"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." - Psalm 36:9
Paul wrote his letter to the Church of Philippi while under house arrest in Rome. It was sometime around the year 61 A.D. Paul had completed his third missionary journey and was awaiting Caesar's return to Rome to face the charges made by Jewish leaders in Jerusalem accusing him of being a seditionist. It was his appeal to Caesar that led him to Rome, and now in his writings to the Philippian believers he explains his passion and determined purpose in Christ. "For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: THAT I MAY KNOW HIM..." (Phil. 3:8-10).
I find it very fascinating that Paul, who was now roughly 28 years old in the Lord (having been born again since around 33 A.D.), is making such a statement. Think of all the truth Paul had revealed to him, and the fact that Jesus had appeared to Paul on various occasions and taught him the mysteries of redemption. And yet, here he is, after all these years passionately desiring to know Christ more deeply and more intimately. I want you to understand, this was not Paul referring to his own initial conversion. This is years down the road. Paul had grown more focused, more determined, and more fervent in his pursuit to know the depth of Christ, even though, in many ways, he was already very well acquainted with him.
What really stands out to me is what drew him to become so passionate about obtaining the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ," especially, how that was to be accomplished. Here, he clearly points out that his pursuit was sought through a more profound undertaking of walking in the righteousness of God! In other words, the more revelation gained in knowing what righteousness means the more capable you become in advancing your pursuit of Him! Righteousness is the key to experiencing the fullness of the blessing of the gospel. In fact, Paul tells us in Romans chapter one that "the gospel is the power of God unto salvation," and then proceeds to add, "For therein (in the gospel) is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith" (Rom. 1:16-17). If you look more closely to what Paul is saying here, he is telling us that in our discovering the revelation of righteousness we find where the power of God lies. And, in our pursuit of that revelation we go from a saving faith to exploring the vast potential of the God kind of faith!
In all my years of pursuing this revelation, I have found (7) great truths concerning righteousness that carries the life of God and the power of God, which potentially has the means of enabling us to step over into the depth of our relationship with our heavenly Father that will bring tremendous results in our Christian experience. These are: (1) Righteousness is a position. There are acts of righteousness, but acts do not determine the position. The position determines the acts. In other words, "righteous people do righteous deeds, but righteous deeds no not make people righteous." (2) Righteousness gives us the right to live as we ought to live. It puts us in vital union with God's divine nature, and all the vitalities of life. (3) Righteousness is the key to our sonship. It is what enables us to become established in a relationship where we can enter into a place of intimacy and partnership. We become God's hands and feet in the earth! (4) Righteousness is the force that enables us to rule and reign in life. Righteousness is the scepter of the kingdom, and wherever the kingdom is manifested the rule of heaven is carried out. (5) Righteousness is the accelerant to faith. It is what stimulates us to believe, because we now have the right to believe. That is where our boldness lies. It is knowing that our right standing with heaven empowers us to carry out God's will in the earth. (6) Righteousness is the breeding ground for the miraculous. All throughout the Acts of the Apostles we find places of absolute confidence and assurance in operating in God's power. All of that comes by knowing who we are in him, and what we have a right to accomplish through him. And lastly, (7) Righteousness is the key to operating in the prophetic. You talk about being in the know! Righteousness has the power to unveil what heaven is up to. The very ministry of the Holy Spirit is referred to as the ministration of righteousness. Through the righteousness of God we can create an atmosphere subject to the spontaneous divine action of the Holy Spirit where anything can happen. And it is through the work of righteousness that we are made aware of heaven's intention!*
