Believers have lost sight of who we are in God through Jesus, over the years. We've been from the world and not from God's Word, with such teachings as, we are "nothing" and are "worthless" and of "no value to God." We're afraid of being seen as prideful in religious circles, so we've established a false humility in our relationship with God. If someone in the world shouted to you, "You're worthless and unrighteous," then would you become offended or even angry with that person?
We were unrighteous, before we were born-again as God's children. We were of little value without God, according to Ephesians 2:12,13 (Amplified), where Paul writes, "Remember, that you were at that time separated, living apart from Christ, excluded from all part in Him, utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the Messianic Promise, with no knowledge of or right in God's agreements (His covenants). And you had no hope, no promise; you were in the world without God."
Paul goes on in Verse 13, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away though, by and in, by the Blood of Christ have been brought near." God never saw us as being "worthless" or "useless," even before we were born-again. God considered us to be important enough that, "He sent His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever would believe on Him, should never perish, but would have Eternal Life," according to John 3:16.
God never thought of you, the way the world and the enemy would try portraying you. We were separated from God, by Adam's transgression in the Garden and we were no longer in right standing or righteous with God. But, we were still precious enough to God, that He sent Jesus to restore us into His Own Righteousness and make us in right standing with Him again. As fallen men and women, our own righteousness was "as filthy rags" to Him, but God didn't leave us in our own righteousness.
When mankind was in a place where God could use us or consider us as righteous, God sent His Only Son to make us Righteous in His Righteousness and make us able to be used for His Kingdom. Some might wonder why this change of heart is so important to the believe. Let's read what the Holy Spirit inspired James to write in James 5:16 (Amplified), "Confess to one another therefore your faults, slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins, and pray also for one another, that you may be healed and restored to a Spiritual tone of mind and heart. The earnest heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working." James continues telling how Elijah prayed and stopped the rain for 31/2 years and then he prayed for it to return. James tells us that Elijah was a man with the same faults and weaknesses of his flesh, that we still experience.
God requires righteousness, in order to stand in His Presence and to be accepted by Him. Our righteousness could never qualify us to do these things, so God gave us His Own Righteousness, when we received Jesus. We don't approach God in our own righteousness, but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself. This is a Truth in God, that must be accepted by faith in God's Word and in the Finished Work of Christ. If we don't understand this Truth, then we will have little confidence that our prayers will be heard or answered. James tells us that our prayers should be "dynamic in their working."
Many believers are still more conscious of who we once were, instead of who God has made us to be in Jesus. We're more conscious of our own weaknesses, instead of the Power of His Might. We are righteous before Him in Jesus, but if we don't acknowledge this by faith and walk by the feelings of our flesh, then we won't have confidence in our prayer lives. It's not a matter of "Are you righteous," but do you have faith in Him, to accept this righteousness? If you're born-again, then you've been the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, according to 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified), which says, "For our sake He made Christ virtually to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him, we might become endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of the righteousness of God, what we ought to be approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him by His Goodness."
Whether you "feel" righteous or not, has no bearing on what Jesus has done for you. Jesus made you righteous, whether or not you "feel" righteous. We don't feel like we're righteous, because we still remember who we used to be, instead of accepting who God has made us to be in Jesus. We don't have any confidence in God's hearing or answering our prayers, so we derive lame excuses why our prayers weren't answered. We should have faith, that Jesus made us righteous, acceptable and qualified to have our prayers answered.
John tells us that our hearts will accuse us of our past lives, but we can be calmed by our faith in God's Love for us, in 1John 3:18-23 (Amplified). Verse 23 specifically speaks about our having confidence in God saying, "And this is His order, His command, His injunction: that we should believe in, put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another just as He commanded."
John writes about our hearts condemning and accusing us of our past, which leaves us without confidence that God hears us. Then, in Verse 23, He commands us to stop listening to our condemning hearts and "Believe in, trust in, have faith in, rely on, and adhere to, the Name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." We are directed to have more faith in God's Son Jesus, instead of our own "tormenting, self-accusation, and guilty condemning fleshly feelings." We are to trust in the Name of Jesus for our righteousness.
God says that "Your sins and iniquities I remember no more." We must have faith in His Word and Trust in His Righteousness, rather than relying on our own feelings and so we will have the dynamic working of prayer in our lives. James 5:6 (Amplified) says, "A condemning heart will never allow faith to work in prayer and accept His Righteousness." WE MUST PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM, instead of our feelings. Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) 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. For the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being), has freed me from the Law of Sin and of Death."
Which is dictating to you about your righteousness? The dictates of the flesh or the dictates of the Spirit? The one you listen to, is the one that will lead you. 1John 3:23 commanded us to, "Believe in the name of God's Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." We're not only to love one another, but we're to believe on Jesus' Name. When we believe on His Name and in His Righteousness, while listening to the dictates of the Spirit, we can stop a condemning heart and the dictates of the flesh.
Our feelings aren't greater than God's Grace and Truth. We must understand that our carnal mind is still an enemy of Spiritual things, so we must renew our minds by God's Word and faith in Jesus' Name. Romans 8:7 (Amplified) says, "The mind of the flesh with its carnal thoughts and purposes, in hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot."
No comments:
Post a Comment