A MINISTRY OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS
By Randy Wages
Note: The text below was prepared for oral delivery
rather than for publication in print. As
such, be aware that sentence fragments are intentionally used and that this
document has not been edited to correct the errors in grammar, sentence
structure, etc.
1. Introduction:
a. Primary text 2 Cor 11
b. Background:
In chapters 10 & 11 Paul is defending his ministry against those who
opposed him, warning against false apostles and preachers
c. Warning co-opted by all who claim to believe
this Bible. There are many different
religions, denominations, and corresponding doctrines who claim the Bible as
their source of truth; however, when dealing with what they perceive to be
significant differences (which they indeed are), most all are prone to issue
this same warning we’ll read of here – to beware of those who bring you a
different gospel. This is reasonable since
none intentionally believe in something they know to be false, so we all
readily assume that what we believe is God’s truth, the true Gospel which Paul
and the other true disciples of Christ promoted. Yet – the differences are real, and knowing that
there is only one true gospel, one Christ, it’s apparent that most must be
mistaken. I believe an examination in
more detail of the scriptural descriptions that accompany these warnings
provides the basis for discerning and judging between that which is true, and
that which is false. That’s what we’ll
try to do this morning.
2. Read 2 Cor 11:1-4: 1Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my
folly: and indeed bear with me. 2For I am jealous over you with
godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you
as a chaste virgin to Christ. (“chaste”
= loyal to the one true Christ) 3But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled (or deceived) Eve
through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity (the singleness) that is in Christ. 4For
if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if
ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which
ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (We see
here that Paul is speaking to the church, those who had received the true
spirit of God, having accepted the one true Gospel. Last word there “him” is in italics
indicating it was added by the translators.
There’s a difference of opinion as to whether that should be translated
with the word “me” there, Paul saying, “ you’d do well to stick with me” or
else the “him” does belong and Paul is speaking in dismay as if to say, “and
you’re going to put up with that.”
Either interpretation fits with the truth of the warning being conveyed
here.)
3. Gal. 1:6-9:
Keep your place there in 2 Cor 11
as we’ll come right back to it, but for a moment, I want us to quickly look at
a parallel warning Paul gives to the church at Galatia. So, if you’ll just flip
back to the next book, to Galatians chapter 1, and follow with me there,
beginning in vs. 6: 6I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; (there’s only one) but there be some that trouble you, and would
pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let
him be accursed. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed. (Paul is saying, “consider him lost!”
4. 2 Cor
5. Who is this directed to? I.e. – this warning against the deception of
false preachers who (as vs 15 reads) transform themselves into the “ministers
of righteousness.”
a. Obviously, the warning is given to those who
would call themselves “Christian” for we see in the preceeding verses, he is
warning against those who would preach another “Jesus,” another “Christ.”
b. But in the
context, we see that this warning is actually directed at a far more narrow
group than could be included among the multitudes today who consider themselves
to be followers of Christ. You see, the
warning is that we not be deceived through Satan’s subtlety – as he
deceived Eve. So, we’d better not take
this lightly. My goodness, it is so
subtle that it would and did deceive Eve (and by her Adam) – Adam and Eve, who
at that time were sinless, who, unlike us, came into this world with no
predisposition to sine. Unlike us, they
weren’t born as natural allies with Satan.
Yet, they were deceived.
Now that’s some kind of subtlety.
The reality is that it is so subtle, that none of us would have any hope
of discerning it apart from God graciously doing a life giving work to bring us
to His truth. Christ Himself said in Matt 24:24: “For there shall arise false Christs, and
false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” But thank God
it’s not possible, because as Romans 8 tells us, “it’s God that
justifieth.” Thank God that He takes blind and depraved sinners, and give us
eyes to see, an understanding of that which we by nature, we would have no part
of.
c. Now, given the dangerous subtle aspect of the deception
Paul is warning against, keep in mind, that he describes this deception as a
transformation into “ministers of righteousness.” Now, I suggest that, directly speaking, this
would appear to only be instructive to those familiar with a “ministry of
righteousness,” such as those Paul is writing to in
We know that only with
spiritual life and the God-given faith that accompanies that, will men
spiritually enter into and come to a love of the truth of God’s Gospel and be
able discern the true from the false.
However, anyone should be able to understand that, in this context, Paul
is asserting that the subtle deception comes from one who would transform so as
to appear to promote, preach, or give some sort of agreement to the truth. He describes that ministry of truth (that
they would appear to be a minister of) as one of righteousness. So, my point is that it’s impossible to
directly heed this warning, if you’re yet to know what a ministry of
righteousness consists of.
6.
Righteousness –
So, I’ll ask that you bear with me a moment while I briefly review what this
righteousness is all about.
a. Whereas here in Chap 11, Paul refers to the ministry
of the Gospel as a ministry of righteousness, back in Chapter 5, he refers to it
as a “ministry of reconciliation.” We
see these as complimentary descriptions when you come to realize that, simply
put, “righteousness” is what meets God’s requirements for reconciliation – for
a sinner to enter into fellowship with God, to be reconciled to Him, to be
justified, to gain eternal life itself.
Acts
b. What does God require?
That justice be satisfied in both precept (perfect obedience) and
penalty (that is a sufficient payment of debt must be extracted to satisfy a
holy God).
i.
Perfect
obedience:
1. Christ said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
father which is in heaven is perfect” --
A command!
2. Christ also said of a group considered by most
theologians and historians to have been among the most zealous, pious, law
keeping, outwardly moral group to have even lived, the scribes and the
Pharisees – He said, “that except your righteousness exceeds theirs, you’ll in
no case enter into the
3. In Galatians Paul writes, “Cursed is everyone that
continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them” -- so, if you’ve ever had the
least ill will towards your worst enemy, then, based upon that which proceeds
from you, that which even perhaps you suggest God produces in you, the
scriptures tell us (having sinned) we’re cursed if that be our basis.
ii.
Justice – The
penalty for sin must be paid & the fine must fit the crime. We’re talking about a crime against a holy
God (& holiness knows of no degrees), so only an infinitely valuable
payment will suffice.
1. God told Moses, “I’ll by no means clear the guilty” In other words, even in His mercy, God will
not wink and merely pretend as if we’re not guilty sinners. Sin must be dealt with. Justice must be satisfied.
iii.
Righteousness
then is the perfect satisfaction to God’s law and justice. That’s the righteousness that a minister of
righteousness proclaims.
c. Romans 3: 20-26 tells us that it is this
righteousness, produced by the propiatory work of the Lord Jesus Christ, that
meets this requirement – giving answer to the question of how God can be
inflexibly just and still save sinners.
In vs. 26 it says it is this righteousness that reveals how God
“might be just and justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” But believing in which Jesus gives
evidence that I’m among those who were justified? Could the Jesus I’m trusting in really be “another
Jesus” that Paul warns against? No – not
if it’s this Jesus that produced, established, completed and finished by His
life and death, the only righteousness whereby God might be just and justifier
– the only righteousness that will reconcile and justify sinners before a Holy
God.
d. How do we get that righteousness? Well at the close of chapter 5, where Paul
was talking about the ministry of reconciliation, he tells us, in vs. 21 where
it reads, “21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. This is referring to the wonderful exchange
of imputation whereby Christ, WHO KNEW NO SIN, was charged with the sins of all
He represented and bore their sins, their very demerit, on the cross of
e. Another old theologian, in expounding upon
this verse wrote, “He was made sin in the
same way that we are made righteous. Now the righteousness by which we are
justified is not inherent in ourselves, but it is in Christ, and is made our's
through God's imputing it to us. In like manner our sins were not inherent in
Christ, but imputed to him and laid upon him.
f. You see, the erroneous suggestion that we must have
the holy righteous nature of Christ Himself inherent within us to
constitute or complete that which is needful for our fitness, this error
likewise necessitates the corresponding blasphemous error that Christ could not
be made sin unless He had inherent within Him, our sin. As I’ve set forth, that would negate the
establishment of the righteousness of God by which Christ was raised for our
justification.
g. So, how is this righteousness of another made
ours? It must be in the same way that
Christ was made sin. Christ was made sin by having the sins of all of God’s
elect imputed or charged to him, and they are made righteous by having his
righteousness imputed or charged to them.
h. For the 1st 32 years of my life, I had
never even heard the term “imputed righteousness.”
i.
As such, I knew
nothing of a ministry of righteousness
ii.
Now consider the
implications, Romans 1:16-17 tells me that the Gospel is the power of God unto
salvation for therein is the righteousness of God revealed. So if the identifying mark of the gospel, the
specific good news of how God saves sinners, is that “therein this
righteousness of God is revealed,” then to know nothing of that righteousness
is to not know the Gospel, (described in Matthew as the narrow way that leadeth
to life eternal as opposed to another gospel – the broad way that the
scriptures tell us many take, but which leads to destruction.
iii.
So, as you can
see, to know nothing of a ministry of righteousness is to be ignorant of God’s
true Gospel. And how can I believe a
Gospel I’m ignorant of. Clearly,
ignorance of His finished work in establishing righteousness, in satisfying
God’s justice, revealed that I was lost
at that time of my life.
7. So – for those, who like me in years past, have never
heard or sat under a ministry that preached THIS Gospel, wherein His
righteousness is revealed; the good news of how God saves sinners based SOLELY
on the person and finished work of His son in establishing righteousness (with
no contribution proceeding from the sinner), then it’s difficult for you to
enter into Paul’s warning in 2 Cor 11: 3 that your mind might be corrupted from
the simplicity (or singleness) of Christ –
a. Well, you can’t be corrupted away from that which
you’ve yet to know or experience. Paul
is saying that this subtle deception of Satan and his ministers is manifested
by their deceptive appearance to be a minister of righteousness.
b. Example – So, how can Paul’s warning prove useful to
such as these. When I taught from this
same passage some 6 years ago, I shared this illustration that bears
repeating. Let’s assume a miracle cure
was developed for cancer and a pill was available that, when taken, absolutely
eradicated the disease. And assume that
some guy lived up in the mountains, and living up in the hills he didn’t keep
up with all the modern advances in medicine.
Further assume he had been diagnosed with cancer prior to the discovery
of this cure and due to the type cancer he had, the hillbilly doctors had
basically sent him home to die. Well as
he awaited his fate, one day he is feeling well enough to visit town and he
enters a diner where he overhears some city boys talking about a scam. One of them said to the other, “Did you hear
about that placebo, that sugar pill, that is being marketed under the same name
as the new cancer cure. Why, they say
it’s so similar – same size, same coloring, they even used the same packaging
as the cancer pill. Well, that hillbilly
would likely perk up and may say, “What’d you say Willis?” They’d answer, “Oh yea – it’s deceptive” “No, not the sugar pill, tell me about the
cure; I didn’t even know it existed.”
Well you can bet he’d want to go find out about it. I’m suggesting this passage should do the
same to you, for your eternal life is at issue.
If you haven’t sat under or don’t adhere to a ministry of righteousness,
then this passage should certainly spur you on to find out what a ministry of
righteousness is all about.
8. Now what of us who have been so blessed to have heard
the Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace wherein the very righteousness of
God is revealed?
a. As I mentioned, here in 2 Cor 11, Paul is speaking
directly to the church. How then can we
heed his warning? How can we, who have
professed belief in the true Gospel under a ministry of righteousness, discern
such deceivers – minister who transform into ministers of righteousness. In doing a word study on this word “transform,”
I discovered that, as used in the context here, it carries the connotation of
one who would shape their discourse (their words) so as to appear to apply to
themselves what would be true of others – in this case – to appear to be
ministers of righteousness. It suggests
that their language is meant to accommodate others so as to appear to be of
like mind. Well, given that such a
transformation disguises their true heart’s conviction, this deceptiveness can
be discerned by God’s people over time.
What we discover is that they cannot abide there!
b. 2 Jn:9-11: “9Whosoever
transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and
the Son. 10If there come any
unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your
house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God
speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
So, I’d like to suggest some practical considerations that may help us
discern whether one abides in the doctrine of Christ or not. How does this show up?
i.
Where do they
major. I know that when I thought that
my faith made the difference, though I would speak in terms designed to give
God the glory (the credit as I saw it), often mentioning Christ and the cross,
I’d major on what made the difference – faith.
That’s where my heart was and my teaching was designed to get men to
believe in a Christ who merely made salvation possible. But, I wasn’t even disguised as a minister of
righteousness, being totally ignorant of what that was about. Yet still, I want to suggest that the tenor
of a man’s ministry will reflect where his heart is. As an example, if you think that your
justification or redemption isn’t fulfilled or completed at the cross of
ii.
Do they preach
that Christ’s wrought out righteousness alone justifies the sinner and
is the basis for all of His acceptance before God – and clearly set this forth
as the sole and complete basis upon which sinners are justified so that their
hearers are brought to see that all of the wondrous subjective graces of the
new birth, the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit, the fact that God keeps us
and our ultimate glorification in heaven – that all of these are fruits and
effects of that which was completed and finished at the cross?
iii.
Do they seek to
remove all legalism in the preaching of obedience and good works, in
persevering in the faith, by setting these forth as fruits of what
Christ has already accomplished versus pointing men to look within for their
confidence and assurance.
iv.
Do they promote
the liberty of the Gospel – that believers have a permanent, abiding position
in the household and family of God based on the imputed righteousness of Christ
and that alone –
Note – that ultimately, any who can’t abide in the
doctrine of Christ, usually must bring you into bondage because they know
nothing of how to motivate you to live as the Scripture calls us to – to walk
worthy of our calling from a spirit of adoption, having already been adopted
into God’s family – and therefore serving him out of gratitude vs. a mercenary
or legal motive. They’re typically
reduced to the motivating devices of this world – the carrot and the stick.
v.
What do they
think the new birth and the accompanying subjective graces constitute? Though they may (as transformers) say that
Christ’s righteousness is the only ground of salvation, they may not define
what takes place in regeneration and conversion (the new birth) as laying hold
of that righteousness already established at the exclusion of all else. They may suggest that being born again, along
with all the wonderful graces that accompany the Holy Spirit’s work in our
lives, actually constitute some of my fitness for heaven, versus promoting that
in Christ, based on His righteousness imputed or charged to me – my souls is
already as fit for heaven as I’ll ever be.
I do have a righteousness that equals that of none other than the Son of
God Himself! Though that righteousness
is so fully mine that I am indeed holy before God in Christ, still, that
righteousness which I possess, by which I’m justified, resides even now at the
right hand of the Father – in the Person of my substitute who ever makes
intercession for me. And, you know, in
glory, that still will be my song, Worthy is the lamb that was slain.”
vi.
We see something
of this failure to abide in the doctrine of Christ in the context of this
passage in the immediately preceding chapter:
1. From Chap 10 we see an example of a failure to abide
as we examine what they consider to be the battleground for men’s souls, the
standard that they hold forth – where they major in their preaching, their
emphasis. Look with me at vss. 3 – 7a
there in chapter 10 where it reads, “3For though we walk in the
flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ; 6And having in a readiness to
revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 7Do ye look on things after the
outward appearance?” That is carnal
warfare to suggest or preach things that would cause men to judge outwardly,
based upon that which proceeds from them.
2. Now like chap 11, Paul proceeds from here to defend
his own ministry against his accusers, but he picks up his description of those
who would oppose him vs. 12 where it reads, “12For we dare not make
ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend
themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing
themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
Though they may give some credence to the righteousness of Christ
established at the cross, if they revert to anything that would cause men to
think that they gain any favor with God based on anything done in them to the
least degree, that any such subjective work completes or fulfils their
redemption, then they are reduced to looking inward, to measuring themselves by
themselves and if so, they are warring after the flesh and that is the warfare
of the lost!
vii.
Isn’t that how
Satan deceived Eve. Didn’t he tell them
that they could be as Gods by eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and
evil? To leave God’s standard of righteousness
and find one within? You see, they
cannot abide there.
c. Here’s another consideration – Do they preach the
righteousness of God so as to expose what the Bible calls the deceivableness of
unrighteousness, that sin that deceives all by nature – the sin of thinking
that anything other than righteousness, established and finished at the cross
& ours by imputation alone, would recommend or gain us favor with God?
i. All religions
preach against immorality and religious indifference but Christ, in the Gospel,
also preaches against the sinfulness of seeking to establish a righteousness of
our own. As we see in Romans 10, that is
what we all do by default when we’re ignorant or not submitted to the
righteousness of God in Christ. In
Romans 10:1-4 Paul writes: “1Brethren,
my heart’s desire and prayer to God for
ii.
Notice that when
Paul writes about their ignorance of God’s righteousness, in the context of the
sentence, he continues with the fact that, being ignorant of that, they go
about to establish one of their own.
You see it is talking about an established righteousness – one
that is established in strict and perfect satisfaction to God’s justice, His
righteousness, or in the absence (or refusal to submit to that alone) one
established by us. You see, the
righteousness spoken of here that we need isn’t the infinitely holy character
and other non-communicable attributes of Deity, but rather we need a
righteousness that was established by a suitable Substitute who was made
under the law, who became incarnate, taking into union with His divine nature, humanity
(only without sin), so as to fulfill the law in perfect obedience, even unto
death.
iii.
Another
consideration to help expose such is whether or not they call men unto initial repentance
from that which they previously thought had merit. Do they call men to agree with the Apostle
Paul in Phil. 3 so as to see that “what things were gain, I now count loss,”
and as he goes on to say, not wanting to be found in mine own righteousness but
in Christ, in His righteousness.
iv.
Does the
preaching promote a submission to the imputed righteousness of God in Christ as
the sole ground and completion of our justification to the extent that it
exposes the evil of speaking peace where there is no peace.
1. You see in the garden, Satan also told them, “You
shall not surely die.” They align
themselves with Satan, promoting his lie when they suggest, “you’ll be all
right as long as you (fill in the blanks) -- e.g. – as long as you bow to God’s
sovereignty, or as long as you can voice that you simply know that if you’re
saved, He must do the work, that all you know is you want to be sure you’re in
that number. While God is sovereign and
none are saved but by the mercy and power of God Himself, one can know those
things and still not know God aright in His redemptive character, as a just God
and a Savior. What’s the big deal? Well that’s why Christ came – made under the
law to fulfill it – to establish a righteousness whereby God can be just and
justifier. To minimize or ignore that is
to minimize or ignore the very purpose of why our incarnate Lord and
Savior came, lived and died on this
earth as a Substitute for His people.
d. Perhaps Paul’s description
of his own ministry will also help us distinguish even better the true from the
false. In short, does the focus of their
ministry mirror his? He said to the
church at
9. Summary:
a. Is your Jesus “another Jesus” than that which is
preached by the Apostles and presented in the holy scriptures as “The Lord our
Righeousness.”
b. Will your body of faith, your doctrine, your Jesus,
your gospel, stand up to the scrutiny of God’s testimony in His word? Do you abide in the doctrine of Christ
under an abiding ministry of righteousness?
As John wrote, to abide there is to have both the Father and the Son! Now that’s good news.
c. Why stake your eternity on something proceeding from
you, the sinner, (your faith, your sincerity, your interest in religion or even
that which you claim is actually Christ’s work in or through you ? That’s no different than the lost Pharisee
who prayed, “I thank God that I’m not like other men,” appearing to give him
the credit. Well, know that much credit
that is given to God isn’t welcomed. In
fact, more often than not it is diametrically opposed to the preeminence Christ earned by having already completed
all that was necessary for a sinner’s salvation. Remember that God says that we’ll be judged
by the righteousness of the one he raised from the dead and if the
righteousness we bank upon doesn’t measure up to that, if it’s not His wrought
out satisfaction to law and justice that was so complete as to demand His very
resurrection, then, anyone leaving this world absent that righteousness shall not
be risen with Him, but shall suffer God’s wrath – spending an eternity banished
from the presence of God, never paying down the debt owed to His Holy and
inflexible justice.
d. Instead, flee to God, a just God and a Savior, who
freely declares that all are saved who genuinely stake their eternal destiny on
the obedience and death of none other than the God-man mediator Himself – Jesus
Christ, the Lord our righteousness, and repent from ever thinking that anything
other than that righteousness imputed could grant them acceptance or form any
part of their fitness for acceptance before a Holy God. Trust in Him, based upon His perfect
satisfaction to God’s law & justice, His righteousness that demands and
delivers eternal life to all that He lived and died for. Now that’s the real McCoy – And that’s my
Savior!
Footnote from the author: While this sermon was prepared and delivered
by me, I often utilize the commentaries, study helps, and teachings of others
to supplement my own prayerful study of the scriptures. Since this document was not originally
prepared for publication in print, please excuse and recognize that it was
unfeasible to properly identify and credit all of the various original sources
used to develop the content herein.
Ultimately, it is my sincere and foremost objective to accurately
present the gospel of God’s grace found in the only infallible source, God’s
word itself – the Bible.
Randy Wages