“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Heb. 12:14)
We are to continuously keep on our breastplate of righteousness, but it does not make us righteous, it is a piece of our armor, a gift to us, it belongs to God, not to us, and so it is His righteousness.
We are commanded to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1st Peter 1:16)
We are though not that breastplate, the righteousness of God in Christ, we are hid in Him. That righteousness is also the Almighty’s, not ours, but His.
We attempt by the power of the Holy Spirit in this life to be righteous in His sight, to be pleasing to Him by keeping our bodies, our flesh, under subjection, we try to keep every thought captive for Christ, yet we also know the truth of this verse.
“For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)
We will not see the Living God, the creator of all reality, until we are glorified, but we are to be righteous, we are to be holy in this life. Here is where the profitable servant not only seeks the face of God for the strength to do this, but also begins to understand the fullness of the scope of our own free will. We are to do that which it is impossible for us to do.
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)
It is a goal we are told to attain to. A race we are told to run, and run well, but it is also a non-stop battle.
Holiness and righteousness are what exemplifies the servants of the Lining God, they are what sets us apart from the world, they are how the world recognizes us.
“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” (Jer. 10:2)
Is the same as, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
God has not changed His desires for His people in this regard, pride, lust and envy are not to be the pattern of our lives, neither in action, deeds or thought, they are not only outside of us, and thus showing the need for that breastplate of righteousness, but also within us, and herein is where the battle of self verses the mind is fought.
The application of the Scriptures in our lives towards others reveals to those we meet who it is we serve, but the enemy within us attempts to hinder our every thought, our old nature does not desire to think righteous thoughts, but covets, lusts for the things of the world to satisfy the flesh.
Our thoughts will be judged in regard to how we attempted to adhere to them or reject them, our accounting to the Most High will be based on how we used our free will to do either of these. Here, in our minds, is where we see the truth, we see if we are faithful servants or hypocrites.
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1st Sam. 16:7)
Outward signs are not always the revelation of inward thoughts my friends, we cannot control every thought, no one can, but we are to attempt to, not because we do not want to invoke the chastisement of the Lord upon us, not because we fear what He may do to us, but because of our love for Him who first loved us.
Effort on our part solely for this reason is how we can be holy; and it is meager at best.
We are being transformed, we are being sanctified, but we will never be fully both until we are glorified, then we will see God.
Our breastplate of righteousness protects us from the darts of our adversary, from the world and all its offerings, but it does not protect us from ourselves, we are accountable for ourselves to the Lord. In other words, my friends, you have to try, you must put forth the effort. The Holy Spirit will guide you, assist you, but you are accountable for you.
