"The Righteous and the Wicked"
-Outline used, New Hampshire Confession (Article 17)

It has often been asked in our time, "Is there anything different between the Christian and the rest of the
world?" The answer should be a resounding "yes!" Because of the lack of conviction among Christians today
and the rapidly increasing doctrine of relative truth, we have a hard time realizing the radical difference
between the righteous and the wicked. Before we get into our lesson, let us first define the righteous and the
wicked. The righteous person is one who has Jesus as his savior and Lord. He is born from above through a
conversion experience with Jesus Christ and obeys Christ in his life. The wicked person is one who does not
have Jesus as his savior, is not born again spiritually, and follows not after the precepts of the scripture. He,
most generally, will follow after the precepts of his own desires. The New Hampshire Confession reads:

"We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such
only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are
truly righteous in his esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in his sight wicked, and
under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death." - Article XVII

So we will now break down the article and give some corresponding scripture references:

I. We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked.

"Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against
thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we
have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work
wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often
one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for
them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in
that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then
shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not." - Malachi 3:13-18

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your
members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the
law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants
ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked,
that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered
you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." - Romans 6:12-18

II. We believe that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the
Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in his esteem.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." - Romans 1:16-17

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a
good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which
are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being
dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because
God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith
it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him." - Hebrews 11:1-6

III. We believe all those such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in his sight wicked, and under the
curse.

"So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just
shall live by faith." - Galatians 3:9-11

"The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts." -
Psalms 10:4

IV. We believe this distinction holds among men both in and after death.

"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man
also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said,
Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he
is comforted, and thou art tormented. - Luke 16:22-25

"Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go,
ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And
he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said
therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." -
John 8:21-24