Seeking Jesus First - Sept. 12, 2023
Does God’s loving word of righteousness dwell in you?
When it does, your Christian walk gets much easier and better.
When we abide in Christ Jesus and His loving words abide in us, we qualify for all that God has for us.
Let Holy Spirit convince you that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:7–15, NKJV)
Holy Spirit convinces believers that they have Christ’s righteousness as a gift.
“For if by the 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.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” (Romans 5:17–18, NKJV)
When we receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we begin to reign as kings in life through the ONE, Christ Jesus. When we abide in Christ Jesus and His words abide in us, we qualify for all that God has for us. We can ask for anything, just as a king could. We can approach God as Our Father, just as Jesus does. We can come boldly before the throne of grace and obtain mercy and grace for every need. The conditions are met by Christ Jesus.
We receive righteousness as a gift and not by works lest we should boast in our own righteousness. If I could obtain righteousness by doing something other than believing in Christ Jesus, it is not a gift.
A gift is a gift and a right is a right.
American children are born with Constitutional rights. Americans can exercise their rights by the mere fact of natural birth. It is a privilege, not a gift.
A gift is something you receive from a giver. Someone goes and purchases a gift for you and gives it to you. Once it is yours, you have the privilege of doing what you want to do with it. If someone drives a new car up to your house and puts your name on the title, all you have to do is go to the DMV and register the car in your name and purchase insurance and have a driver’s license and start driving it. The giver does not make you do these things. The giver does not even tell you when and where to drive the car. The car is yours and you use it as you choose.
Righteousness is a gift that is received by faith in Christ Jesus. Holy Spirit is always convincing us that it is ours and we can use it. When we receive this gift, we receive the privilege of being in relationship with The Heavenly Father. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” (John 1:12, NKJV)
We have the right to be righteous in all our ways. This righteousness produces results and rewards in our life. We become a peculiar people, aka God’s chosen people, His family of kings and priests. Through all of the promises (aka privileges), we have access to live with His divine nature. God’s promises give us rights and authority.
Just as not every American exercises their Constitutional Rights, not all Christians exercise their righteousness rights.
You have the right through grace and righteousness to reign as a king in life through the one, Christ Jesus. What He deserves after His resurrection, He shares with you. Christ Jesus shares His inheritance with us just as He shared His righteousness with us. Righteousness has its privileges. Righteousness has its rewards.
Believe it. Meditate on and memorize these Scriptures. Confess them as truths. Act on them every day.
Abide in Christ and let His loving words of righteousness abide in you. Let Holy Spirit convince you that you are righteous from the inside out. Let Holy Spirit teach you how to speak and act as a righteous person. Exercise you right to be in relationship with Our Father. Live by His words and be led by His Spirit.