The breastplate of Righteousness

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Many times we echo that we are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, but not everyone clearly understands this. A breastplate is an armour that protects the chest. No one goes to a battle with a bare chest or with a porous material as breastplate. No, the breastplate is made of solid iron because the chest is an area of enemy target. An arrow shot into the chest will almost always lead to death.

So the breastplate must be one that can protect the warrior continuously no matter how many shots are fired against him. That is what the Righteousness of Christ does for a Christian.

Righteousness is right standing with God. It can only be possible when God looks at us through the filter of Christ. This is the stand that grants us audience with Him and drowns out all accusations from the devil.

As Christians, we must continously trust in the finished work of Christ as the reason for our right standing with God.

Many times people come to God in prayer with a list of their good works, the number of days they have fasted and prayed, their tithe record and feel they are entitled to His audience because their record is clean. This for me is the biggest deception of the enemy because that way, you become an easy prey for him. A walk over!

Any breastplate that is not built on the sacrifice of Jesus is no breastplate at all, but a porous piece of filthy rag that means absolutely nothing. It guarantees no protection.

We are forever indebted to Christ and can never pay him back or pay him off. What He has done for us stands for all eternity as the only basis for our acceptance into the family of God and heaven. We must never count on our works to get us anything from God.

Instead, right standing with God compels and enables us to do good works that are pleasing in God’s sight. You can’t claim to be the Righteousness of God in Christ and live in sin… That’s another big deception.

Finally, rather than waste your time keeping track of your tithe booklet as an evidence of your faithfulness to God, spend time ruminating on what Jesus did on the cross as the evidence of His faithfulness to you and the only guarantee that God loves and accepts you.

Without the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, no amount of works can save a man from sin or protect him. But with this armour we are able to stand against the wiles of the evil one and remain victorious!

Have a lovely weekend!