Our base scripture of 2Corinthians 5:16-17 (Amplified) show entry into the realm of the Kingdom of God and the things of His family. Without our understanding who we are in His family, we will never enter into what Jesus bequeathed us in His will (the New Testament). Until we could become born-again, we had no right to even come into the Presence of God. Because we were born in sin, by the transgression of Adam, we were all spiritually dead men and without a covenant with God.
1Corinthians 13:13 (Amplified) says, "And so faith, hope, love abide (faith-conviction and belief respecting man's relationship to God and Divine things: hope-Joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation: Love-true affection for God and man, growing out of God's Love for and in us), these three: but the greatest of these is Love."
It is essential we understand these three things, in the new creation. On these three,are hinged all the promises of God for His family. Matthew 6:33 (Amplified) says, "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
God has a way of "doing and being right," and as new creation people, we must understand how these things operate in our lives. We need to know how to "be right with God," because all of our hope and faith hangs on this knowledge. Man's hope was to be righteous or right with God, so that God would hear his prayers. We know that God only hears unrighteous men, when they call out to Him for salvation. Once they're born-again or saved, the now "by faith," have done it in "His way of doing and being right."
"Man's own righteousness is as filthy rags" in God's sight. Man's heart hoped to become righteous, but his way of obtaining it wasn't God's way of being right or righteous. The Word says that, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God," in Hebrews 11:6. So, faith must play an important part of God's way of "doing and being right." Romans 12:3 KJV says, "He has dealt to every man the measure of faith." Now, we must use this "faith" according to His way of being right. Only righteousness by faith, is acceptable to God.
Once you receive Jesus (by faith) as your Lord and Savior, you've become righteous in God's sight. You must believe that it is true, though. This is the hope we have always had, but couldn't obtain. Many have received Jesus as their Lord, but haven't applied their faith to the fact they are now made in right standing with God, because of Jesus. We continue trying to produce righteousness by our actions and our own flesh. This makes hope something distant and wanting for many of God's new creation children.
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for; being proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)." Because we are still trying to walk by faith, we stumble over the fact of our being righteous when we make mistakes and sin. Because of our unlearned way of being righteous, we try to depend on our performance to become righteous. This makes our hope unfulfilled and non-existent in our lives.
Remember, the "greatest of these three things is Love" and that Love is to abide in us. The word "abide" means to "remain and make a home here." The three things (faith, hope, love) are always present in this world, by God's grace, according to 1John 4:16-17 (Amplified) which says, "And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to, and put faith in and rely on) the Love God cherishes for us. God is Love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God and God dwells and continues in him. In this (union and communion with Him) Love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us; that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him), because as He is, so are we in this world."
The Word says that, "The greatest of these is Love." Without understanding what Love has done and Who Love is, we still lack hope of ever being in right standing with God and our faith is left wobbling. The Word says that, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." When we fail to understand Love, then hope for our own right standing (righteousness) in Him is unfulfilled in our way of thinking.
You are righteous in Him, despite your mistakes and childish nature that occasionally arises in all of us. It is only by faith in what Jesus has done to make you righteous, that your hope can be accomplished. When Love is made complete in you, your faith can bring your own heart's desire to fruition. You can know that you are in right standing with your Heavenly Father, in spire of your own imperfections.
We're made to feel conscience of all our own short comings and we are left feeling unrighteous. Righteousness is not a feeling. Only the flesh can feel like it's not righteous by its own deeds and pride. God's way of doing and being right is by faith in His Love that fulfills hope.
This is the way of the new creation, accepting what He has done when He gave us Life through Jesus. Faith is how you approach God and faith is how you remain in union and communion with Him. It's not by our own way of works and feelings, but by His Word.
As babies feeding on the "pure, unadulterated milk" of God's Word, it's important what we hear. Jesus warned in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you-and more (besides) will be given to you who hear." We've become accustomed to taking any milk placed into our bottles for feeding, but the words being spoke and preached aren't always the "pure milk" that makes us grow into maturity.
God's way of "doing and being right" or righteous, come by faith in Jesus, received by faith, based on His Love for us, the thing we have hoped for. Everything in the Kingdom is based on this same principal of His Word. I might not always feel righteous, but in Christ Jesus, I don't have to walk by what I feel, but by faith in Him. If God is only God when we feel Him, then most of the time, we would be without God in our lives at all.
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