We are clothed in His glory, covered in His righteousness!
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| We are His workmanship |
2 Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
When you hear the word “Righteous” what comes to mind? Is it some pious, uppity church go-er with a holier-than-thou attitude? Perhaps it is a slang term that you have heard someone use to describe something great or outstanding? There are many different ideas that come to mind, but one stands out among them all.
I believe that God views righteousness much differently than we do. Let me fill you in on a secret- there is no one righteous. No.Not.One! You can find this truth reading a passage in Romans 3:9-31. Here, Paul is discussing the fact that Jews are no better than Gentiles. Believers are no better than unbelievers. We are all gross, ugly, terrible, hateful beings; apart from this one thing. That is the righteousness that is provided to us from the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. In Romans 3:22-23 we learn about “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For their is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.”
When observing the difference between someone living out an authentic life in Christ, and someone who is just faking it, the first marker would be to look at their attitude and lifestyle of righteousness. How does one begin on this journey to establish reception of and living out righteousness?
1. The first step is the most important- and CANNOT BE SKIPPED. Do not think that you will obtain righteousness through any other means- we can only receive it through the shed blood of Jesus. We must come to an understanding of who we truly are, apart from God. Face to face with that ugly “inner man” of the flesh that rules our existence. This person is separated from the God who created us in His image, who loves us more than His own life. We must acknowledge that sinfulness, and our need of the “propitiation by His blood” spoken of in Romans 3:23. Salvation comes by grace, through faith, alone as seen in Ephesians 2: 8-9. Once we come to that understanding, and we pray to receive Christ, He indwells us. His heart beats with our heart. His breath fills our lungs, and His Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives. Now is where the real work begins.
2. Our salvation experience is a beautiful, momentous, and irreplaceable step. It is then followed by a lifetime of SANCTIFICATION, or the “perfecting” of our faith. A large part of this process comes in the form of repentance.
- First, let’s look at a definition of “repentance”- Webster’s states the real essence of the word- to feel or show that you are sorry (emotion) for something bad or wrong that you did, and that you want to do what is right (action).
- Notice that this definition does not just stop at “feeling sorry”. That is a given. It is really a marker of the salvation experience. If you have truly received the Lord Jesus into your heart, you CANNOT sin without feeling grief or remorse, because the Holy Spirit indwells with you, and He is grieved when we sin. It does not mean that you will not sin, because believe me…you will! Time and again. But you will feel the weight of that sin in a way that you never did prior to surrendering your life to Christ.
- True repentance is taking that next step- wanting to do what is right. Being prepared to take the necessary steps to weed out whatever it is in your life that is causing you to stumble. Turning from those things that are in your life that are not pleasing to God. It is viewing sin as the enemy- to our lives, to our relationships, and to our freedom in Christ.
- Grace is a gift- freely given, never earned. Repentance is an act of our will. It is a choice- a way for us to show our love to the Father- and a step of obedience.
- Remember this- the FULL gospel of Christ is Grace and Repentance. Jesus did not come saying only Grace and Peace to you, because I have come. Rather He stated on many occasions, just as John the Baptist had in the wilderness, “Repent…for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. We must live in an attitude of repentance in order to be growing and effective for Christ and the Kingdom.
- You may need to spend focused time in prayer to obtain release from strongholds that are in your life. You may want to seek out additional prayer support from your pastor or a trusted friend who is more mature in their faith. There may be long standing habitual sin that you are still dealing with. If this is the case, I urge you to fervently seek the Lord in prayer for His Holy Spirit to work on your behalf. God will see your heart, and honor you!
Salvation. Grace. Repentance. These lead us to a deeper and more meaningful walk with the Lord. Repentance is what sets us free from the bondage of sin. It is the declaration that sin WILL NOT have it’s way in your life. Your life belongs to Christ. You are a new creation. Walk in that in every way- every day.
I do want to address something that I feel is relevant at this time in looking at righteousness- especially since we humans feel the propensity to define ourselves by our own merits. Do you believe that someone can have truly experience salvation and still be walking as a “fake”? I do. Let me explain why-
In John 10:27-29, Jesus states “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Once a person has truly made a profession of faith in Jesus, and asked Him to come into their hearts and save them, He comes. He stays. Forever. No questions asked, no take-backs. He will not lose one- and will keep those whom the Father has given to Him.
However, Revelation 3:15-18 states “I know your works; you are neither hot nor cold. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot not cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see”. John was sharing what Jesus revealed to Him was happening within the church of Laodicia. I think that many in this church were likely true “fakes”, having knowledge of Christ, but no relationship. But I do believe that this scripture applies to the lives of Christians as well. Christians who have allowed their love for Jesus to grow cold through trials, heartbreak, pain, or simply just too many days spent seeking out their own wealth and pleasure, and losing sight of Him. In regards to those who truly gave their hearts to Him…does this mean that they have “lost” their salvation? I firmly shout NO! But they are warned…the state of their life is VERY displeasing to God- and He would sooner spit them from His mouth than have any fellowship with them. He would rather them be cold- in essence never having come into a relationship with Him- than to be lukewarm. Christians in this position need to REPENT of their lukewarm approach to Him, and run to the cross to restate their need for and desire of Jesus. He will fill them once again with the warmth of His affection and lead them into deeper days with Him.
Righteousness– in its purest form- sorrow over sin and a desire to do better- is a true “marker” of an authentic Christian. It is what sets your life on fire. It is what frees you to truly HEAR the voice of your maker- discover His will and purpose for your life- and then run headlong to do it! Experience the freedom from the static that sin causes- and embrace repentance and righteousness! Jesus is calling you today- invite Him in- Receive the gift of salvation that He freely offers and paid dearly for- and be set free from the shackles of sin and death.
Marker #2- Reliability- is coming soon– please come back to learn more about living out an Authentic Christian life!!!
Blessings ~~
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