Who Is Really Righteous??

  Am I righteous because I go to church every Sunday? try to do right all the time?sing in the choir? head the Ushering department? or because I invite people to church? I mean who is really righteous?

Many times the answer to these questions would be yes because we have this idea that we are righteous because of what we do. I never really asked myself what it really meant to be righteous. I came to the understanding that Jesus had saved me and His sacrifice took my sins away forever. Therefore when I am born again  I am a new creature even though I fall sometimes,I repent. It is all part of the sanctification process. My mind is just being renewed daily and I become more and more like Him as I draw near to Him. However, being the righteousness of God was something I never really considered even though It was one of those quotes from the scriptures I heard people say and probably echoed along with the crowd,I never really understood it.  I was reading my devotional the other day and I was led to read Romans 5 and then I came across this amazing sermon on being the righteousness of God and I was so thankful because God addressed these deep rooted questions. It's been so amazing for me. My hope is that it encourages you today too and that after today you will receive that certainty of who you are and never doubt it again.

What is Righteousness?

Righteousness Is A Free Gift

Righteousness is described as a free gift. Although many of us consider righteousness as something we earn by merit.
Romans 5:15-17

" But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded to many".

For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

In this chapter the offense referred to here is the disobedience of Adam which resulted in the reign of sin on the earth and the gift referred to is the gift of righteousness which Jesus offers to us.

Even though some of us reading this have accepted Jesus we still consider that we have to work for righteousness. It is described as a free gift. Which means we do not work for it and it is not given upon merit. It is available to us because of what Jesus did. It may still be hard to grasp but consider this, we are fine with accepting that when a man comes into the world he comes as a sinner automatically due to Adam's offense (Rom 5:16-17) . Even though the only thing he had to do to receive that title was to be born. 
I heard a preacher give this example he said when we come into the world we are automatically sinners irrespective of the how good or charitable we are,we will still have that title and we would not be considered as righteous. The question then is how do we receive this righteousness or how can we be made righteous?

Believe That Jesus Makes Us Righteous And Receive

The bible in Rom 5:19  says  "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners  and by ones man act the many will be made righteous.... Using the example above  you might do right, feed the poor, live a honest life, do all that is considered to be right in the society yet you are still a sinner because you were born into sin. There was nothing you did to merit this and the truth is no matter your good deeds you would still not be considered as the righteousness of God because of what Adam had done that "made all "sinners . Thus it is only when we receive Jesus in our hearts by believing that He died for you and I (the act)and gave us the free gift of righteousness, will we be righteous.

" For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous" -Rom 5:19.The same way we did nothing to be sinners is the same way there is nothing we do or we could ever do to receive his righteousness but believe. Therefore When you are born again you have a new title a new identity and it is in Jesus .

Just like Paul You have been crucified with Christ yet it is not you who lives but you live in the flesh by faith in the son of God, who loved you and gave himself up for you.-Gal 2;20
Therefore you are righteous because  you believe that he has given you new life .The title that comes with that new life or being born again is being the righteousness of God not because of what you do or did but because of all He did. You are as a baby newly born in Christ and the title you bear now is the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus
.

You might still look at yourself and say I am far from being righteous but I want to encourage us today that Jesus was never searching for perfect people all he wants is a heart that accepts his love. I am still not perfect yet he is working his will through me to share his message. Come to him, rest in the potter's hands and let him mold the clay into what he has called us to be. Stop focusing on you focus on him. You are righteous because he made you Righteous.

Thus let us serve in God's house because we love God. Do it not because you are trying to prove a point to any man(and whatever you do,do it heartily, as to the lord and not to men -col 3:23 ) let your focus be on loving your God who showers you with His unconditional love everyday and has given you a title that you might not deserve but you have anyway because you believe and you receive his amazing love in the person of Jesus.



WHY IS IT IMPORTANT WE KNOW 

We will be ill equipped for the battle If we do not know.In the book of Ephesians the bible talks about all the instruments we need to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. Righteousness is listed as one of the  instruments.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.- Eph 6: 14-16

 The breastplate protects the frontal part of our body and this part includes our heart and the enemy knows that if our heart condemns us we will not have peace with God . Our faith which is the shield before the breastplate will be impaired for we will not be acting in faith when we believe in our own righteousness instead of his.Our boldness will be weakened  we will not be able to come into his presence boldly or  ask him for anything.Our breastplate of righteousness would also be affected  because of our unbelief in  Jesus our righteousness that speaks for us.

Beloved ,if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. This is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment - 1 John 3:21 -23

Thus we leave ourselves open to the fiery darts of the enemy when we doubt Christ's righteousness given to us. I want you to know today that We Have Been Bought With The Price. He Gave Us His Righteousness the moment we accepted him into our hearts .

YOU DO NOT  NEED TO CRINGE ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU JUST CANNOT BE RIGHTEOUS. YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS DID AND NO DEVIL, NO ACCUSATION, NO MAN CAN DISPUTE THAT. 

Focus On Jesus. The more you focus on him the more you become more and more like him - 2cor 3:18

Declaration

 I am justified because he has justified me. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and I am loved by God.

Is This Then A License To Sin?

I am of the opinion that there is no way you encounter Jesus, his love and you would remain the same. I love to share one of my favorite stories in the bible about Zaccheus the tax collector who had done so much wrong. Yet Jesus stopped in the midst of the crowd to give his attention to this sinner and he(Jesus) publicly declared that he would fellowship with him in his house.  Zaccheus was so overwhelmed that without Jesus telling him to change his ways, he personally said " Look lord , I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore four fold". luke 19:1-10
I believe that when you encounter His love your heart responds in love to want to please Him and the great thing is that His spirit in us will teach us both to will and do of His good pleasure. I am not saying you wouldn't make mistakes sometimes. My point is once you encounter Jesus and you continually grow in His ways His love would compel you to desire to do good. The amazing thing is that even when you blatantly ignore Him sometimes(not worth it) and learn the hard way (realize there is no you without him)it is His love that always pulls you back in.

The second point is that God cannot be mocked He relates to us based on our hearts. He knows us and he can never be fooled. I  think sometimes we try to do God's work for him. I really do not think it is worth our time bothering about others' righteousness or holiness.  I remember going to church on a Sunday morning some years ago and as I gazed on the road  I saw a night worker(thinking of it now maybe she was not) coming out of a hotel. I felt good with myself for a second because I was spending my Sunday morning going to church and well she was not. There and then I got reminded of the warning Jesus gave to his disciples "To remove the log in their own eyes before they remove the speck in another's eyes" and also judge not that you might not be judged. I remembered that I had been saved by grace and all that I am is by His grace. I should rather focus on me and live the judging to the ultimate judge God.  Therefore focus on you and your relationship with God and pray for others because Jesus died for us all.


Have A Blessed Weekend People

With Lots Of Love

Kike Akinola for TeamFV

Kindly share and if you fancy some inspiring music click here for our song of the week http://thefvfactor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/wednesday-song-day_29.html

Photo Credit : Thefvfactor and christianitymalaysia.com

                                                       HAPPY NEW MONTH!!!

Starve Doubt ;Take The Limits Off God

   
I was in between applications when I clearly heard these words take the limits off God.  Suddenly I was reminded about the lyrics to a song my brother and I sang as little kids "God said it, I believe it, that settles it.  He says I am free , I am free , He says I am healed, I am healed that settles it."
 I remember singing that song wholeheartedly most likely because  my brother had taught me and  I thoroughly enjoyed bonding with him over the song. I do not remember fully grasping the meaning of what we sang but what I do remember was how much trust I had in the promises of my loved ones. I never for once wondered how they will fulfill those promises, all I needed was their word. I remember vividly after a tooth extraction, my grandma promised to handle it.  I remember the peace that flooded my heart after I heard those words; I never doubted for once that she could not handle it.
What has changed? Why  do we struggle sometimes to accept God's word? The most obvious reason is the fact that we grew up. It just so happens that we start to think logically and analyse everything. This can be useful when it comes to certain situations but I have found that trying to process how God will do things when it comes to faith is the biggest impediment to believing . The bible says His ways and thoughts are  higher than ours - Isaiah 55:8-9. It also says in Ecclesiastes 11:5 that as you do not know what is the way of the wind ,or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child , so you do not know the works of God who makes everything" Therefore spending our time trying to figure it all out is not worth it.The question then is what can I do to believe God above everything else?

Focus on God Not You Not The Circumstance
 The answer I found is simply to take his word as it is . The lyrics of the song says "God said it  I believe it and that settles it. The bible says He honors His word more than His name.  In Romans 4:18-20  Abraham chose not to consider the circumstances around him after God promised to give him a son in his old age. He judged God faithful and chose to believe Him above all else  .

 " and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform "
  "not being weak in faith, he did not consider his body already dead (since he was about a hundred years old ), and the deadness of sarah's womb.He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief , but was strengthened in faith giving, glory to God, and being fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to perform ". 

Thus,  It is not about  our background or history, not about what he says or she says or they say. It is about What God says .


Have Childlike Faith.
 Jesus said we should receive the kingdom of God as little children. Children are open minded as I described earlier ,children take your word as it is . You might say but I cannot help but question how sometimes the reason is because you are still looking at it from your point of view. Choose to focus on God and His word.  Two scenarios came to mind as I wrote this .

The story of the fig tree in Mark 11:14; 20-21
Jesus said to the tree"let no one eat fruit from you ever again " and his disciples heard it . However the next morning when they passed by the tree Peter seeing it said " Rabbi , Look! The Fig tree which you cursed has withered away ." and Jesus answered and said to them " Have Faith in God". We can conclude from his reaction that he was surprised because he did not necessarily believe anything would happen to the tree when Jesus spoke the word.  Jesus admonished him to have faith in God, believe God above everything and everyone else.

I consider how when we receive Jesus as our Lord and savior there are no angels washing our sin away physically but we say the prayer because we believe His word and He comes into our hearts and floods us with  His love , His grace and His righteousness . It is so beautiful, that it cannot be analysed logically, but if I am asked by someone how I know my sins are washed away  I can strongly say I know  because I have encountered Jesus (Rom 10:10) . I may not have seen Him physically but He lives in me, I know it because I believe.To someone who  has not received Jesus it may not make sense but we just know. We have this hope and unquenchable fire in our hearts we  just know how real He is .

The truth is as real as He is in our hearts so also are His words and promises; every single one of them. When He says He will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. When he says kings and queens will come to your rising when he says nothing is too hard for Him. He means it .It may not make sense looking at the circumstance or yourself but if we choose to focus on the word and the one who said them there is no telling the heights He can take us.

The bible in Luke 5 :1 tells of how Simon Peter and some other fishermen had tried fishing all night yet Jesus said to peter cast your net in the water and peter responded we have  "toiled all night but at thy word  we will cast our nets". It was not the logical thing to do since they had toiled all night and caught no fish  but because they chose to focus on His word and not limit God ,by considering how he could do it. There was faith in his heart, he believed in His word and the bible says he received so much his net began to break that he had to signal his partners for help and their boats were so full they began to sink.

Our God is so so able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or think.Glory Glory to God . We serve a Big God. We serve an amazing God . No one , nothing is greater than him  if he says it He can and will do it . I choose to accept His word like a little child and sing that beautiful song with so much understanding because " IF God says It , I believe it and that settles it"



Prayer
Father forgive me for belittling you in anyway. Be magnified in my heart , you have the final say, you are bigger than my mind could ever fathom and I trust you.


Have an amazing week people


Don't Forget If God says it,we just need to believe it and that settles it.


Lots of love


Kike Akinola for TeamFV


#focusonGodnotyou #TeamFv