It's been difficult for God's people to understand that we are righteous before God, because of Jesus' Righteousness. Paul quoted Psalm 14:3 in Romans 3:10 (Amplified) saying, "As it is written, None is Righteous (just, and truthful and upright and conscientious), no not one." Many of us can easily recall this scripture. Romans 1:17 (Amplified) says, "For in the Gospel, a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith, disclosed through the way of faith, that arouses to more faith. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) tells us, "Now faith, is the assurance, the confirmation, the Title deed, of the things we hope for, being the 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." Paul says that it's not works, not Law, not rituals, not religion, not anything that has to do with us becoming righteous, but it's by faith.
Everything in God's Word requires faith to believe. We weren't there when Jesus was crucified, raised from the dead, healed people and raised them from the dead. We haven't seen Him with our natural eyes or natural man. We desire to be Righteous in God's eyes, so that we can know we're right in His eyes. If we could be sure that we're in right standing with Him, then we could have confidence in our prayers and in what He desires of us. When we convince ourselves that we're "still old sinner and unrighteous," we're left without boldness and confidence in our prayers or anything else God has Promised us in His Word.
Many oppose the so-called "Faith Message," in today's Church, but everything God has Promised is by faith. Romans 3:22-24 (Amplified) says, "Namely, the Righteousness of God, which comes by believing with personal trust and confidence, 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 fallen short of the honor and Glory which God bestows and receives; All are justified and made upright and righteous (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."
This Righteousness comes by faith and contradicts everything our sense tell us. We certainly know that we don't deserve it, we don't see it, see don't feel it, and our senses fight against it, but we must receive it as Truth in God's Word. We receive this Truth, just like we accept forgiveness and salvation. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that, "If we would believe God's Word and by faith accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we will be saved." All of God's Promises come by faith. Thus, Paul tells us, "Because if you acknowledge and confess (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the Truth that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Christ, and so is justified, declared Righteous, acceptable to God, and with the mouth he confesses, declares openly and speaks out freely his faith and confirms his salvation."
2Corinthians 1:20 (Amplified) says, "For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their Yes Answer in Him, Christ. For this reason we also utter the Amen (So be it), to God through Him (Jesus) in His Person and by His Agency to the Glory of God." All of this is by faith. Not believing that God has declared you to be "the Righteousness of God through Christ Jesus," is like your not believing you're saved by the same faith that you accepted Jesus as your Lord with. The Word says that, "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 into right standing with Himself, reign as kings in life through the One Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
Your righteousness is a free Gift given by God's Grace, when you accepted Jesus and His Righteousness. Many are being taught in church today that, "You're still only sinners and unworthy." This holds God's children back from Him, even after He has died and bore our own sin in Himself, so that we could come back into His Presence. Teachings that tell us, "You're still only sinners," comes from men/women who have no Spiritual insight into God's Word or God's will for His family. It robs us of any confidence and expectations that God will help us in this life. So, we device our own means of deliverance and help.
In Jesus, God has finished everything we will ever need. We must place our faith in the Finished Work of Christ, because it all comes by faith. No one can save him/herself and we can't make ourselves righteous by works or by Law. We must receive everything Jesus has done and provided, by faith. We didn't see the Resurrection of Jesus, but by faith, we believe He did raise from the dead. How is it that we can believe Jesus rose from the dead, but can't believe He has made us righteous in Himself?
When we believe that we are righteous with His Righteousness, we can have faith to come into God's Presence and receive any of His Promises. Righteousness simply means that, in Jesus, we have been able to come into God's Presence by faith.
Satan tries deceiving God's people, using our own natural understanding of who we were before receiving Jesus. He tries making us doubt our new identity in Christ Jesus. If he can deceive us and cause us to see ourselves through our own eyes, instead of seeing ourselves through the Truth of God's Word, then he will defeat us in praying, fellow-shipping with the Father and seeing ourselves the way God has made us to be. Jesus has restored us back to where we have a right to come directly into God's Presence again, just like Jesus does, because we are now righteous, with His Righteousness.
When we understand this, then it will change our entire understanding of 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) which says, "Therefore, if any person is ingrafted in Christ (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and Spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come." You're not the old sinner who came to the cross, but are a new creation, who is born in the Likeness and Image of God. You have now become God's son or daughter.
1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) says, "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 our Redemption, providing our Ransom from eternal penalty for sin."
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