Lets look at our scripture again..
Ephesians 6:11-18 (Amplified Bible)
Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God.
What is Righteousness-
Righteousness is right standing with God. Being able to stand before God pure and blameless in his sight.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (New American Standard Bible)
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Righteousness is given to us when we are saved but we must maintain this righteousness by acting on the commandments that God has given us.. In other words we have FAITH that we are made righteousness but we know that Faith without works is dead.
James 2:26 (New American Standard Bible)
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Thus, we act according to the righteousness bestowed on us, and bare the fruit of righteousness in our lives. Righteousness is not what we do, but rather who we are influencing what we do...
For example... Abraham...
Genesis 15:5-9 (Amplified Bible)
And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God).
Abram not only believed but to show that he believed God's promises he left his family and moved to the WILDERNESS... the desert.. now if that is not Faith and dedication I don't know what is. But the point is that he not only had faith, but Abram had actions to match that faith. He didn't just talk the talk... He also walked the talk...
Now a breastplate was a piece of amour that was worn as protection or an item of status..
So lets look at protection first.
Now directly underneath the breastplate is the heart. We all know that physically, the heart is a vital organ, without the heart the body can not survive. The quickest way to kill a man is to stop his heart from beating. Its the same for the spiritual heart, When we become spiritually dead because of sin our heart stops its communication with God. Thus the quickest way for the devil to spiritually “poison” a person is through the heart.. Because of this God warns us to take up protection.
Proverbs 4:23 (New American Standard Bible)
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Righteousness is a way to avoid having sin enter our lives. Following the commandments that God has given us guards us from the sin that so easily entangles us. Righteousness is not a one time deal, its an everyday sort of thing... like putting on you clothes.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified Bible)
Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
Constantly being renewed... Constantly means again and again.. not just once.
Now as to the Item of Status...
Righteousness is your Item of Status... It declares that you are a child of the King.. The bible says that they will know them by what they do..
Matthew 7:11-19 (New American Standard Bible)
"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Thus by putting on Righteousness you are showing to others that you are a part of the body of Christ.
1 Peter 2:8-10 (Amplified Bible)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own [a]purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
God bless you all
-MiniMug
