Part 2 BORN RIGHTEOUS
By Ken Fletcher
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5: 4-5
In part 1 of this message, we looked at one of the basic yet essential truths that every believer must know. We saw that, because of our new birth in Christ, we are BORN TO OVERCOME! In this issue, I want to move on to another very important essential truth in which every believer must be established. That is, since we are in Christ, WE ARE RIGHTEOUS!
There are many people who believe that being righteous depends on how good one acts or how many good deeds that a person does. As you may have already noticed, all of the many false religions of the world have one thing in common: they all believe that one must do certain works to become right with God. In other words, they require that a person perform a certain way in order to attain right standing with God!
For thousands of years, the devil has propagated the message that mankind can “perform” for his salvation. Satan says to humanity, “If you do enough good deeds or if you are a basically good person, you will be accepted by God.” This is a lie, yet, people by the millions have believed it. This particular lie from the devil is designed to deceive people into the false security of “self righteousness”. Since they have not received “God’s righteousness” through faith, they remain in their lost condition – separated from the life of God and on their way to Hell!
Unfortunately, hundreds of years ago, this type of thinking crept into the Church. Even in our day, many dear Christians who believe in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ are still laboring under the cruel taskmaster of trying to perform to make it into Heaven.
I remember several years ago, I talked to a dear sister in the Lord who had been a Christian for a long time. She was a faithful member of a certain denominational church. When I asked her how she was doing, she replied: “I’m just trying to make it through to the City!” That is an old expression that I was quite familiar with. What she meant by this statement was: “I’m just trying to keep doing enough right things so that I can be accepted into Heaven.”
That precious woman’s words had a tremendous impact on me. Here was a woman that loved God, who had been born again for many years, yet, she was living in fear that she might not perform good enough to make it into Heaven. How sad! Where did she get this kind of belief? From wrong teaching! Ministers and other people had told her that, after she was saved, in order to STAY saved and be right with God, she had to perform or do good works. Because she believed what they said, this dear sister was living underneath the heavy load of trying to carry her own salvation! My heart went out to her because I knew exactly what she was experiencing. You see, several years before as a young Christian, I had believed that way too!
My dear friend, the fact is, whether wholly or partially, you cannot “work” good enough to obtain your salvation! Neither can you “work” good enough to keep your salvation! IT IS A GIFT! It is free! Therefore, it cannot be earned by our own efforts! It is the work of God in us! Praise His Name forever!
Many people misunderstand the term, “righteousness”. Often, they wrongly associate righteousness with good works or outward performance. As we will see clearly from God’s Word, righteousness is a work of grace in us. It is a matter of the spirit.
What, then, is righteousness? How do we define it? It is simply having right relationship with God, or being right with God. If it is not attained by our good works, then how do we get it? It is simply received through faith in the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please notice, as you read the scriptures below, that the words, “righteousness” and “justified” are used interchangeably.
Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.“
Romans 3: 20-22, 26. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Romans 5:17-18 declares: “For if by one man’s offence (Adam) death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
How do we become righteous? We are born that way! When you were born again by the power of God’s Spirit, you were born a brand new creation. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” “….which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 & Ephesians 4:24. You are created to be just like your Father. You are born righteous! You cannot work for it. Since you were created this way, you will never be more righteous than the day you were saved!
Without realizing it, many dear Christians fall into, and are walking in, the sin of pride by believing their good works are the reason that they are right with God and going to Heaven. We must always remember that the ONLY REASON we can be right with God, and going to Heaven, is because of the grace that proceeds from God’s love, mercy and kindness toward us. God’s grace saves us, keeps us, and makes us righteous! Our works have nothing to do with it! “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Some may argue that I am teaching a promiscuous gospel. They wrongly assume that by teaching this I am giving people a license to sin. Well, it has been my experience that folk are going to sin or do whatever they want anyway – license, or no license! Actually, teaching what God’s Word says on righteousness helps free the believer so he can: 1) Get his focus off of the futile task of TRYING to be right with God through is own performance. 2) Start enjoying and taking advantage of all of the benefits of his right standing with God. 3) Get busy fulfilling the Great Commission in his lifetime on the earth! Friend, I am committed to keep preaching this gospel of righteousness! It is the same gospel that Paul the apostle preached, and it is an important ESSENTIAL FOR OVERCOMERS! Amen!
If you want to live as an overcomer in this life, it is absolutely essential for you to understand that GOD HAS MADE YOU the righteousness of God in Christ. Hallelujah! God has justified us! Just-if-I’d never sinned! Hallelujah! He created you that way! You are actually created in righteousness; in right standing with God!
Jesus took upon Himself your and my unrighteousness, and then, GAVE US His very own righteousness! What an exchange! “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Notice dear friend, that God made Jesus to be sin for us. Our nature was all wrong. We could not approach God in our state of being. Jesus took upon Himself our unrighteousness, and our inability to be right with God. He did this so that we, the believing ones, could be MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM! We are made righteous IN CHRIST! Hallelujah to Jesus forever!
Let the awesome reality of these verses sink deep into your spirit! The truth is: everyone who has received the life of God through faith in Jesus Christ IS RIGHTEOUS! God has created us that way through the working of the Holy Spirit. It is now our joyful privilege to renew our minds with the Word of God, and walk out in this present natural realm the righteousness that is already in our spirits. Lets begin shining forth; the lights of the world, as the Lord says we should. Let us live out, on the outside, who we are on the inside.
In light of this glorious work that God has done in our spirits, it is most natural now for us to approach our heavenly Father. We are accepted! There is no condemnation or resistance from Him. He welcomes us to the Throne. We come boldly as sons of the King. We are the righteous ones! Born by His Spirit. Children of His love. God’s offspring! Born in His likeness. Born to conquer the enemy. Born to overcome every opposition to the perfect will of God in our lives. That is who we are!
We now ask the Father what we will, and it is done unto us. We enjoy close fellowship – the awesomeness of His presence. Oh, the great privilege to be righteous and free from the guilt of sin. No more struggling and trying to be righteous. We simply walk in who we already are. Hallelujah! What a difference it makes.
Oh, the freedom and the liberty that Jesus has given to us! No longer are we under the futile task of trying to perform to be right with God. We are made free, whole, clean, forgiven, and righteous. We rest in what Christ has done in our lives. It is His work! Now, our good works are simply an outflow of the righteousness that dwells in our spirits; and they glorify God. We live continually giving Him thanksgiving and praise for what He has done in us. Truly, Jesus has made us overcomers indeed! Amen!
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