Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Satan the accuser points to Christians and says, Look at you. You've sinned again. You have no right to stand before a holy God.
There's no hope you'll ever see heaven. But there is one way to stop his foul-mouth cold. Today, you'll learn what it is. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line.
Pastor Lutzer, in your series on the invisible war, we've come to the second piece of armor believers can wield. Tell us what it is. Dave, this is so critical. I really do hope and pray that everyone who is listening right now will listen to this message to the very end. And I mention that.
because the second piece is the breastplate of righteousness. You know, Martin Luther is quoted as saying, O God, I am thy sin. Thou art my righteousness. And you know, if we don't understand that, if we look within ourselves to try to find righteousness, Satan will have us for lunch and for dinner. What we need to do is to put on that breastplate and And I'll be explaining what this meant in the ancient times also during warfare.
I'm so thankful for the many of you who have joined us. even as we continue this ministry. I also want to emphasize that we appreciate The fact that we have the opportunity of making resources available for you.
So at the end of this message, I'm going to be telling you about a book I've written entitled How to Break a Stubborn Habit, and we'll be giving you some contact info.
so that you can become a part of us and we are helping you. as you run the race of life. And yes, we need the breastplate of righteousness. I'm convinced that oftentimes we see the Christian life as a playground. rather than a battleground.
And it is a battleground, and you are in that battle whether you like it or not. You don't have to sign up. The battle has come to you. The Bible says that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. And by the way, that's true whether you're here today as a believer or not.
As a matter of fact, the devil actually blinds the minds of the unsaved, the Bible says, lest they should believe the gospel. And Jesus said that when the word is preached, it is Satan that comes and snatches it out of people's minds so that they don't believe.
So we're all in the battle. But if you're here today as a Christian, I want to remind you of what Satan's strategy is. It is very clear he wants to make sin attractive to us, and then what he wants us to do in the process of sinning, and of course it happens, is to break our fellowship with God. If there's anything that he detests, it's people who walk with God. Maybe you're here today as a Christian and you're backslidden.
You are not in fellowship with God. If so, Satan has won a victory. He's won what it's all about for him, cutting us off. from fellowship. with the Almighty.
You remember that story? I think it was a legend, of course, that Helen, Queen Helen, was captured by the people of Troy. And the Greeks tried to overcome Troy for about ten years, and they couldn't do that. They couldn't capture the city.
So they came up with a very ingenious plan. The plan was to take a wooden horse. And in that big wooden horse, they had a number of soldiers. But they took the horse and they put it outside the city and said to the people of the city, This is our gift to you. And the people of Troy fell for the trap, and they brought the horse in, and then.
when they were having a party in the city. You know the rest of the story. The soldiers came out of the horse. And they ran to the gates and they opened the gates where soldiers were waiting. And so the enemy within joined with the enemy without.
and Troy was captured. You and I have two enemies. There is the enemy within, that is the heart. That is what we call the flesh. Jesus said that out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, thefts, covetousness, all the different sins of the world exist in seed form within our hearts.
That's the enemy within, but there's also an enemy without. And that is Satan. And what he wants the enemy within to do is to open the gate so that he can come in. and to be in cahoots with the enemy that is within. And of course, in extreme uh cases, this actually results in satanic satanic invasion or possession.
I think, for example, of Judas in the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John. It says that Judas decided to betray Christ. He's there in the upper room. And then Jesus said, one of you shall betray me. And you remember it says, and Judas left And Satan entered into him.
Wow, Satan wasn't in Judas yet in the upper room. It is when he left. He had made the decision that he was going to betray Christ. The enemy within opened the gates to the enemy without, and the enemy without came in. And Judas goes down in history as having done that terrible, terrible deed of betraying the only one who could save him.
from his sins. That's our struggle too. It is to so understand the nature of the battle that we remember that it says in Ephesians chapter 6, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, and many skirmishes that we have emotionally, spiritually, and even conflict with one another oftentimes is agitated, inspired, and what shall we say, brought about by the temptations of the devil. And then it says, Stand therefore. Stand therefore.
In the last message, we talked about the belt of truth. And today we come to the breastplate of righteousness, the breastplate of righteousness. But rather than turn to Ephesians chapter 6, I'd like you to turn to the book of Romans, because if we want to understand what the breastplate of righteousness is, If we want to understand how we can apply it so that we can leave here today with truth that will transform us. not only in the next week, but forever.
Some of the truths that I will share with you today about the righteousness of God are truths that I apply practically. every single day. And we're going to see. how we can do that. In Romans chapter 10, and we'll begin there, though my main text will be in Romans chapter 3, but in chapter 10, the Apostle Paul distinguishes two kinds of righteousness.
Actually, he does this throughout the book. But I chose chapter 10, verse 3, for being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God. And seeking to establish their own. He's talking about the people of Israel, the Jews of his day, trying to establish their own righteousness. They did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Notice the contrast between their own righteousness and God's righteousness. And that's where I begin today in this message. I talk about human righteousness. Human righteousness is the decision to be religious.
It's the decision to do whatever your religion dictates should be done to meet the requirements and so you become disciplined and you do everything within your power to meet the obligations. You attend temple. You go to church. If you're told that these are the rules, you obey the rules, you worship according to the way in which your particular tradition tells you you should, and that would be true in any religion of the world. And that kind of righteousness does not attain the righteousness of God.
It's not the righteousness against which we can stand against the fiery darts of the wicked. And the reason is because all human righteousness is tainted. It's all tainted. You see, you and I, we are generous, but we hope that we'll be recognized. We do things with mixed motives.
We do things and we think that we are doing a wonderful thing, but actually, there's always that sense. Of doing it for others and doing it to be recognized. I've told you before, but it fits here. Time when I was driving along and I saw a woman who had driven partially into the ditch. and uh the car was out of gas.
And I drove to a gas station and I had to buy a can because they wouldn't trust me to bring it back. Can that I filled with a gallon of gas, and I was pouring it into her car, and standing there in the ditch. I thought to myself, if only all the people of Moody Church could see me now. Mixed motives. It's always there.
And you see, God's righteousness, God's righteousness is not human righteousness raised to a higher power. God's righteousness is of an entirely different quality. That's why we like to emphasize that if you're going to stand on the basis of your own record in God's presence, you will be blown away and you will be rejected because human righteousness does not attain to the righteousness of God. And as Christians, We can also use human righteousness to fight against the devil, and it does not work. This is the way we do it.
Satan comes to us. And what he does is he loves to accuse. He loves to tell us and remind us of our past, all right?
So he comes and reminds us, says, so you're a Christian, look at what you've just done. As a matter of fact, if you think that God still loves you and cares about you, how could you possibly look at what you've done? God is so mad at you, you might as well walk away from Him. That's what Satan says, okay? What do we say if we're thinking in terms of human righteousness?
We say, wait a moment, I'm not that bad. I attended church. I memorized verses when I was in Sunday school. Most of the time I'm honest. Look at all of the good things that I do on balance.
I'm pretty good. Don't make me look that bad. And if you fight the devil that way, he has you for lunch. and for a snack later. He loves it because human righteousness cannot Withstand.
The fiery darts. of the wicked one. human righteousness. Will never buy us any forgiveness of God. It will not buy the protection that God needs to give us human righteousness.
is weak and the wrong kind. Oh, it's good to do these things. It's good to do these things. But it will never give you status. with God.
I've used the illustration before, but I love it. If you were to add a million bananas, you would never get an orange. Take all the human righteousness that has ever been performed, gather it all together in one bundle, and it does not attain to a scintillica. of the righteousness of God. There are millions of people in church today who have established their own righteousness.
and think that they are fine and they know nothing of the righteousness. of God.
So let's talk about the righteousness of God, and for this, let's turn to Romans chapter 3. This passage of scripture deserves particular attention. and we can't give it all the attention it deserves. But I'm going to be speaking about this same passage uh perhaps uh in a couple of months in a series. And I'll pick it up again.
But notice today, this is critical, chapter 3 of Romans. Chapter 1, Paul proves that the pagans are sinners. Chapter 2, he goes on to prove that the Jews who were self-righteous, who had the righteousness of their own, their own righteousness, that they are sinners too. And he emphasizes then that in verse 19, all of us are, chapter 3.
Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God. Paul says, look, don't Depend upon human righteousness because in God's presence your mouth is going to be stopped. and you'll have nothing to say. because your righteousness is unacceptable. But now notice.
The whole world, yes, accountable to God. Verse 20, for by the works of the law, no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Laws do have a benefit, and they remind us that we are sinners. And when we see that we are sinners, then there's hope for us. But the more righteous we perceive ourselves to be, the less likely we will see our need for the righteousness of God.
That's why self-righteousness is so deceptive. The more of it that you have, the less of God's righteousness you think you need.
Now, notice. Verse 21. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law. Although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. the righteousness of God.
Imagine today if you had the righteousness of God. Obviously, God would accept you. because you'd have the very same quality of righteousness that He does. Righteousness in the Bible, the righteousness of God refers to an attribute of God. He is just, He is holy, He is loving, but He's also righteous in all that He does.
All of His acts are good and pure and honest and right. And the good news is this. That through Jesus Christ we get this quality of righteousness credited to us as sinners even though we are imperfect in our own lives and in our own experience. That is the good news of the gospel. I love 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
God made him to be sin, the one who knew no sin, that is Jesus. that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
So Jesus got what he didn't deserve, namely, our sin. We get what we don't deserve, namely his righteousness. We get His righteousness. And that's why it is sometimes referred to as the Great Exchange. that when Jesus died on the cross, He received our sin.
You know, parenthesis, there's some theologians who say, well, It is immoral for God to punish someone who is innocent. My friend, Jesus wasn't innocent. He was declared guilty by God when he bore our sins. And because he bore our sins, God says you can receive now the righteousness of God. You can be credited to your account, legally credited.
Can be God's own standard of holiness and perfection. It's applied to you. Dow. What are some of the characteristics of the holiness of God?
Well, obviously, first of all, it has to be a free gift. You'll notice it says in verse 24, and are justified by his grace as a gift. Of course it has to be a gift. Think about it. It's a kind of righteousness of which you and I have none.
We can't work for it, we can't earn it. We can't say, well, God, you give me part of it and then I'll add my own righteousness to what you give me. No, it is a gift because it is God's righteousness. It has to be a gift. That's why the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Did you realize how the gospel slaps us in the face if we're proud people? Because it says, whatever you bring is unacceptable, all that you can bring is your need, and in the process of bringing the need, I will supply what you need. Our great contribution in salvation is our sin. That's the only contribution we make. It is the righteousness of God that is the gift.
If you're struggling here today and wondering whether or not you can believe in Jesus or have assurance, remember to receive it as a gift. Gift. It is not of works. Don't be impressed with what you've done for God, because I can assure you, He's not impressed with it, and probably your close friends aren't either.
Now What do we say about it? It is a gift. It is an unchangeable righteousness. How do we know it's unchangeable? Because it is the righteousness of God.
You get the same righteousness when you believe on Jesus as I received, as Anyone else has received throughout church history, the same righteousness the Apostle Paul received, the same righteousness that D.L. Moody received, the same righteousness that Billy Graham received. We all receive the same righteousness. And that means that the real issue isn't the greatness of your sin. You see, there are some of you here today who, if the truth were known, You've done some pretty terrible things, maybe even criminal things.
And you're asking today now: can I believe on Jesus? And what happens when I believe? And the answer is, yes, you can believe on Jesus. The Holy Spirit is working in your heart. I'm going to urge you to believe on Jesus, and in the process, you will receive the righteousness of God.
and receive the same Righteousness as anyone else, the same acceptance before God the Father. the same opportunity of access into his presence. The same privileges as a son or a daughter of the Almighty. It is an unchangeable righteousness, unaffected by the degree of our sin. Of course, it's better to be a good person.
rather than a bad one, rather than a criminal. But at the end of the day, when you believe in Jesus, the real issue is, the real issue is, has the righteousness of Christ been credited to you? It is an unchangeable righteousness. It's a permanent righteousness. You see, when you receive this righteousness, It is really yours forever.
It'll take you all the way to heaven. If you are to say to me, Pastor Luther, what message do you love to preach the most? It would be the message of the cross. It would be the message of justification by faith. that we receive the righteousness of God.
And as I emphasized in the sermon that you've just been listening to, it takes us all the way to heaven. And in God's presence, we are welcomed as if we are Jesus. What good news that is for a very hurting world. I've written a book entitled How to Break a Stubborn Habit. One of the chapters is entitled The Freedom of Living at the Cross.
We're making this resource available for you for a gift of any amount, and I'm Giving you time to get a pen or pencil so that you can write down some contact info.
Meanwhile, I want to thank you so much.
So many of you pray for us, you commit us to the Lord. Many of you help us financially. and together, as you've heard me say many, many times, Thanks to you the gospel of Jesus Christ goes around the world. through this ministry.
Well, here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com. Of course Rt W offer is all one word. RTWffer.com or call us at 1-888-288. 218.
9337. The title of the book is How to Break a Stubborn Habit. we hear it running to win. Are deeply committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which not only saves us, But also give gives us deliverance. Let's take advantage of those opportunities.
It's time again for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Steve listens to Running to Win in Camp Point, Illinois. He has this question. What is your opinion of God calling someone into pastoral ministry during midlife? And the best way to confirm that call I know I can preach and teach.
But is that the only indication of a call into vocational ministry? Steve, just a couple of things. First of all, the call, I believe, begins with an inward unction. You know, the Apostle Paul said, Woe is me if I preach not the gospel. I think that there is a divine call that begins with the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
Secondly, we have to have the right gifting, and apparently you do, to be able to preach and to teach. But third, This is very critical. I believe that a call has to be confirmed by the body of Jesus Christ. I've known situations in which someone said that he was called to preach, but apparently nobody was called to listen. Because he didn't have the gifting to be able to preach.
So what we need to do is to consult the body. The fact that you are in midlife does not trouble me. I think that God can take someone in midlife. and lead them indeed into vocational Christian ministry. But the point that I think is missing in your question has to do with the confirmation of those who know you best.
and the body of Christ where you serve. Thank you, Steve, for that question. Thank you, doctor Lutzer, for that wise counsel. If you'd like to have your question answered, you can. Go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1-888-218-9337.
That's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running2Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life. It's one thing to believe that the righteousness of Jesus can be credited to our account before a holy God. But it's another to make that real when we find ourselves sinning every day.
Next time I'm running to win, how to wear the breastplate of righteousness to ward off the devil's accusations. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
