Lord's Day: February 1, 2025  Preacher: Carlos Montijo  Series: First John  Topic: Law & Gospel Distinction  Scripture: Psalm 11:7; 1 John 1:9–2:2; Deuteronomy 32:3–4; 1 John 3:4; Romans 7:13; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Matthew 5:29–30; Romans 8:6–8; 1 John 3:8–10; Ecclesiastes 7:20, 29; Mark 10:18; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10–12; Galatians 2:21; John 1:29; Galatians 4:4–5; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22–24; Romans 5:19; 4:3–8; 2 Corinthians 5:20–21; Ephesians 4:20–24; Philippians 3:20–21

For Yahweh is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. Psalm 11:7

• Two of the most important subjects in the entire Bible: sin and righteousness

I.  “…so that you may not sin.”

• According to God, we are all sinners, born guilty under the Law of God.
• What is your life’s purpose? To not sin?
• Who are you a child of?
• The Belgic Confession, Article 22: The Righteousness of Faith

II. The Gospel According to Righteousnesses

• Are you righteous?
• The Bible describes different kinds of righteousnesses with respect to God and man, which summarize the entire story of the Bible, the whole counsel of God, and reveals the true gospel to us:

1. The Righteousness of God
2. Original Righteousness
3. Self-Righteousness
4. The Righteousness of Jesus Christ
5. The Imputed Righteousness of Believers
6. The Renewed Righteousness of Believers
7. The Culminated Righteousness of Believers

An Orthodox Catechism, Question 60: How are you right with God? Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.(a) Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God's commandments and of never having kept any of them,(b) and even though I am still inclined toward all evil [in my flesh],(c) nevertheless, without my deserving it at all,(d) out of sheer grace,(e) God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ,(f) as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.(g) All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart.(h)  (a) Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil 3:8-11  (b) Rom. 3:9-10  (c) Rom. 7:23  (d) Tit. 3:4-5  (e) Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8  (f) Rom. 4:3-5 (Gen. 15:6); 2 Cor. 5:17-19; 1 John 2:1-2  (g) Rom. 4:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:21  (h) John 3:18; Acts 16:30-31

Join us on Sundays for worship at 10:00am:

• ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church
  4712 Montana Ave
  El Paso, Texas 79903

Contact us at:

• web: ThornCrownCovenant.Church
  call/text: (915) 843-8088
  email: [email protected]

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com

See Carlos E. Montijo, ‘Series: Biblical Church Discipline’, ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church: El Paso, TX, January 2022 <https://www.thorncrowncovenant.church/sermons/series/biblical-church-discipline> [accessed 25 October 2025].