Righteousness Doesn’t Allow It To Stick

Length: 9 Minutes

Amongst the most foundational things that you can know about death, hurt, aging, or the common cold (it’s all the same thing), is that these things are only in the world because of Adam’s sin. That’s right. It’s only in the world because of sin… that very thing that you’re cleansed of!

If we don’t identify sin as the source of all these problems, but just think it’s always been around, then you won’t recognize the gravity of what it means for Jesus to take away your sins. 

Romans 5:12 (NKJV) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

In the garden, Adam became sinful. The nature of his body and mind became bent to doing what was wrong. And because every person thereafter was born into his sinfulness, they were also born into his death.

Listen to our “Exit Earth” teaching for the real proof on this, but below are some references to show that death actually encompasses all sickness, decay, aging, and injury in this world. 

Paul called his sufferings “death working in him” (2 Corinthians 4:12). Paul referred to the disabled womb of Sarah as “the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:19). Paul refers to a corruptible body as being dead, even while a person still lives (Romans 8:10). And Abrahams aged body, is said to have needed “life from the dead” — clearly classifying His agedness as “deadness” (Romans 4:17, 19). 

Knowing that all death, suffering, and hurt comes from Adam’s sin, do you see the magnitude of what it means to be cleansed from sin? it’s Jesus’s way of cutting you off from the lineage and inheritance that Adam passed down to you (1 Peter 1:18). If death comes from sin, and you’re cleansed from sin, how would that not free you from death also? If someone doesn’t believe that, then death must not really come from sin.

When I speak about being cleansed of sin, I’m not saying that you don’t sin anymore. Even believers can still sin (1 John 2:1-2). Being cleansed of sin is that Jesus has made you clean on the inside. He has also forgiven you of everything you’ve ever done. This has nothing to do with your work. You are a new creation, created in true righteousness and holiness through Jesus, regardless of what you have done, will do, or are even doing right now (Ephesians 4:24)! This is righteousness based on faith in Jesus’ work, not your own.

Here’s a principal: Death comes from sin. Life comes from righteousness. Therefore, if you’re in your sins, you’re also bound to death. But if you’re righteous, the Holy Spirit is life to you because of that righteousness!

Romans 8:10 (NKJV) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Peter says the exact same thing, but instead of saying life and righteousness, he says life and godliness. Instead of saying sin and death, he says lust and corruption (decay).

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NKJV) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

If you read those verses carefully, here’s what you’ll notice: Death can’t stick to righteousness, neither can life stick to sin. They are incompatible. They don’t mix. 

Here’s my point in all of this: Once Jesus cleanses you of sin, even if you’re experiencing some kind of imperfection in your body, it’s no longer because you’re bound to it. Righteousness makes you free from death! You may not be utilizing all the privileges of being righteous, but you are indeed righteous if you’ve put faith in Jesus, and therefore exempt from death and corruption. Did you hear what I said there? I said “exempt.” You just need to acknowledge these things for them to be effectual in your life (Philemon 1:6).

We don’t have to experience the hurt in this world to begin with, but even if you do, it’s not the same kind of hurt that the world feels. Even if you see some kind of imperfection in your body, it’s not the same kind of imperfection that the world experiences. They’re bound to it. It’s a part of their nature. They’re stuck to it, but you’re not. Why? Because they’re in their sins still, which binds them to Adam’s curse. Jesus took away your sins, once for all, which means He took away your bondage to the curse along with it!

Let me illustrate it this way: When I was younger, I played paintball occasionally. I remember hearing about some kids that would wear slick, windbreaker type fabric on the outside, so that if they got hit by a paintball, they could just wipe it off and the referee wouldn’t be able to tell they ever got hit, because the fabric wouldn’t allow it to stick. That’s what righteousness does for you as a believer.

If the world gets hurt, they’re bound to it. Adam’s sin binds them to that hurt. But because we are the righteousness of God, even if we get hurt (and we certainly don’t have to), it’s not stuck to us anymore, because death can’t stick to righteousness! Any hurt that a believer experiences isn’t a bondage. We are already free through righteousness. So it’s all temporary at best, if we’re willing to grow in the truth of what we have!

Of course, it’s better to not suffer trouble to begin with. That’s true, and we can experience that! But being righteous is like having that slick, windbreaker suit on the outside. Even if something hit you, now you can wipe it off because you have no sin to bind it to you anymore. You have the one thing that’s incompatible with death and corruption! The righteousness of God, through Jesus!

This is why Jesus told a paralyzed man that he could be full of encouragement, because his sins were forgiven! Why is forgiveness relevant to a paralytic? Because if he’s forgiven, he can now wipe that paralysis off very easily. And he did. (Matthew 9:2-7).

Now you can wipe off any trouble, because you’ve got God’s righteousness through Jesus — no longer a sinful person like Adam. Remember this quote: Death can’t stick to righteousness. The only thing that sticks to righteousness is life (Romans 8:10). If you experience any issue in your life, the Spirit can just wipe it off because it can’t stick to you. 

When I say “you can wipe it off,” I mean, if a Christian’s sick, they can simply get better. If a Christian sees a bodily imperfection, it can easily be re-created. If a Christian sees aging, it can be conformed to Christ’s image. Even Christians who have died, can just get up again. Not that it’s our nature to experience these things to begin with, but even if we do, for lack of knowledge, it’s also within our nature to recover quickly —  because we’ve been made righteous, and righteousness is like death repellent. It’s Teflon to corruption. The Spirit can wipe it off, and afterward, no one would even know you got hit with anything. Sounds like the three men that were thrown into the furnace. Not only were they not hurt, but they didn’t even smell like fire (Daniel 3:27). You couldn’t tell they were ever near a furnace.

You may say, “You make it sound so easy.” But none of these things were easy tasks. They were very difficult tasks, but Jesus already accomplished them for us at the cross. He did all the hard work. He did all the heavy lifting. He became our sin so that our death would stick to Him, giving us righteousness to make us free.

Isaiah 53:4-5 (LSV) Surely He has borne our sicknesses, || And our pains—He has carried them… And He is pierced for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities… And by His scourging we are healed
(This translation is confirmed to be correct by Mat. 8:16-17).

If it sounds easy to receive, that’s because it is. Jesus did all the hard work so that our yoke could be easy and light (Matthew 11:30). Your job is to continue learning this truth. And if you do so, you’ll see trouble fall off you like an oversized jacket. You’ll end up looking at an issue and laughing, because you know, with what you have in Jesus, it can’t stick around anymore.

No matter what that tiny issue is, or how long it’s been there, the truth is, it’s not stuck to you. Righteousness only qualifies you for God’s everlasting life, power, and blessing. Only goodness and mercy can follow you around all the days of your life!

When it comes to problems, God can keep “your coat clean” to begin with, but even if a believer gets some “paint on their coat,” the Spirit can just wipe it off because it’s not stuck to us anymore. Never be intimidated by the paint. Righteousness doesn’t allow it to stick.

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