THE PLANTING OF THE LORD

THE PLANTING OF THE LORD

To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”{Isaiah 61:3}

The bible states in Isaiah 61 that the reason why the Spirit of the Lord God was upon Jesus Christ was so that He can console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise in place of the spirit of heaviness. But most importantly to give them a new name called “trees of righteousness” a name that they could never earn by themselves through the ages past from the time of Adam to the present age. Worthy of note is the fact that these trees of righteousness will be the planting of the Lord Himself and only when He has planted these trees that He will be glorified. These trees will not plant themselves but God Himself will plant them.

If Christ was anointed for this purpose that means that prior to this time, righteousness was lacking, there were no trees of righteousness and that was because God had not planted any. This does not deny the fact that men throughout the past ages have tried to be trees of righteousness by their own efforts. They taught they could become trees of righteousness by keeping God’s rules and regulations and by practising all forms of religious rituals. This was what they said about themselves:

²⁵ And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. {Deuteronomy 6:25}

 They thought if they could keep all of God’s commandments, then it would be accounted unto them as righteousness. Little did they know that no man can keep all of God’s commandments. If only they knew that breaking just one precept would be regarded by God as breaking all the laws, they would never have made that statement. They have tried to plant righteousness by themselves but God never regarded them as trees of righteousness instead He saw all they did as filthy rags. This is how Isaiah described it:

⁶ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

⁷ And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. {Isaiah 64:6-7}

You will notice the same word “our righteousness” in the two texts above, one in Deuteronomy and the other in Isaiah. It is their righteousness, not God’s righteousness. It is what they could achieve by themselves not what God helped them achieve and the surprising part is that they were the only ones who saw this righteousness. God never regarded it and He certainly did not take glory in it. 


They could only boast and take the glory for themselves because it was their works but it was as filthy rags before God. Such self- righteousness makes one feel good about himself but the truth is that it fades as a leaf. It is not long-lasting because you soon realize that you fall into sin again and are alienated from God. He hides his face from us and consumes us in His anger. Only the righteousness planted by God will last. Until we become God’s righteousness trees, planted by God Himself, we would keep facing God’s wrath when we fall short in our self-righteousness. I know you’ve been rising and falling in your righteousness. You feel good today and tomorrow when you sin you feel unrighteous again. You feel accepted one minute and the next minute you feel condemned. The day you were able to pray for hours you feel qualified and the day you couldn’t you disqualified yourself. 


Your righteousness is as unstable as water and so your confidence appears and disappears. This is all because you have not been planted by God. You are trying to plant yourself but you have no deep enough root to stand on your own. The wind of weaknesses, temptations and sin comes and blows you away. You are standing on a faulty foundation “our righteousness” and it is easily destroyed. What will you do when your foundation is destroyed? We must trust in the Lord to plant us as righteousness trees. We must have confidence in Him and not lean on our own abilities. 


When trials and temptations come to try our righteousness, will we stand or fall? Will our foundations be strong enough to sustain us? When enemy arrows are targeted at us, will our breast plate be that of our righteousness or God’s righteousness? When the storms and tribulations of life tries to uproot us, do we have roots strong enough to keep us in position?

I trust in the Lord for safety.
    How foolish of you to say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to the mountains,^[b]
2     because the wicked have drawn their bows and aimed their arrows
    to shoot from the shadows at good people.
³ There is nothing a good person can do
    when everything falls apart.”{Psalms 11:1-3 GNT}

We must trust in God to plant us and give us a solid foundation. We should not have confidence in the flesh. 


To have confidence in the flesh is to trust in circumcision and the keeping of the Jewish laws for righteousness. It is to boast of all that we have achieved by ourselves thinking that we would be righteous by those things. Apostle Paul called that kind of self-righteousness “Garbage”. He said it must be thrown away and exchanged for a more valuable kind of righteousness that depends on trust and faith in God. A righteousness that has nothing to do with keeping of rules but that is planted by God Himself.

In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so. ² Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body. ³ It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. ⁴ I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 

⁵ I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, ⁶ and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. ⁷ But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. ⁸ Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. ¹⁰ All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, ¹¹ in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.{Philippians 3:1-10 GNT}

You see my dear friends, all your works of righteousness is as garbage in God’s eyes. You can boast all you want but God is not glorified. You may appear before men to be perfect but not before God. If it doesn’t come from God, then it can never make you perfect. All the religious activities that makes you feel good and righteous are all a show of confidence in the flesh. Everything you’ve ever taken credit for is garbage before God. The credentials of self- righteousness that many are bragging about is trash in God’s eyes. May I announce to you that any righteousness that is not the planting of God is a petty kind of righteousness. It is an inferior brand.  There is a more robust kind of righteousness that comes only by trusting in God. It is the righteousness that only God can give even in the midst of your faults and weaknesses.  I love the way verse 9 of Philippians chapter 3 is rendered in the message bible:

 I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.{Phil.3:9 MSG}

It is this original robust kind of righteousness that is the planting of God. No man can take glory for this kind of righteousness. It is not a product of our works, therefor no man can boast about it. We cannot earn it by keeping the commandments neither can we lose it by breaking them. It is freely a gift from God and only He can take the glory for it. If the glory goes to Him alone for this righteousness then we are truly the planting of the Lord, His oak trees of righteousness.

To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”{Isaiah 61:3}

Did you notice from the verse above, that when He has planted the trees of righteousness, He will be glorified? This means that any righteousness that doesn’t give the glory to God is self-righteousness. If we take glory for it based on our credentials and abilities, then it is not God’s righteousness. It is the filthy, garbage, petty, inferior brand of righteousness. You will need to drop that your seemingly impressive credential, fleshly pedigree trophies, along with everything you can take credit for and throw them into the trash so that you can lean on God alone who is able to plant you as His tree of righteousness. Then you shall have beauty in place of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise will replace the spirit of heaviness. The righteous can therefore now shout for joy because they are the trees of rigteousness,God's own planting never to be uprooted again. I have decided to trust in God alone because He has planted me as a tree of righteousness.

If you havent accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour, you can do that now so that you too can be planted by God as a tree of righteousness.

Pray this simple prayer of faith; LORD JESUS,I SURRENDER MY LIFE TO YOU TODAY,FORGIVE ALL MY SINS AND PLANT ME IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Congratulations! if you just made that prayer I will be glad to speak with you in person.you can follow me on facebook,youtube,tweeter google plus by clicking the respective links on this page.. God bless you.

ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

¹⁴ In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. {Isaiah 54:14} 

God in His word promised long ago that He Himself shall establish us in righteousness. His own righteousness. Not our self-short lasting righteousness that we struggle to get by keeping laws and lose when we fault the laws. God Himself would lay the foundation and make it solid so that we can be established in righteousness. A deep rooted kind of righteousness planted by God himself. A well-fortified kind of righteousness. One that wavers not. I love the way the message bible described it.

You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness,
    far from any trouble—nothing to fear!
    far from terror—it won’t even come close!{Isaiah 54:14}

Listen church, we have been grounded in righteousness. This is the building of God Himself and it is solid. The foundation of this righteousness building is Christ Himself. He is the centre and He holds the whole building together. We are God’s building of righteousness established upon the foundation of Christ.

 ⁹ For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field.

You are also God's building. ¹⁰ Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build. ¹¹ For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid. {1 Corinthians 3:9-11 GNT}

There is no other foundation that we can lay except Christ who is already laid for us. We must not try to lay our own foundation of righteousness by depending on the law. No one can lay any other foundation no matter how hard they try. Every building of righteousness collapses once Christ is taken from its foundation.

^15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. {Colossians 1:15-18 MSG}

You see, everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him. He holds everything together. We must allow Him hold us together as our foundation of righteousness. He is the one who holds the church together as God’s building of righteousness. We would always fall short if we remove Him as the foundation and begin to depend on our works of righteousness. Now we are God’s building established in righteousness and it is for ever. This is God’s handiwork and it is eternal.

²⁰ What a foundation you stand on now: the apostles and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the building is Jesus Christ himself! ²¹ We who believe are carefully joined together with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple for God. ²² And you also are joined with him and with each other by the Spirit and are part of this dwelling place of God. {Ephesians 2:20-22 TLB}

¹⁴ I know that everything God does will last forever. You can't add anything to it or take anything away from it. And one thing God does is to make us stand in awe of him. {Ecclesiastes 3:14 GNT}

We can’t add to or subtract from what God has done. He has established us in righteousness and that is final. Anyone who goes about trying to be righteous by himself is only wasting time and energy in ignorance. We must note that we can’t even subtract from this righteousness by our short falls, neither can our rule keeping add to it. It is an everlasting righteousness. It is the very righteousness of God Himself hence it can’t be diminished by us. It is an everlasting righteousness.

¹⁴² Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. {Psalms 119:142}

Some of you may want to ask questions like “do you mean my righteousness doesn’t reduce when I sin” Well, if you mean your self-righteousness, then Yes it diminishes when you sin. But if you mean God’s righteousness in you then No it doesn’t diminish. It is everlasting. Again, I must state that no Christian intentionally commits sin. We can fall into sin out of the weakness of the flesh but God’s righteousness in us is stable and unwavering because we are built upon a solid foundation Christ Jesus. I will like to render the message bible translation of Ecclesiastes 3:14

 ¹⁴ I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

Someone may still be wondering why we are established in righteousness and it is final. You must understand that this righteousness is Christ’s righteousness and not ours. Christ cannot become unrighteous and so are we. We live, move and have our being in Him. We are the righteousness of God IN Christ. We are in Him and He is in us. In fact He is our life. His righteousness is our righteousness. If He is 100% righteous, then we also are 100% righteous. God has made Him righteousness for us.

³⁰ But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

³¹ That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.{1Corinthians 1:30-31}

You see, Christ is our righteousness and if Christ is eternal then we also have an eternal righteousness. He also is our wisdom, sanctification and redemption. When we fall, He sanctifies us, purifies us so that we will be spotless without wrinkles or blemish. Our righteousness in Christ is sure and steadfast. No wonder the bible said the righteous falls seven times and rises again. Even at the seventh fall, we are still called “the righteous”. Men will condemn you at your first fall but the bible says there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This means that our righteousness in Christ doesn’t waver. No matter how many times you fall, you will rise again with your righteousness intact. That is the reason why we can’t be condemned. To condemn us will be to condemn Christ and that is impossible.

²¹ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. {2Corinthians 5:21} 

He made us God’s righteousness, we didn’t make ourselves. He established us not we ourselves. What most Christians are doing today is trying to make themselves righteous. No! It won’t work. We don’t try to become righteous, we are already God’s righteousness. How come many people are trying to become what they already are? Ignorance I will say.

with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus.{Romans 3:26 Weymouth New Testament}

He has given us righteousness and now we are righteousness. Not just that we are

 righteous, we are God’s righteousness. Just the way the sin of the first Adam made all

 men sinners even if they didn’t commit sin, so the obedience of the last Adam made us righteous even if we fall into sin.

¹⁷ For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

¹⁸ Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

¹⁹ For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. {Romans 5:17-19}

We have been made righteous by Christ’s obedience. It is not by our obedience that we will be made righteous. We are already made righteous because Christ already obeyed long ago. It is not something that is going to happen but something and has already happened and will last forever. We therefore must walk around with this righteousness consciousness making our boast in Christ. This righteousness consciousness must now replace the sin consciousness we inherited from Adam. Confess it daily with your mouth, speak it repeatedly until it sinks in. I have been established in righteousness and it is forever!

NOTE:Just incase you read this article and you are not born again,I encourage you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour today.It takes just a simple prayer of faith to be established in righteousness.
Pray this with me:LORD JESUS,I SURRENDER MY LIFE TO YOU TODAY,FORGIVE ME ALL MY SINS AND ESTABLISH ME IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.AMEN! AMEN!

Congratulations to you if you just prayed that prayer. I will be delighted to speak with you personally.You can call me on +380639373433
GOD BLESS YOU!