Judging by the laws in the old covenant, you can see that they were really one carnal group. Nothing was said to them about, prayer, study of spiritual words, the Holy.(wholeness).Spirit flowing in and out from them in doing good unto others, etc. Truly, the new covenant is a better covenant because it's based on what Christ did and not on what we should do to get into a relationship with God.

Yet many sincere but misguided people, even today, live by the commandments part of the 'faulty' old covenant than by emphasizing Emmanuel in them, the real key to a changed life. 

Religious people seem to want to do things they feel need done in order to be right with their Creator, time and time again. They need to correct any lack in their overstanding of the finished work of Christ in them.(John 17:4; Romans 10:3; Philippians 3:3; 4:4; 1Peter 1:8).by doing things out of love for others.

Religion that creates fear that God could reject you is devil religion:.1Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 13:5. Is there really any act we could do where the God who created us would use that to permanently reject us?

Perhaps this 'wanting to do their own righteousness' is a cover or conscience sop, for the what they really know about themselves. It's important to forget the negative things of self, think about Him being in you and proceed in confidence to do good works, knowing you are sure that you are ok in the Creator's eyes. 

Spiritual maturity involves comparing spiritual things with spiritual things; not judging physical actions of another by a rigid set of do's and don'ts, like the Pharisees of Old Testament times in Emmanuel's day did:.1Corinthians 2:13 "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things.(what spiritual things?).with spiritual.(what spiritual tools?)."

Ephesians 4:15 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."

One is spiritual when he or she comprehends that God is within and stops believing the fairy tale that He is an old man with a beard, somewhere in the sky in some actual place referred to as heaven. There are different degrees of spirituality:.1John 1:12-14.

We grow into these as we go along. God created us in His image, but many don't believe this, preferring instead more fairy tale stories. 

Pharisaical types, being self-righteous and quick to disallow anything that might smack at their authority being undermined, resorted to murder of those thinking differently than they did. They believed that they were destined to be the masters of others.(a doctrine of demons);.one example from.Fox's Book of Martyrs.of ego level.(non spiritual, no loving concern).religion.

Spiritual maturity unfortunately is foreign to some people. Self-righteousness.stifles emotional and intellectual growth and maturity. Some of us may or perhaps were like the aloof religious elite in Emmanuel's time, the self-righteous Pharisees and their ilk. Rather than be connected with others, they preferred to wallow in what they felt was superior sanctity:.Matthew 23:5-12; 2Peter 2:15.

A characteristic of a self-righteous person is if they make a mistake, they are never humble enough to apologize. This is arrogance. There are other characteristics. Making an ostentatious.display over blessing food is one of them.

Spiritual maturity also involves being of the mind not allowing current physical negatives of life to rattle you; realizing instead that there is always a tomorrow and, with better decisions today, the tomorrows provide a better life.

Immature people generally don't look ahead, fail to plan ahead, and simply take the easiest road at the present, without thought, without seeking advice as to whether or not it may be a best course of action for the long run.

Immaturity says 'I will do what I feel if I have to react to any present crisis'.

Immature persons are reactors, responding and thus controlled, by circumstances surrounding them. This often is their motivation for action and inaction.

There is also much immaturity within the spiritual community. Some still mix their spirituality with the commandments and other parts of the Mosaic Law, mixing in some new covenant grace and the righteousness of Emmanuel the Christ. They end up with a hodgepodge of confusion:.1Corinthians 14:33. But if they keep on learning they'll eventually find a way out of it and into higher consciousness truth.

Many church goers do try to measure up to a standard in their minds they believe would ensure acceptance by God. However, once in Christ their acceptance is automatic. 

The Infinite One made possible and gave the free gift of His righteousness so you could know that you are always accepted because He will.never leave you, not even for a second:.Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; Jude 1:1.

Even if you leave Him, He is always faithful.(2Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 10:23), but not having Him active in you.(Galatians 5:4,25).will not do you much good in this life:.Titus 3:8. 

You still are 'in the Kingdom', but are missing a reward that you could have gotten. 

So, why ever leave spiritual concerns or relegate them to the back burner of your life? Keep up the spiritual disciplines and be careful to not be led into alternate gospels, making Him of none effect in your life:.2Peter 2:21. 

But what if you leave the spiritual life Christ made available to you and come back later? 

Know also, that we have been redeemed.(means 'to pay a price for', 'to buy back':.1Corinthians 6:20).by the price of the righteousness of Christ. What does this mean? 

Right from the beginning of time.(Genesis 15:6).belief and belief alone was counted as superior righteousness, because only belief can affect the heart. But, many things of the Old Testament, such as the Old Testament law that was interpreted incorrectly, especially by the Pharisees, etc. right up to the time Emmanuel was on the Earth, were entirely useless:.1Peter 1:18 "Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold.(if you tithe brother, you'll be blessed), from your vain conversation.(fruitless conduct, as the word 'conversation' meant back then).received by tradition from your fathers."

Noah was a preacher of righteousness:.2Peter 2:5 "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the unGodly." Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Righteousness by faith was always a part of God's plan.

When you believe, the fact that you do believe is equal to righteousness:.Romans 3:22; 4:13; 1:17. His.(Emmanuel).life of righteousness qualified Him to apply righteousness to all whom the Father is now calling:.Acts 2:39; John 17:2. 

David however, saw it somewhat differently and still believed in the 'reap what you sow' way of the Old Testament. He did want a relationship with God, one beyond 'do good, get blessed; do bad, get beaten':.Psalms 5:8; 4:1; 18:20; 24:5; 31:1,5,6; 32:2. 

In the NT, our reward for Christ's righteousness being imputed to us and us living with that gift of righteousness comes and continues coming to those of the same mind of high consciousness:.Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Emmanuel". See 'Rewarded'. 

Matthew 5:20 tells us that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees, we will not make the Kingdom of.(not in).Heaven.(also called Kingdom of God).
 

....continues to Righteousness page 10

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