Sept. 9, 2016.

OF Righteousness!

It is a prime tenet of our Faith that having no ability to earn our way into God’s promises; by His Love, Grace and Forgiveness are we made Righteous in His sight. But what is it to be Righteous before God? The easy answer is to have right standing before Him. Right standing sounds like a series of things we must attain and by making a list check off to be qualified. It like getting a university degree, if we complete a certain level of education, meet the criteria for compliance, and pass the test, then we are due and earn the right of placing letters after our last name.

It is not the desire of God for us to have a checklist mentality, but with all things have His mind towards it. That is the Righteousness of God. In the beginning, Adam was Righteous; simply by being in the image of God and being the mold for all others; we are made not only in God’s image but also in His Righteousness. But as Adam, having it; we lose it in disobedience to the Righteousness of God. God is right and so is the Righteousness God. The two are inseparable.

The Righteousness of God is more of an attitude of Holiness in all things, whether of God or of this world. In the Old Covenant, many followed the rules and commandments laid down by God and the leaders of the day, but they were not and unable to achieve Righteousness. Today, it is the same thing. On the outside, some seem completely godly but on the inside they are not. Our God wants it to be a part of us, to be Righteous, and not just give lip service. We have to own Righteousness, as a part and indivisible to our birthright. It must be in the heart mainly and not in the head only. God knowing man's heart and our challenges on earth; He prepared and delivered us out of complete separation due to disobedience to His will; by Jesus’ blood and the forgiveness of sin. He also knowing despite Jesus’ Victory, many will find it difficult to renew the mind and come completely out of darkness into the light, where the curse no longer has any power over us, established the perpetual blood sacrifice and an appeal to Him for the forgiveness of sin. Can we remain Righteous all the time? Yes, we can!

How does Righteousness remain in us, or rather how do we remain in Righteousness? First, by the forgiveness of sin; secondly by the Word and thirdly receiving His counsellor to us; His Holy Spirit and lastly walk as Jesus walked. The right standing before God is a condition of us not to have a sin attitude or consciousness over us when we entry His Throne room. For God having received the final and eternal sacrifice by Jesus, complies to His own Word to forget our sin once with true remorse we confess and accept His forgiveness, thus becoming sinless before Him. It is when we do not accept His forgiveness and more so do not forgive ourselves, then Righteous cannot prevail in us thus making us alien to the Love of God. It’s like a father telling his children not to enter the living room where he happens to spend most of his time, with their dirty shoes. God can’t have that dirty sin on His Glorious floors. It must remain immaculate!

To be the Righteousness of God is to act as if God was beside you when faced with the things of this world. We don’t do this consistently because often we are double-minded in our desires, decisions, and thoughts. For most of us; we do not grow up into the full will of God for Righteousness. We want only to know we will not face the terror of hell, and basically, slide into home base, rather than confidently run across the plate through Heaven’s Gate. Some knowing and others ignorant of the fact that Salvation does not require a dedication to becoming Righteous before God. Ultimately, many are short changing their promises from God. Salvation gets us through the door into the classroom to renew our minds and our hearts into the Righteousness of God. We then are to study and show ourselves worthy of His gift, by walking as the Righteousness of God. We can’t do this if we stay on milk and refuse to move towards meat. To do this, we are to completely forsake all things that the world edifies, perpetuate and promotes. Essentially, anything of this world. This is demonstrated by Paul, indicating, “I am a slave to the Word”. Paul’s life speaks volumes on the Righteousness of God, and so should our lives.

With God’s Righteousness comes discipline and patience. The world says you can have it now, while God says in His time will we have it. For some, that can be a real challenge when faced with trying to fill the needs of their family. To be right with God is in choosing Him first all the time. We place the ownest of Him to perform His Word and keep His promises. Now, to be clear it's not about complying with a checklist but it is about living that checklist. For by living it we no longer are slaves to that checklist. Imagine, if God was to do a “checklist” of your record before He honors His will for your life. Yikes! No one would qualify, especially in today’s society.

The more we “practice” our Righteousness is the more we want His type of Righteousness. It is also the more all His promises manifest in our lives. If His promises are in our lives in living color, but there is blatant sin also, then it’s not God’s Righteousness but a decoy of it. It’s like getting the news you have won an all paid trip to somewhere; you immediately think it sounds too good to be true. It’s the same with “deceptive blessings”; on the surface it’s enticing but there is probably some greater “destruction” behind the scenes once we buy into it hook, line and sinker. Once hooked, we find it harder to be released, and go into deeper depths of what distances us from His Righteousness, usually due to fear. We must know by understanding having Righteousness in our lives does not place us above not and having to confess our sins. God reserves the right for our Righteousness based on our heart, ways and thoughts, just as a father measures His release of over watching his child based on the level and application of them taking their responsibilities with the right attitude. Righteousness does not precede God’s promises like “meeting all your needs” but it certainly perpetuates and delivers it more consistently and fully. And because God does not use a checklist to qualify you, but by His love; manifest His will into our lives; for peace first and then prosperity. His approach is diverse to get us where it actually benefits us more to become Righteous in His sight.

I have found that the more I accept His version, is the more my outlook on things seems transient having very little value or need for my attention. I started a few years ago to say to myself, “I am the Righteousness of God”. Then, someone challenged me as to how I could make myself the Righteousness of God. That placed a doubt in me for awhile. But then, I believe the Holy Spirit directed me to a man of God, who said the same thing I was saying, thus removing my doubt that I am the one who having been made free from every curse of death has every right in the things of God, including Righteousness. For nothing will ever separate us from the Love of God. For I decree, "I am the Righteousness of God"!

Genesis 15:6, 2 Samuel 22:21, Job 27:6, Psalms 5:8, Isaiah 42:6, Luke 1:75, Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:34, Hebrews 1:9, 1 John 2:29.