There is an external righteousness we must clothe ourselves with!

We must “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ and clothe ourselves with every grace of His life.

Let us put on lowliness so men can see an example of humble delight in doing His will.

Let us put on meekness that is clearly visible by “deeds done” in the meekness of wisdom.

Let us put on kindness that will lead men to repentance as they taste and see that the Lord is good from the good fruit of the Holy Spirit being produced in our lives.

Let us put on love which is the perfect bond of unity and men will recognize we are His disciples by the love they see we have for one another.

Let us put on mercy and forgiveness so as to demonstrate to men how our Lord has loved us.

Yes, external righteousness is equally important as internal.    We can not have one without the other.

Can we show men our internal righteousness without works?   I think not; rather, we must show the world our faith by our deeds. 

 

We might not see the internal combustion of hydrogen on a molecular level, but no one can mistake the light emanating from a star.   Our righteousness is to be as external as stars in the universe as we hold forth the word of light.   The main difference between a planet and a star is this:  a planet is a dead satellite caught in the gravity of a star.  A star, on the otherhand is a blazing power drawing other objects into its orbit and radiating the energy it has within its core. 

When Christ abides in the inner man, the external results are just as obvious.  His life, His light, His love, His wisdom, His kindness, His Power – so radiate externally that the internal power is unmistakable because of its high degree of visibility.  We are to let our light so shine before men that they see “our good works” and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels TO SHOW that the EXCELLENCY of the power is of God.   We show the excellence of the power by overcoming sin, the world, and the devil.   That proves before the eyes of men that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

The clearest testimony of the power of Christ dwelling within is His ability to bring all things under subjection to His power:  our tongue, our thoughts, our emotions, and all our conduct.   This is the undeniable proof that He is greater than the other forces we encounter in this world.