Believers need a clear understanding of who we are, as new creations in Christ Jesus. Are we still just old sinners saved by Grace or are we righteous in God's eyes? We read about the Promise of Righteousness in Isaiah 53:11 (Amplified), which says, "He, Jesus, shall see the fruit of the travail of His Soul and be satisfied: by His knowledge of Himself, which He possesses and imparts to others shall My uncompromisingly Righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many Righteous, upright and in right standing with God, for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt with the consequences, says the Lord."
The Lord speaks to the Church, after Jesus Paid the cost of our sins, in Isaiah 54:14-15 (Amplified). God's not speaking here about a Promise of Righteousness, but as a Blood Bought Biblical fact. Thus, He says, "You shall establish yourself in righteousness, rightness in conformity with God's will and order, you shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Behold, they may gather together and stir up strife, BUT IT IS NOT FROM ME. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall fall and surrender to you."
There are many other scriptures about the Promises in the old covenant, but let's look at one from the new covenant. Romans 3:22-24 (Amplified) says, "Namely, the Righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). And it is meant for all who believe, for there is no distinction. Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His Grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the Redemption which is provided in Christ Jesus."
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write in Romans 4:22-23 (Amplified), saying, "That is why Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). But they were written for our sakes too, Righteousness, standing acceptable to God, will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." He goes on in Romans 5:17 (Amplified) saying, "For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense), death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive God's overflowing Grace (unmerited favor) and the Free Gift of Righteousness, putting them in right standing with Himself, reign as kings in life through the One Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
Romans 10:2-3 (Amplified) says, "I bear them witness that they have a certain zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to correct and vital knowledge. For being ignorant of the Righteousness that God ascribes, which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought and deed, and seeking to establish a righteousness, a means of salvation of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's Righteousness."
1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) tells us, "But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, Revealed to us a knowledge of the Divine Plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as our Righteousness, thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God, and our Consecration, making us pure and holy, and Redemption, providing our Ransom from Eternal punishment for sin."
God's Righteousness is by His Grace and is a free Gift for those who will believe in Jesus Christ. Galatians 5:4 (Amplified) says, "If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated, severed from Christ, You have fallen away from Grace (from God's Gracious favor and unmerited Blesssing)."
The Church has mostly listened to our feelings, more than we listen to what God's Word says about us. Our feelings might tell us that we're unworthy and unrighteous, because we remember what we did and who we were before being born-again. The Father has made us Righteous, with His Own Righteousness. God's Word is more Truth, than our emotions and feelings are. God has Promised that, "Your sin and iniquity I will remember no more." This is Truth. Feelings are not Truth.
If we understanding the Truth of God's Word about righteousness, then it will change our entire concept of and faith in prayer and we will pray with confidence before God. John writes about righteousness in 1John 5:14-15 (Amplified), saying, "And this is the confidence (assurance, the privilege of boldness), which we have in Him, we are sure, that if we ask anything, make any request according to His will, in agreement with His Own Plan, He listens to and hears us. And if since we positively know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know with settled and absolute knowledge, that we have granted us as our present possessions the requests made of Him."
When we deny our righteousness that Jesus died and paid for, we're trying to receive from the Father by either human hope and this is "not according to His Plan or will." We must have faith in our being made His Righteousness, instead of relying on how we feel at any given time. You have been made righteous, in the new creation. You were created in Righteousness. If by faith, you have made Jesus Christ your Lord, then you've also made Him your Righteousness and have the right to come boldly before the Father. You've been made clean, holy, pure and new, by the Lamb Who was slain for you.
The Father speaks about the Church, which was to come, in Isaiah 54:17 (Amplified). God speaks about those who would believe and receive the Truth and who would become family, because of Jesus' Sacrifice, Resurrection and His Ascension. Thus, He says, "But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This peace, Righteousness, security, triumph over opposition is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, those in whom the Ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced; this is the Righteousness or vindication which they obtain from Me, this is that which I impart to them as their justification says the Lord."
As believers in Christ Jesus, we've become those in whom the "Ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced." The Truth of God's Word says that we've been made sons and daughters of God, by the new creation event. Standing in opposition of this Truth, is believing the lie of satan, instead of God's Word. Satan used this same lie to bring down Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan caused them to question their identity. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:17,22 (Amplified) saying, "Sanctify them, purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy by the Truth. Your Word is Truth." Jesus continued in Verse 22, saying, "I have given to them the Glory and Honor which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are One."
Jesus tells us that God's Word is Truth and Jesus is the Word. If we deny the Word as being Truth, then we're denying the things Jesus says about us. God's Word says that we've been "made righteous, in His Righteousness and His Truth," and we need to believe this. Righteousness is a Gift and He is our Righteousness. We've not exalting ourselves when we say we're righteous, but we're honoring Jesus' Sacrifice and standing in His Glory and Honor that He's given us. Our human pride will stand against the Truth and disguise itself as humility. This false humility stands against the Truth of God's Word.
It might seem strange to say that what we believed was humility, was actually pride. This is the carnal mind's standing in opposition to the Spirit. Remember Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation, no adjudging guilty of wrong for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."
We know that we're not righteous in ourselves. Let's believe what Jesus has done and believe the Truth of what God's Word says about us, instead of what our flesh says. Let's stand in obedience and faith, joyfully accepting God's free Gift of Righteousness.
No comments:
Post a Comment