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Posts tagged ‘sin’

Righteousness and the power of sin

When we say we know someone, what we are implying is that we not only know who they are but their mannerisms, their nature. We have gained an understanding of who we believe them to be based on time spent with them, listening to what they say and what they do. The vast majority of people in the world will form their opinions of who someone is and what they are like based on that person’s words and actions, and we, the Christians, unfortunately are no different. We do this even though we have been admonished not to form any opinion of a person based on their natural actions.

Righteousness

2Corinthians 5:15-17

15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

This is done mostly because we still believe that what we hear and what we see is reality, while relegating everything that pertains to what Jesus did on the cross to just some spiritual theology that has very little to do with our natural existence; just something we will receive the benefits of after we die. I’m not just talking about salvation as most would define salvation, but am talking about every aspect of your life. We cannot define ourselves or others based on natural actions. Let me explain it this way.

2 Corinthians 5:21 states:

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.

According to the above scripture, as one who has accepted Jesus as savior and made Him lord of your life, you are now the righteousness of God. You have been given God’s righteousness, just as if you had never sinned. Now that is truth, that’s reality! But you may say, “but I keep messing up, I don’t really act very righteous.” Now that may be true but remember we don’t know ourselves after the flesh. You didn’t do anything to earn your righteousness and you can’t do anything to make yourself any less righteous! Your problem is that you don’t see yourself as the righteousness of God and so don’t act like the righteousness of God. There is a spiritual principle that says you will go in the direction you gaze. So, if you see yourself as an unrighteous person trying to obtain righteousness then you will constantly struggle with sin, constantly failing because you can never become righteous by your own actions. However, if you see yourself as the righteousness of God then your actions will begin to follow as you start receiving the reality of your righteousness by faith. That is why we are told to walk by faith and not by sight. (2Corinthians 5:7)

“So, if I’m already righteous no matter what I do, why do I need to change my behavior?” A question that I would hope nobody would ask, but unfortunately some have. First of all, once born again, your nature will be to desire to act and be like Jesus. Your desire will be to be here on this earth as He is! Grace was poured out to you, not so that you can be righteous and continue in your sins, but grace was poured out to set you free from sin, (Romans 8:2) and this must be walked out by faith. Jesus came to set you free from all bondage, and when you willingly sin you make yourself a slave to that sin. You willfully place yourself in bondage to that sin. You must see yourself beyond what it looks like in the natural and see the truth of who God has made you. It is in the revelation of who you really are that you find the power and grace to walk in the reality of who God has already created you to be. When you gain the revelation that sin has no power over you, then you are free!

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Am I Holy Because I live a Holy Life?

I’ve had people ask me why I have such strong feelings and a no compromise attitude when it comes to the doctrine of holiness. But if you understand where I’ve been then you’ll understand why.

In 1998 when I heard the audible voice of God calling me to serve Him, it radically transformed my life in an instant. His love took such hold of me that I would pray and spend at least 8-10 hours a day in His presence, many times not even eating just because His love had captured me. Then as the months passed by, I met other “charismatics” that started telling me about “paying the price” to see the power of God move in my life. Saying that through the ridding myselff of everything not of God and living a life of holiness, God’s power could then flow in my life. I then continued to pray for 8-10 hours a day, fasting at least 3-4 days every week and many times 10-14 days once to twice monthly to get more of God’s power in my life. I dedicated my life to scripture and the presence of God, but gradually, even though I was spending all this time with God, the intimacy I had experienced in the beginning began to fade. Even the supernatural experiences began to occur less often. I struggled to try and find out why, after all, I was spending time with God and living a more holy life than most could imagine. I searched and searched trying to find the spot or blemish in my life that was limiting the power of God from manifesting. I even explored generational curses that my ancestors brought about that could be limiting the flow of the power of God in my life. Then gradually and lovingly Daddy showed me where the problem was. It wasn’t sin, it wasn’t a curse, it was my righteousness.

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; (Isaiah 64:6)

It all started with spending time with Daddy because of love, allowing Him to father me and spending enormous amounts of time with Him because I wanted to be with my Daddy. The power flowed in my life 24/7 and everything was easy. Then everything began to change as I began “paying a price”, trying to get what He had already given me. Daddy then revealed to me that my righteousness is by the sacrifice of Jesus and that alone. I can’t add anything to it and if I try to gain righteousness, favor, power, or anything else in my life by acting Holy, then that lifestyle is like filthy rags to God,; basically I was saying that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough. I was declaring that I must add to the sacrifice, and that belief system is Anti-Christ.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1Cor. 1:30)

I’ve learned the hard way, Jesus alone is my wisdom, righteousness and holiness. He made me righteous and holy and my actions have nothing to do with it. I am righteous and holy by faith in the finished work of the cross. It was that revelation that has allowed the power of God and supernatural experiences to once again start manifesting. It is that revelation that has caused me to fall more in love with Daddy and rest in His love instead of working for it.

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