April 7 2026, Tuesday teachings

Gospel righteousness 

We are not going to follow our own desires, because we know where He wants us to go. Instead, we choose to pay the price required to follow the gospel personality, even as we press on to the end of our journey—our inheritance.

So what are we saying? What is righteousness?

Righteousness is the effort we apply to do the will of God. That is what is counted as righteousness.

God has already made a plan even before we were born. Everything happening in this world is according to His purpose. Remember how He established the age of the law, leading the children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan. That was a shadow of what He is doing now.

After that came the age of grace, when the Lord Jesus Christ established the Church and handed it over to the apostles. The Church continued through its time, and then came the age of truth—the Kingdom age.

All of this is for one purpose: to bring humanity back to God, to restore us into right standing with Him, our Creator.

Now, when a person hears the gospel, repents, and is born again, that is not the end—it is the beginning. It is like making a U-turn: turning away from the old path and stepping onto the right one.

But the person cannot stop there.

Before, they were on the broad way that leads to destruction. Through the gospel, they turn around and enter the narrow way that leads to the Kingdom of God. However, entering that path is only the start—they must continue the journey.

The gospel becomes the vehicle that carries them toward the Kingdom. But along the way, there is something required of them. They must actively walk in righteousness.

If they stop or fail to continue, there is a risk of being drawn back to the old path. That is why they must keep moving forward, growing, and obeying.

This brings us to our topic: gospel righteousness.

• Gospel righteousness is your part to play in the race to reach the gospel destination (Kingdom of God).
• It is the price you pay in following the gospel personality (Jesus Christ) even as to get to the end of your journey (kingdom inheritance).

It is the response to the grace you have received. It is your agreement with the gospel—choosing to continue in it until the end.

It is also the price you pay for following Jesus Christ, the gospel personality.

We all have the freedom to spend our time as we wish—to rest, to pursue personal interests, or to follow our own desires. But because we have accepted Christ, we choose differently. We choose His path.

That choice—living according to His will—is righteousness.

So, gospel righteousness is your part in the race to reach the gospel destination, which is the Kingdom of God.

As Scripture says, we must walk out our salvation, continuing faithfully until the end.

So what are we saying? What is righteousness?

Righteousness is the effort applied to do the will of God. That is what is counted as righteousness.

God has already made a plan even before we were born. Everything happening in this world is according to His purpose. Remember the age of the law, when He led the children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan. That was a shadow of what He is doing now.

After that came the age of grace, when the Lord Jesus Christ came Himself, established the Church, and handed it over to the apostles. The Church continued through its time, and afterward came the age of truth—the Kingdom age.

All of this is for one purpose: to bring man back to God, to restore man into right standing with his Creator. Everything God is doing is to ensure that, in the end, man returns to Him.

So, gospel righteousness is your part to play in the race toward the gospel destination—the Kingdom of God.

Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

The Scripture says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” You’ve heard that before, haven’t you?

What does it mean to “work out” your salvation? Does it mean a person should be idle? No. It means there is something required of you. It means there is a responsibility on your part.

Working something out means there is effort involved.

Some people believe that once they are saved, that is all—that they can continue living in sin because they have accepted Christ. They say, “I am saved, the blood of Jesus has covered me,” yet their lives do not reflect Christ.

But that is not the truth.

Yes, you have accepted Him. But the life you live must reflect the life of the Kingdom. You don’t begin that life when you get to the Kingdom—you begin it here on earth.

That is why, at the end, God will say, “Come, you blessed,” because your life has already aligned with His Kingdom. Your spirit has already been shaped by righteousness through the Word of God.

It is the Word of God in you that empowers you to live righteously. You are not doing it by your own strength. It is Christ in you, working through you.

That Word is like a seed planted in your spirit. It is what strengthens and guides you to live a righteous life.

So when the Bible says, “Work out your salvation,” it means there is a role you must play.

The blood of Jesus has already made salvation available, but you must accept Him, follow His principles, and live according to His will for that salvation to be fully active in your life.

It is not just about saying, “I claim it.” You cannot claim what you do not agree with. The Scripture says two cannot walk together unless they agree.

Christ has done His part. He left His glory, came down in the flesh, and bore the sins of the entire world—even those yet to be committed.

On the cross, He carried all sin, and for the first time, He experienced separation from the Father. That is why He cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

It was not His sin—it was ours.

The enemy thought he had won, but Christ rose again. That victory over sin is now our victory.

Now that we have received Him, He lives in us, guiding us and directing our path. But we must follow His instructions and live by His principles.

There are two eternal destinations: eternal life and eternal separation. Everyone will enter one.

But because we have accepted Him, our destination is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. He has even made us heirs with Him—sharers in His glory.

What greater love could there be?

Let’s read from Luke 14:25–33.

As great multitudes followed Him, He turned and said:

“If anyone comes to me and does not ‘hate’ his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters—even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to finish it? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and not being able to finish, people will mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build but could not finish.’

Or what king, going to war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he can meet with ten thousand those who come against him with twenty thousand? If not, he sends for terms of peace while the other is still far away.

In the same way, whoever does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

Now, when He said “hate” your father, mother, and others, He did not mean literal hatred. He meant that nothing and no one should take priority over God in your life.

We still love our families. But if anyone tries to lead us in a way that is contrary to God’s will, we must choose God first. That choice may not please them, and it may even bring persecution, but it is part of the journey.

Many people experience opposition when they accept the gospel of the Kingdom. Yet in time, others will see that this path is for good.

Jesus was teaching that there is a price to being His disciple. You must count the cost.

Like the rich man who came to Him—he was asked to give up everything, but he could not, because his possessions meant more to him than following Christ.

If you try to hold on to your life, you will lose it. But if you surrender everything to Him, you will truly find life.

So what is gospel righteousness, and how do we live it?

We see it in:

• Prayer
• Evangelism
• Obedience to God’s principles and the study of His Word

Prayer is essential. As Kingdom people, we pray continually—day and night. Prayer strengthens our spirit and equips us to stand against spiritual forces.

Midnight, especially, is a significant spiritual time. While forces of darkness may operate, we also rise to pray, to stand against them, and to take authority over our lives and circumstances.

Prayer is the movement of the spirit from the flesh into alignment with God.

Evangelism is also part of our life. Sharing the gospel becomes natural to us. A day should not pass without reaching someone with the Word of God.

Now, let’s look at  8:1:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Those who live according to the flesh focus on fleshly things, but those who live by the Spirit focus on spiritual things. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

The flesh cannot please God. But if the Spirit of God dwells in you, then you belong to Him.

And if Christ is in you, though the body may be subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

This shows us that living in righteousness is not by our own strength. It is by the Spirit of God within us.

So we must acknowledge Him daily:

“Lord, You have called me into this journey. Help me to live in righteousness. Strengthen me to pray, to evangelize, and to study Your Word.”

You can also study:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (on prayer)
• Mark 16:15–16 (on evangelism)
• 2 Timothy 2:15 (on studying the Word)

The key message is this: you are not alone in this journey.

God is with you. We are all in this together as one family in Christ. His life is in us, shaping us into holiness, righteousness, and purity.

God does not abandon what He starts. He will carry you through to the end.

And even when it seems like He has not answered your prayers, it is not disappointment—He knows what is best. In time, you will understand.

We are in the same family—we are brethren in Christ. Because we have accepted Him, the life of Christ is in us. His divine nature is planted in our spirit.

The DNA of holiness, righteousness, and purity is now at work within us.

And because He is with us, He will never leave us. God does not begin something and abandon it halfway. That is not the kind of God we serve—He finishes what He starts. He does not disappoint.

Does God disappoint?

No.

What we sometimes call disappointment is not truly disappointment. When we pray for something and God does not answer the way we expect, it is because He knows what is best for us. In time, we will understand why He did not give us what we asked for at that moment.

He said His thoughts toward us are good and not evil. And just as the heavens are far above the earth, so are His thoughts higher than ours.

Many times, we are impatient—we want things done our way and in our time. But God sees beyond what we see. The heart of man can be misleading, and what seems right to us may not lead to the right end.

That is why Scripture says: whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord.

Let’s look at 2 Timothy 2:15:

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

As we receive teachings, we must also take personal time to study. Go back to the Word, read it again, and ask God for deeper understanding.

When you study the Word, you are not just reading—you are receiving it into your spirit. It becomes a substance within you, filling your spiritual life and flowing out like living water.

Study is not about memorizing with the mind alone—it is about understanding with the heart. Before you study, pray and ask God to open your understanding.

When you wake up at night to pray, don’t rush back to sleep immediately. That is a powerful moment—your spirit is already connected to God. Use that time to study, and you will notice greater understanding.

The Spirit of God will teach you, explain the Word to you, and make it real in your life.

Each time you study, you are being spiritually clothed—piece by piece—until you are fully prepared, like a garment made ready for a great occasion.

Now, this is the essence of gospel righteousness.

Many people say they are on the journey to heaven, but how many are willing to live a life of righteousness?

Today, many focus only on physical blessings—prosperity, success, and material things—while neglecting the soul.

But in the end, it is the soul that matters. The soul will stand before God.

So we must stay focused on what truly matters: living a life that is pleasing to Him.