The Kwadaso Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle John Budu Kobina Tawiah, has challenged Christians, especially church leaders, to consistently model righteousness in all their endeavours to portray the character of Christ, stressing that, consistency of righteousness is non-negotiable.
According to him, righteousness is the trademark of Christians which relates to the salvation they have found in Christ Jesus.
“We cannot profess to be Christians without living a life of righteousness,” he said.
Apostle Tawiah said this on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, when he spoke on the topic: “Righteousness; The Authority of the Kingdom” at the ongoing New Tafo Area 2022 Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation) at the M. K. Yeboah Memorial Temple, Krofrom, in the New Tafo Zone.
Taking his main Bible texts from Proverbs 14:34; Romans 14:17, the Kwadaso Area Head noted that Christians have healthy relationship with God and as such their lives must conform to the standards of God.
He expounded from Matthew 7:1-5 that righteousness makes Christians courageous which gives them moral authority to confront the ills in the church and the society at large.
Defining righteousness, Apostle Tawiah indicated that is it a gift from God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17-18).
“Jesus is the centre, key, pillar and pivot of righteousness. So, we believers have been made right with God,” he pointed out.
Referencing the story of Cornelius (Acts 10) to buttress his point, Apostle Tawiah who further noted that righteousness is the condition of being right with God only through the acceptance of the Lordship of Christ, explained that though Cornelius was a devout man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience, as did all his household as he gave much alms to the people and prayed continually to God, these were not enough to make him right with God until he accepted Christ Jesus.
He, therefore, stressed that no matter how good one may be, they cannot be made right with God until they accept and believe in Christ Jesus, saying, “Righteousness is found only in Jesus.”
As people who have been imputed with God’s righteousness, the man of God urged Christians to put on the breastplate of righteousness, which according to him, signifies moral character to protect their hearts from evil.
He further noted that when believers model righteousness it protects them from danger (Daniel 6:19-21) and saves them from death (Proverbs 11:4), saying, “Let your righteousness be your defense.”
Reading from Ezekiel 14:14, Apostle J. B. K Tawiah charged church leaders to be the Daniels, Noahs, and Jobs of their time who will exhibit righteousness, faithfulness, obedience, humility, and stand for God at all times which would endear them to God and guarantee their safety.
“When God calls someone, He expects the person to walk in righteousness with Him. As leaders of God’s church, we must walk in righteousness to establish our leadership and leave a legacy before God for divine commendations,” he concluded.
Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah
