King of Righteousness, King of Peace

Hebrews 6:19-7:2 - We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.


Leviticus 16:2 - The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Isaiah 9:6-7 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 - “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Application:

· The word for atonement cover, which is the ark of the covenant’s cover with the mercy seat upon it, is the same word used for Christ.
· He is the Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace
· Christ will rule in righteousness forever. God will not abandon His people
· My King does what is just and right
· God rescues His people from danger—including the danger to which their own sin has subjected them

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Righteousness

Hosea 2:19 - I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.


2 Corinthians 11:2 - I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

Hosea 10:12 - Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

Jeremiah 23:6 - In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.

Hosea 4:1 - Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.

Hosea 6:4 - “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

Application:

· Am I engaged to Christ and bethrothed to God?
· Do I do what is right? Am I blessed by God? Am I repentant? Am I productive and fruitful? Am I loyal to Him?
· Has God rescued me from danger? Even danger my sin has caused? Has He given me a flourishing, faithful life?
· Do I have a genuine knowledge of God in my heart? Am I faithful? Is my love steadfast?
· Is my repentance superficial? Is my love temporary?


All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Justice and Righteousness

Amos 5:7,23-25 - There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground…Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! “Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?

Micah 6:8 - He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 - But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”

Numbers 14:34 - For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’

Application:

· Do I act justly and love mercy?
· Do I ignore His law and despise true religion?
· Is my relationship with the Lord based on obedience?
· Are my sacrifices done with an attitude of obedience and devotion to the Lord?
· Do I set my own will above the command of the Lord?
· Do I refuse to carry out what the Lord commissions me to do?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Children Of God

Galatians 3:6-7 - Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.

Genesis 15:6 - Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:3,12 - What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."… And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

John 8:31 - To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

Conclusions:

• Abram is the father of all who believe, and Genesis 15:6 is the first specific reference to faith in God's promises
• It also teaches that God graciously responds to a man's faith by crediting righteousness to him
• Romans 4:3 references Genesis 15:6, where nothing is mentioned about works
• Abraham had kept no law, rendered no service and performed no ritual that earned credit to his account before God
• Abraham's belief in God, who had made promises to him, was credited to him as righteousness
• Abraham was the physical and spiritual father of the Jewish race
• In Galatians 3:7, all believers are called Abraham's spiritual children
• All believers are also referred to as the seed or descendants of Abraham
• Believed in John 8:31 seems to mean made a formal profession of faith
• The Jew's words in John 8 show that they are not true believers
• Abraham is also the father of believing Jews
• Thus Abraham's story shows that for Jew and Gentile alike there is only one way of justification--the way of faith

Application:

• Has righteousness been credited to you?
• Do you think keeping laws, rendering service and performing rituals credits righteousness to you?
• Are you a true believer?
• Do you believe you are justified by faith?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Be Found In Him

Philippians 3:3-6,8-9 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless…What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Philippians 2:1-2 - If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Galatians 2:15-16 - "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Conclusions:

• Being found in Him is a union with Christ—not simply an experience in the past, but a present, continuing relationship
• Righteousness by faith is a principle benefit of union with Christ
• Legalistic righteousness is righteousness produced by using the law as an attempt to merit God’s approval and blessing—a use of the law strongly opposed by Paul as contrary to the gospel itself
• Paul was faultless in terms of legalistic standards of scrupulous external conformity to the law
• In Paul’s teaching, this personal union is the basic reality of salvation
• To be in Christ is to be saved
• It is to be in intimate personal relationship with Christ the Savior
• From this relationship flow all the particular benefits and fruits of salvation, like encouragement
• Comfort from His love is the comforting knowledge and assurance that come from God’s love in Christ, demonstrated especially in Christ’s death for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life
• Fellowship with the Spirit is the fellowship among believers, produced by the Spirit, who indwells each of them
• Christians are to have intense care and deep sympathy for each other
• All these benefits—encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness and compassion—are viewed by Paul as present realities for the Philippians
• Paul is not depreciating the law itself, for he clearly maintained that God’s law is holy, righteous and good
• Paul is arguing against an illegitimate use of the Old Testament law that made the observance of that law the grounds of acceptance with God
• Justified by faith is the essence of the gospel message

Application:

• Do you have a present, continuing relationship with Christ?
• Do you use the law to merit God's approval and blessing?
• Do you have intense care and deep sympathy for others?
• Are you placing your faith in Christ rather than trying to be justified by observing the law?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible