Righteousness is a Free Gift
For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ… The Apostle John
Isn't it great to know that Christianity is all
about Jesus and what He did for us; and not about
what we have done, or can do to find God's acceptance?
Jesus Christ made us right and acceptable to God,
by what He did on the cross. Righteousness is
a free gift. It is not earned or deserved by us.
Jesus paid the price for our sin. He rose from
the dead in our behalf, giving us the free gift
of the Holy Spirit. He enables us to live forever
in heaven.
OUR FLESH NULLIFIES GRACE
The flesh is not our physical body, but the example
of weakness when we try to change or become righteous
by our own efforts or ability. The flesh cannot
make us right with God. Everything we try to do
to be right with God, only nullifies God's ability.
Our sole dependence must be on the finished work
of the cross. "That no flesh should glory
in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:29).
The law gives us no ability to walk in righteousness.
The more we try, the more we frustrate grace.
Paul proclaimed, "I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
lives 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. I do not
frustrate [nullify] the grace of God: for if righteousness
come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"
(Galatians 2:20,21, emphasis added).
Walking in the flesh [our ability to keep the
law] causes a person to always be conscience of
his sin. This causes him to sin more as he projects
his will on others and judges their hearts by
his rules, leading to fear and oppression. Paul
says, "For when we were in the flesh [our
ability], the motions of sins, which were by the
law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit
unto death… when the commandments came, sin
revived, and I died" (Romans 7:5,9, emphasis
added). Such a person says, "There is no
free lunch in this life"; but the truth is,
we will not conquer sin until we cease from trusting
in our own ability and receive the gift of righteousness!
In Paul's letters to the early church, he says
that the law is based on works and is incapable
of resulting in righ-teousness. The law makes
Christ ineffective, because it is the way of the
flesh. It is a curse and was only intended to
be a means to an end. The law results in estrangement
from Christ and keeps one a slave, in bondage
to sin. It depends on human efforts and is motivated
by pride (See Diagram #3).
The Scriptures reveal that the natural man does
not believe in Christ. He trusts solely in his
ability to keep the law through fleshly works.
The carnal [fleshly] man has received Christ,
but walks in the flesh, with the residue of the
natural man. He trusts in Christ, but still depends
on his ability to obtain righteousness by his
works, such as keeping the Sabbath, or being baptized
in the "right" way. The spiritual man
walks solely by grace [God's ability], in the
Spirit and trusts only in faith righteousness.
Our fruits of righteousness reveal whether we
are carnal or spiritual, and we will be
rewarded by Christ accordingly, "…for
whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans
14:23).
Paul wrote to the Galatian church saying, "Knowing
that a man is not justified [made righteous] 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 [made righteous] 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 [made righteous]" (2:16,
emphasis added). "Christ is become of no
effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified
[made righteous] by the law; ye are fallen from
grace" (5:4, emphasis added). These had not
lost their salvation, but had fallen back into
trusting their obedience to the law for righteousness.
Paul went on to say, "For we through the
Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith"
(5:5). Paul discusses the carnality problem concerning
himself in Romans 7:14-25.
FAITH RIGHTEOUSNESS
Salvation is a gift. "…For by grace
[God's ability] 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, emphasis added). Salvation is
strictly a work of God in the heart of man. Do
you trust in your good works for your salvation?
The key to being a victorious Christian is to
walk solely by faith righteousness. Jesus is the
One Who made us righteous, and empowers us to
produce fruits of right-eousness. As servants
of righteousness, we are accepted, secure and
have significance in Christ. His promises give
us boldness to stand and to trust in Him for our
every need. According to the Apostle Paul, as
Christians, we have on the breastplate of righteousness
and the shield of faith, able to resist all the
fiery darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18).
We have "…cast off the works of darkness
and… put on the armour of light"
(Romans 13:12).
Many Christians try to mix the law and faith
after com-ing to Christ. They started in the Spirit,
but succumbed to fleshly works righteousness.
The revelation of faith righteousness is a must
for being a victorious Christian. Trusting in
ourselves or obedience to the law only pro-duces
bondage. Paul said that he had to, "…be
found in him [Christ], not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is
of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9, emphasis
added).
Some Christians complain that this message of
faith righteousness gives a person a license to
sin. Paul got the same complaint, and responded,
"God forbid!" (Romans 6:2). To
the contrary, having God's ability through grace
takes away all excuse for sin. What better way
to overcome sin than to be totally dependent upon
God working in our lives. Otherwise, we are left
to the law, depending upon ourselves. This is
walking in the flesh, contrary to the Spirit of
faith, grace and righteousness. Paul says, "If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit" (Galatians 5:25).
Other Christians deny what the Scriptures teach
and instead believe in unrighteous emotions and
thoughts that say, "How could you be righteous
by the way you are feeling and acting?" This
person is "ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness…
not submitting themselves unto the righteousness
of God" (Romans 10:3). If our imaginations
tell us that we are not righteous, we are to be
"Casting down imaginations and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
[work] of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ" (2
Corinthians 10:5, emphasis added). We feel and
act upon what we think, so we must continually
challenge any belief that comes up against the
Gospel saying we are not righteous. Instead, we
are to establish our heart in righteousness. "…For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for
it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth… For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written, The just [righteous] shall live by faith"
(Romans 1:16,17, emphasis added).
THE GREAT EXCHANGE
The cross is where Christ took everything that
was ours, and gave us everything that was His.
He took on Himself what we deserve, and we receive
what He deserves. A covenant between God and man
was established. He took our sin and gave us His
righteousness (2 Corin-thians 5:21). If we do
not believe this fact, we are left to our own
works of the law [legalism] which has no ability
to make us right with God.
We died to the law when Christ died on the cross
(Romans 7:4). We are also raised from the dead
to bring forth newness of life and fruit unto
God (Romans 6:4,5). The Spirit of grace that made
us righteous and raised us from the dead with
Christ also empowers us to live righteously. Paul
writes, "For sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law [the flesh],
but under grace [God's ability]" (Romans
6:14, emphasis added).
Earlier in Romans, Paul put it this way, "For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled [exchanged]
to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled [exchanged], we shall be saved by his
life" (5:10, emphasis added). We were
spiritually dead, but God saved us by His light
and life. Jesus said, "…I am the
light… he that believeth… shall have
the light of life" (John 8:12). Because
of our righteousness in Christ, we truly have
the light of life!
Paul says, "…you hath he quickened
[made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins"
[Ephesians 2:1, emphasis added). Paul points out
it is God "…Who has delivered us
from the power of darkness and has trans-lated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son… and
having made peace through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things to himself…"
(Colossians 1:13,20). "…Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law… That the blessings
of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles"
(Galatians 3:13,14). Jesus received the maximum
curse and wrath that the law required for our
sin, and we receive the blessings of His righteousness
(See Diagram #4).
At the cross, He not only exchanged our sin for
His righteousness, but our wrath for mercy (Romans
5:9), our guilt for acquittal (Ephesians 1:7),
our bondage for freedom (Romans 8:21), our defeat
for victory (1 Corinthians 15:57), our fear for
love (1 John 4:18), our rejec-tion for acceptance
(Ephesians 1:6), our chastisement for peace (Isaiah
53:5), our bruises for healing (Isaiah 53:5,10),
our pain for joy (Hebrews 12:2), our poverty for
prosperity (2 Corinthians 8:9), our curse for
blessing (Galatians 3:13,14), our darkness for
light (Ephesians 5:8) and our hell for heaven
(Revelation 1:18). Oh, what a gift exchange!
WHO IS GOD?
God is our victor, protector, strength and banner.
He is our "Jehovah-Nissi." This term
is made by adding the four letters of God's revealed
name, the "YHVH" to the Hebrew word
pronounced "nee-see," which means ban-ner
or flag. This name means "The-Lord-Is-My-Banner,"
as demonstrated in the story of God's defeat of
the Amalekites. The Israelites fought against
the Amalekites for hundreds of years, the last
Amalekite being Haman, who was hanged during the
time of Esther.
The ongoing battle between the Israelites and
the Amalekites is a model of the war between the
Spirit and the flesh. In Exodus 17:8-16, Joshua
defeated the Amalekites in battle. Joshua obeyed
what the Spirit was saying to Moses, the man of
God. During this battle, Joshua prevailed when
Moses' rod was lifted, but the Amalekites prevailed
when the rod was lowered. A rock was placed under
Moses, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands.
Joshua won the battle because of God's ability.
The Lord promised to wipe the remembrance of Amalek
from under heaven. An altar was raised up and
named Jehovah-Nissi. "Because the LORD
hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek
from generation to generation" (Exodus
17:16).
Christians have been fighting the flesh from
generation to generation, but as we go into battle
with God's ability, seated with our Rock [Jesus
Christ], we are victorious. Jesus is the battle
flag that promises victory. "For all the
promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen,
unto the glory of God by us" (2 Corinthians
1:20).
The Apostle Paul says, "…I will
therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up
holy hands, without wrath and doubting"
(1 Timothy 2:8). As we lift up our hands in prayer,
thanksgiving, praise and worship ["yadah"
in Hebrew, meaning worship with extended hands,
done by throwing out the hands and enjoying the
presence of God], the battle against the flesh
is won. "Now thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ…"
(2 Corinthians 2:14a).
We have the grace of God to face and conquer
any battle against the flesh. Jesus Christ our
Joshua [Yeshua] went into battle for us. He returned
shouting, "I am he that liveth and was
dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;
and have the keys of hell and of death"
(Revelation 1:18). He has won the victory for
us. We are victorious by faith in Him.
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