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Ephesians 6:12-14 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH, AND HAVING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Hallmark Theology or Biblical Theology?

Minnesota Representative (R) Walter Hudson is first and foremost a Bible Based Christian. He has a podcast called “Closing Argument”. On a recent episode he spoke of “Hallmark Theology”, which is what many Churches have defaulted to today. Hallmark Theology portrays Christianity – as – Walter states:

“a mandate to project positivity, approval, and good wishes regardless of circumstances, actions or consequences. That’s not Christianity. That’s Hallmark Theology. The Bible does not teach us to shine the light of affirmation. It teaches us to shine the light of truth. Truth is not always comforting. Truth exposes. It divides. It demands repentance. And truth carries consequences. If your version of Christianity never makes anyone uncomfortable, never challenges wrongdoing, never calls sin what it is, never demands accountability, then you’re not practicing Christianity, you’re practicing emotional validation with Bible verses taped on to it. … Hell exists because precisely because light is just not pleasant, light reveals reality, and sometimes reality can be unbearable. Light is not vibes. Light is not niceness. Light is not emotional soothing. Light is revelation, and revelation is often painful.”

You may disagree with that statement, but every bit of it is Biblically true. Jesus flipped over the moneychangers tables. Jesus shamed the Pharisees and Chief Priests. John the Baptist called the self righteous “a brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7), and our Lord Jesus publicly called them the same (Matthew 12:34; 23:33). Jesus lashed out at the self righteous Sadducees, Scribes and Pharisees as “hypocrites” (Matthew 23). Many people rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our Lord said,

John 15:20-22, 24 (LSB) … If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you … But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because THEY DO NOT KNOW THE ONE WHO SENT ME. 22 “If I HAD NOT COME AND SPOKEN TO THEM, they would not have sin, but NOW THEY HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR THEIR SIN. … 24 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now THEY HAVE BOTH SEEN AND HATED ME and MY FATHER AS WELL.

Last week we talked about the Belt of Truth, which is the integral part of the armor of God. Truth is the first thing you must put on before you put on anything else. If you modify the truth, making God into Who He is NOT, then everything you attach to that Belt will fail.

Once the Belt of Truth is put on, then and only then can you put on the first piece of the Armor of God: The Breastplate of Righteousness.

God Is Righteous, But We Are Naturally Unrighteous

It is true that God loves us, and that God expressed His love for us by sending Jesus Christ to this earth. But why did Jesus come to this earth? There are two things that are absolutely true:

1. God is absolutely righteous, totally without sin, and

2. We are born into this world sinners by nature

How “holy” or righteous is God? The Prophet Isaiah is an interesting person. He was a Prophet, the son of Amoz (Isaiah 1:1), a man who loved the Lord. God gave Isaiah a vision and began to speak through him to Israel – and the message was not good. God told Israel through Isaiah:

Isaiah 1:4 (LSB) Alas, sinful nation, People heavy with iniquity, Seed of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! THEY HAVE FORSAKEN YAHWEH!; They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; They have become estranged from Him.

Sin had come into Israel, and the nation was sick. How sick. God told them:

Isaiah 1:6 (LSB)From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, wounds, and raw wounds, Not pressed out, not bandaged, Not softened with oil.

Isaiah was called of God to lead Israel back to YAHWEH. So was Isaiah perfect, without sin? In Isaiah chapter 6 God allowed Isaiah to look into Heaven, to see God as He really is. We humans think of God like He’s a BIG MAN upstairs, but just like us. When Isaiah looked into Heaven – a man who loved the Lord – the Bible says:

Isaiah 6:1-4 (AP) {Angels} flew above the throne of God, high and lifted up. The angels cried out “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS YAHWEH OF HOSTS, the whole earth is full of His glory!”

The ground shook as Isaiah looked on the holiness of God. Did he dance and sing, like the song “I Can Only Imagine” suggests? No. Isaiah was HORRIFIED when he compared himself to God. Isaiah cried out:

Isaiah 6:5 (LSB) Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, And I live among a PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS; For my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.

Isaiah lamented his LIPS as being UNCLEAN, and the people that he represented, Israel, as a PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS. Not hands, but LIPS. Our Lord Jesus said “that which comes OUT OF THE MOUTH defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). He said,

Matthew 15:18-19 (ESV) … what COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH PROCEEDS FROM THE HEART, and THIS DEFILES THE PERSON. 19 For OUT OF THE HEART come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

The unsaved heart is not righteous, but unrighteous. How did the Angel of Mercy help Isaiah. HE TOOK A BURNING COAL from the altar of God, and CAUTERIZED HIS MOUTH, the wound that evidences the wickedness of the heart. Isaiah did not make himself righteous before God. God sent a Messenger to Isaiah to TOUCH HIS LIPS, to make him right before God.

God is holy – we are not! God must touch our lips. He must change our hearts. Only God can do this!

God is not a BIG BUDDY upstairs that is just filled with LOVE and nothing else. Yes, God is LOVE (1 John 4:8, 16). But God’s love is motivated by His HOLINESS. When John the Revelator looked into Heaven from Patmos where he was exiled, and he first saw Jesus, did he run to Jesus to hug Him? What does John say?

Revelation 1:17-18 (LSB) … when I saw {Jesus}, I FELL AT HIS FEET LIKE A DEAD MAN. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear; I am THE FIRST AND THE LAST, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND OF HADES.

Oh, what a strange god we American Christians worship! You think when you get to Heaven, that you will get there because you were better than someone else. You think when you get the Heaven that you and your buddy jesus (and I meant to not capitalize this name, for this is the imaginary jesus some of you follow) will grab a fishing pole and go down and wet a hook at the River of Life. When Isaiah saw the God of the Bible, he nearly wet himself! When John the Revelator saw Jesus in his purity, he fell down like a dead man until Grace lifted him up.

You cannot get to Heaven without a heart transplant.
God must take a coal from His altar of righteousness, and touch our lips. We MUST be born again. The Holy Spirit must save us by the Blood of the Lamb, by Grace.

The Breastplate of Righteousness is attached to the Belt of Truth, and the truth is that GOD MUST SAVE US. It is of Absolute Grace that you are saved! Some say, “But I’m a good person. I know I’ll go to Heaven when I die.” Or one of the favorite things I hear people say at funerals, “If ANYONE deserved to go to Heaven, she/he did!” Here’s the truth. NO ONE DESERVES TO GO TO HEAVEN.

Is God “Love”? Yes, but it is “Love” motivated by HOLINESS or RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is why God sent His ONLY BELOVED SON to a damnable Cross for us!

What does God say of the unregenerate heart, the heart of the person who is not “born again”. He says:

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (LSB) The HEART IS MORE DECEITFUL THAN ALL ELSE, AND IS DESPERATELY SICK; Who can know it? 10 I, YAHWEH, SEARCH THE HEART; I test the inmost being, Even to GIVE TO EACH MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS, According to the fruit of his deeds.

We look at a beautiful baby, our babies, and say “Oh, how sweet! How innocent. How pure and pristine!” But God looks at the heart of all and says,

Romans 3:10-18 (ESV) … NONE ARE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE; 11 no one understands; NO ONE SEEKS FOR GOD. ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

I hear people who profess to be Christian, “When I get to Heaven, God’s gonna tell me why …”. Can I tell you this: if you believe this, you’re not saved.

I heard Dr R. C. Sproul (rhymes with bowl) preach a message on the thief that Jesus saved. I can’t remember exactly how he put it, so this is a paraphrase. He spoke on the thief who repented, acknowledging his sin, asked Jesus to “remember me when you come into Your Kingdom” (Luke 23:39-43). Jesus told him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Later that day the Roman soldier in charge broke the legs of the thieves, and that man died. One thief went to hell, but the other thief went to Heaven. When that thief walked into Heaven, imagine if an angel asked him, “How did you get here?” The thief would have said, “I didn’t get here. WITH MY LIPS I CONFESSED JESUS. GOD TOOK A COAL FROM THE ALTAR, and though I was in unbearable agony, GOD CAUSED ME TO CONFESS THE SON AS MY LORD. I put all my hope and eternity in Him. I don’t deserve to be here, but JESUS GOT ME HERE!”

The man made breastplate of self righteousness will not save you. God must touch your lips. He must change your heart. With the MOUTH we confess Jesus as Lord. With the HEART we believe He has conquered sin and death.

When Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night, he was wearing the breastplate of the Pharisee, of self righteousness and pride. He began by commending Jesus as a great Rabbi. Jesus ignored what he said, and told Nicodemus:

John 3:3, 5-7 (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN he cannot see the kingdom of God.” … 5 Truly, truly, I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS ONE IS BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT, HE CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 6 THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH, AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN’

“Nicodemus, you may be RELIGIOUS. The Pharisees were RELIGIOUS. Jesus told the Pharisees: “I assure you and most solemnly say to YOU that the tax collectors and the prostitutes WILL GET INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEFORE YOU” (Matthew 21:31). Why is that? Because the Pharisees and Chief Priests put on a man made breastplate of righteousness. That thief who repented got into Heaven because he was born again of the Spirit of God. He repented, and God made a way. The Breastplate of Righteousness is a breastplate composed – not of the righteousness of man – but of the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. It is a God thing!

The Pharisees thought that they were going to Heaven because they kept the Law of God – and even augmented that Law with their own man made additions. They thought they were going to Heaven because the checked off all the items on the “holier than thou” list that THEY composed. What did God say of self righteousness and pretend religions?

Isaiah 65:5 {You} say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I AM HOLIER THAN YOU!’ These are SMOKE IN MY NOSTRILS, A fire that burns all the day.

The Breastplate of Righteousness is not OUR righteousness, but the righteousness that is only attained by surrender and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

How do you get the Breastplate of Righteousness? What work can you do to achieve it? The only work you can do is complete surrender of your life to God. The Apostle Paul described it this way:

Philippians 3:7-11 (LSB) But WHATEVER THINGS WERE GAIN TO ME, THOSE THINGS I HAVE COUNTED LOSS FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST. 8 More than that, I COUNT ALL THINGS TO BE LOSS because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, and COUNT THEM BUT RUBBISH SO THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST 9 and BE FOUND IN HIM, NOT HAVING A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY OWN which is from [the] Law, but THAT WHICH IS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, the RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS FROM GOD UPON FAITH, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Man Made Armor Cannot Defeat The Enemy

Ephesians 6:12-14 For WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against PRINCIPALITIES {fallen angels that control nations}, against POWERS {fallen angels that control states}, against the RULERS OF DARKNESS of this world, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God … your LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH, AND HAVING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Oh how the devil wants us to trade the God made Breastplate of Righteousness with the man-made breastplate of self righteousness! Our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our actual enemy is not human beings or animal life. Our enemy is not the natural elements of this earth. Our enemy is not the CORONAVIRUS {SARS-CoV-2} nor the INFLUENZA nor the BIRD FLU (avian influenza H5N1, H7N9, or H5N8). Just as it was not actually a SERPENT in the Garden of Eden, but SATAN, it is not a fleshly thing that is our enemy. Satan may possess the flesh, but he is the ultimate source of our battle.

When Goliath stood before the armies of Israel shouting, the soldiers of God’s people feared flesh and blood. But there was one young boy who loved God. The Lord described him as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). David wore the Breastplate of Righteousness that God gave him. When he came up and heard Goliath, David volunteered to fight Goliath in the power of God.

The unsaved heart is far from God. But the saved have surrendered their broken lives to the Lord. We have “been brought near to God by the Blood of Jesus”

Ephesians 2:13-16, 18 (LSB) now in Christ Jesus you who formerly WERE FAR OFF HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR (TO GOD) BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both [groups] one and broke down the dividing wall of the partition 15 by ABOLISHING IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY, the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so that in Himself He might create the two into one new man, making peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having in Himself put to death the enmity. … 18 for THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE OUR ACCESS IN ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER.

David learned to walk close to Jesus while watching sheep at night by himself. David had trusted God, and when wild animals threatened his sheep, he fought the enemy in the power of Christ.

Saul tried to get David to wear his armor before fighting Goliath. David refused it, saying “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them” (1 Samuel 17:39). David only wanted the Armor of God. David put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. He trusted fully in God. He picked up his sling, and five smooth stones.

And the enemy was defeated.
Not by David, but THROUGH David.
By God Who is faithful

We who are saved do not “follow our hearts”. We put on the Breastplate of Righteousness, and this GUARDS our hearts. Later in life David would sin by committing adultery with Bathsheba, and by having her husband killed. When Nathan the Prophet confronted David for his sin, David didn’t say “What can I do to make it up to Uriah’s family?” David told Nathan:

2 Samuel 12:13 I have sinned against Yahweh

He confessed his sin to God. David would later write in:

Psalm 51:1-4 (LSB) Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; According to the abundance of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And pure when You judge.

It is God Who saves us, and makes us right before God (righteous). When we sin, we confess our sin to God (1 John 1:8-10). We should later seek to give restitution to those we have harmed by our sins:

Zacchaeus restored fourfold that which he had stolen (Luke 19:8)
Those who did wrong are to make restitution (Ephesians 4:28)
We are not to owe anyone anything but love (Romans 13:8)
God expects us to reconcile with others (Matthew 5:23-24)

We do not do this in order to BE saved. The Breastplate of Righteousness is BLOOD BOUGHT. We do this BECAUSE we are saved (Revelation 1:5-6).

Once Saved By Grace, Given The Righteousness Of God
You Want To Follow God

Ephesians 6:14 HAVING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Saved by Grace, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, the Christian COVERS THE HEART WITH RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. If you are saved, if you have been given the Breastplate of Righteousness, IT WILL SHOW IN HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE. The Bible does not give us as Christians permission to sin. Once saved, we “PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST”. We walk with God in right living each and every day. We contribute to the LIGHT, not to the darkness.

Romans 13:12-14 (KJV) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But PUT YE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and MAKE NOT PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

If you are saved, you are not saved by works, but by God the Holy Spirit. You are saved because you were drowning in sin, and you cried out to the Lord Jesus. He pulled you out of the waters of destruction, out of certain death. Does the Scripture not say, “The WAGES of SIN IS DEATH” (Romans 6:23). Didn’t James warn us:

James 1:15 (NKJV) each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren

Someone once asked me, “Pastor, how can I know I am saved?” Very simple. Do you WANT to walk with Jesus? Do you WANT to hear and read the Word of God?

You should want to wear the Breastplate of Righteousness? When you sin, are you comfortable in your sin, or are you uncomfortable until you repent? What does the fruit of your life look like? If you are saved, the Holy Spirit will convict you when you sin. You will be uncomfortable until you repent, casting your sin on Jesus, and come back to the “Shepherd and Bishop of our souls” (1 Peter 2:25).

Don’t get me wrong. Though we strive to do so, true Christians never lead a sinless life. You will strive to do so, because you love the Lord. But we are all broken, imperfect. Our halos slip! We fail. I fail often. I don’t want to, but I do. The Apostle wrote:

2 Timothy 2:11-15 (LSB) It is a trustworthy saying: For IF WE DIED WITH HIM, WE WILL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If WE DENY HIM, HE WILL ALSO DENY US; 13 If WE ARE FAITHLESS, HE REMAINS FAITHFUL, for HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF. 14 Remind them of these things, solemnly charging them in the presence of God not to dispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to PRESENT YOURSELF APPROVED TO GOD AS A WORKMAN who does not need to be ashamed, ACCURATELY HANDLING THE WORD OF TRUTH. 16 But avoid godless and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their word will spread like gangrene.

Those who are Christ’s do not live to please the lost world, but to please Christ. I don’t care if you agree with me, or like what I’m saying. I do care what the Bible says. Period. My Best Friend and my Obsession is Jesus Christ.

So it is with you, too, if you are a Christian. We are saved by faith in Him. We adhere to the Word of God, not the word of this world. What saves me is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will live for Him – and you will too. I will live so as to bring glory to Him, to the Father Who loves me so – and you will, too.

The Christian who sins will not remain in sin, but will repent and run back into the arms of the Savior. The Christian cherishes the Word of God, knowing that the word of this world is variable, and filled with darkness. There are times when our faith is small, but God remains faithful to us, for He cannot deny Himself. God indwells the believer, and never leaves us nor forsakes us.

The Breastplate of Righteousness guards our hearts. “The LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS” and “EVERYONE WHO NAMES THE NAME OF THE LORD IS TO DEPART FROM WICKEDNESS” (2 Timothy 2:19). A sinning Christian is abnormal, uncomfortable, and subject to discipline from the Father. If you are saved, you will follow the Savior, wearing the Breastplate that God has given to you by Grace.

Not a breastplate of self righteousness.
Not a breastplate of unrighteousness.
Not a breastplate of denominational righteousness
A Breastplate of God’s Righteousness!