom God is using is to accuse and criticize the Lord who has sent them. TM 466.2

Those who will insist on pursuing the strife of tongues, they are to realise that if they are going to enter upon the strife of tongues against God’s children, who themselves are frail as those who are accusing them and have made mistakes, if those people continue to do this, then follow carefully the rebuke that come from the Spirit of God:

In the home the spirit of criticism and faultfinding should have no place. The peace of the home is too sacred to be marred by this spirit. But how often, when seated at the meal table, the members of the family pass round a dish of criticism, faultfinding, and scandal. Were Christ to come today, would He not find many of the families who profess to be Christians cherishing the spirit of criticism and unkindness? The members of such families are unready to unite with the family above. AH 440.3

The spirit of gossip and talebearing is one of Satan’s special agencies to sow discord and strife, to separate friends, and to undermine the faith of many in the truthfulness of our positions. AH 441.1

We think with horror of the cannibal who feasts on the still warm and trembling flesh of his victim; but are the results of even this practice more terrible than are the agony and ruin caused by misrepresenting motive, blackening reputation, dissecting character? Let the children, and the youth as well, learn what God says about these things: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” AH 440.5

The strife of tongues is death, destruction. Here we see the terrible condemnation upon those who are doing that:

Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” Here the backbiter is excluded from abiding in the tabernacle of God and dwelling in the holy hill of Zion. He that taketh up a reproach against his neighbor cannot receive the approval of God. 5T 615.2

What does it mean to take up a reproach? Somebody comes to you with a reproach and you listen, ‘Oh yeah! We got to look into that.’ He that takes up a reproach against his neighbor cannot receive the approval of God. 5T 615.2

Nothing can perfect a perfect unity in the church but the spirit of Christlike forbearance. Satan can sow discord; Christ alone can harmonize the disagreeing elements…. When you as individual workers of the church love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself, then there will be no labored efforts to be in unity, there will be oneness in Christ, the ears to report will be closed, and no one will take up a reproach against his neighbor. The members of the church will cherish love and unity and be as one great family. Then we shall bear the credentials to the world that will testify that God has sent His Son into the world. Christ has said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”—Letter 29, 1889. RC 200.7

That is the counsel. That we close our ears to taking up a reproach. We will cherish love and unity.

The practice of Christ our Righteousness is what we have here carefully read from statement to statement. Now here is a complete summary of all those statements.

In Summary

Christ our righteousness in practice talks and thinks of Jesus, it doesn’t get into any other conversation; and rejoices in His righteousness as it is applied to the account of His followers, as though they have never sinned because this righteousness of Christ covers a multitude of sins. Therefore because of this, as we will open our hearts to Christ our Righteousness, that presents the believer as though he had never sinned, and that places the motive of every believer as the motive of loyalty to God and to His law. He doesn’t let that go.

The righteousness of Christ looks upon sins and faults of others through the glasses of Christ our Righteousness, leaving them to the grace of God according to Romans chapter 8

Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ³³ Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Who shall separate us? If you are hiding in Christ, if you believe in Him and your heart is totally contritious, you see yourself as David saw himself, you see yourself as Isaiah saw himself. When you see yourself like that and you take hold of Jesus as the One who is dead together with you, and you remain hidden in Him, then the strife of tongues will never affect you. You will be hidden. The Lord said so, we read it.

Take no notice of taking a reproach against a brother in the faith. Pay no notice to that. The true brother in Jesus Christ, the true sister in Jesus Christ are contritious. They know they have gone astray, but the Lord does not cast them off and neither should we cast them off.

Amen.