I have been reading, writing, meditating on the Gift of Righteousness and the Abundance of Grace (Romans 5:17)
Above all, I must not neglect the truth that Christ is my righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), and that in Christ I have been made the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
This gift of righteousness is not dependent on how I feel, what I think, what is going through my mind.
It is a static, essential reality of who I am. It is my new identity. I am the righteousness of God in Christ!
This revelation is so simple, so commonplace, and yet for the longest time I was wrestling with bad thoughts, hard feelings, upsetting situations from my life. Harsh but true, I had been treating righteousness as something that had to be felt, to be held onto in my mind.
I did not realize that it is all about resting in His Finished Work now, since He has indeed finished the work:
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12)
This faith is all about our righteousness before God in Christ, because of the work which Christ Jesus acconplished at the Cross.
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:11)
We rest from our works, in that we are not trying to do something to earn or maintain our righteousness before God. Christ is our righteosness, not we ourselves.
Yet, for so many years, since 2008, when I started learning that I am the righteousness of God in Christ (thank you, Joyce Meyer!), I was trapped in my mind, with my feelings. I was constantly convinced that I had to make sure that I was not feeling bad or fearful. Also, I was confused, and I struggled to understand how I was still righteous even when I sinned. That created so much confusion and ultimately bondage in my life.
Righteousness is my true and unchanging location. I cannot be removed from this status of righteousness. My feelings do not make God go away, and my righteousness cannot suddenly be removed just because of how I feel or what I think.
All the bad memories, bad thoughts, fiery darts have no effect on me now. This is just incredible!
This verse makes all the more sense to me know than before:
"4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
What is the obedience of Christ?
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)
Where did I find that I was facing so many struggles? Righteousness is not based on my actions at all, or on my feelings, for that matter. All of that is irrelevant. I am righteous because of what Christ Jesus has done at the Cross, and what He is still doing at the right hand of our Father in heaven.
I may fail, fall, stumble, or sin during my walk on this earth, but ...
"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:" (Proverbs 24:16)
The other thing that I did not understand was "How do I live this life?"
But I am not living this life!
"20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2:20-21)
God is alive. He is my life. He is not some figment of my imagination. He does not come or go just because I feel bad or get angry. He does not leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).
This gift of righteousness is something that my loving Father invites me to receive--and to keep receiving--because of His Beloved Son JESUS!
There is not one thing in this world that can separate me from Him, and there is nothing that can negate or undermine my righteous standing in Christ Jesus! AMEN!
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