"I Believe in Jesus"

In the Celebrate Recovery meetings that I attended for one year, every member would say

"Hi, my name is. . . , a believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with. . ."

The more that I learn about who Jesus is, and what He did for more, the more I realize that many of these people did not seem to believe in the Jesus Christ who was crucified for all our sins, and in the Great Exchange at the Cross we can receive His righteousness by grace through faith.

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6: 29)

That is the one "work", the one "entrance fee" for the believer to receive the Kingdom of God into his life. "Believe on Him whom He hath sent."

Jesus is God in the flesh, sent to be the propitiation, the mercy seat for all our sins, and the sins of the entire world. If we really believe that all of our sins have been forever put away, then there is no reason for us to keep confessing our sins, or to confess our sins in order to "get right with God."

Paul explains the basis for the Great Exchange to the Corinthians:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

The issue of righteousness requires more attention that it currently receives:

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

"For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe." (Hebrews 5: 12-13)

If we want to grow in the Lord, we need to get an advanced understanding of our righteousness, to keep receiving the gifts or righteousness and grace which God makes available to us through  His Son, who has given his Holy Spirit to all who believe.

Believe that through Him, all your sins are forgiven:

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." (Colossians 2: 13)

Now, the quickening life of Jesus cannot flow in our lives as long as we frustrate His grace, convinced that He has not put away our sins. As long as believers in the Body of Christ insist on taking their inventory, remembering the sins which God Himself has sworn He will remember no more (Hebrews 8: 12). Let us believe that He has paid for everything and walk in His grace and truth.

As for these "Twelve Steps', they merely war at the Finished Work of Christ Jesus, and bring believing men and women into bondage, thus giving them a form of godliness, yet denying His power in their lives (2 Timothy 3: 5)