Rightly Dividing the Word (Part 3)
2 Timothy 2:15
In the previous lesson we saw how using the term righteousness could show us divisions that are found in the word of God. In this lesson we will continue to show these divisions and how man is considered righteousness by God in these divisions.
Division 4 (The Church Age)
Going back to part one in this series we saw that Paul distinguished for us the difference between personal righteousness found in the previous division and the righteousness of God that is found in the division called the Church Age. We will give a review of this difference.
In Romans 3:10 Paul says, “There is none righteous, no, not one:”. Now this seemed to contradict passages like Luke 1:5-6, which said Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous and Genesis 15:6, which said that Abraham was righteous. But the righteousness of Zacharias, Elizabeth, Abraham and anyone else from the Old Testament would have been a personal righteousness based on doing by faith what God said.
Paul then goes on to say in Romans 3:21-28 that there is a righteousness of God now available as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. He reaffirms this in Philippians 3:4-9 when he says that he would rather have the righteousness of God than his own righteousness from the law. Therefore, during the Church Age a man is righteous by faith in Jesus Christ without works.
How can we have the rightness of God?
During the Church Age there is something that is different from the other divisions, it is called the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:21-23). In the Church Age the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 ; Galatians 3:26-29) and as we will see this is the foundation for eternal security, which we will study later in our doctrinal studies. Since we are spiritually baptized into the body of Christ, we are in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-6). This give us the rightness of God through Jesus Christ as Paul was saying in Romans 3:21-28.
Division 5 (The Tribulation)
At the rapture of the Church, which occurs right before the Tribulation begins, the body of Christ is taken to heaven. Therefore, during the Tribulation the body of Christ is not on this earth but in heaven. During this time righteousness will then return to a righteousness that is personal once again. Since no one is being baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit they will not have the righteousness of God as we have in the Church Age.
This is why we see works connected to those being righteous in the Tribulation (Revelation 12:11-12 ; Revelation 14:9-12). They will have to have the faith of Jesus. Remember that the anti-christ is on earth professing to be Jesus during this time. This will make having the faith of Jesus difficult because it will be worship the anti-christ or lose your head. People during this time will also have to keep the commandments of God. This is where those things said by Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) will be doctrinally applicable to a group of people.
Therefore, a man is righteous during the tribulation by having the faith of Jesus Christ and keeping the commandments of God.
Division 6 (The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ)
After the 2nd Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ where he destroys the anti-christ along with his army and Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, Jesus will reign for 1000 years. During this time he is on earth and rules with a rod of iron. Therefore during this time period righteousness will be a personal righteousness that is obtained by following the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What we have seen in this series is that when we look at the word righteous and apply it throughout the word of God we see that it shows us the proper division that must be made according to our key verse for the study, 2 Timothy 2:15. This also gives us the foundation for how do study the word of God and keep our doctrine straight and avoid many false teachings that are out there today.