Rhapsody of Realities 3 February 2020 By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome: Righteousness—A Gift Of Grace
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Topic: Righteousness—A Gift Of Grace
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 (2 Corinthians 5:21).
When you received Christ into your heart, eternal life was imparted into your spirit, and with it came righteousness. Righteousness is the nature of God that produces in you the rightness of God, and gives you right-standing with God. It’s God’s gift to you in Christ; a gift of grace delivered to you by Christ Jesus. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:17 says, “…they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” In other words, those who take a hold of that righteousness shall reign; that is, exercise dominion in life. So, it’s your responsibility to take a hold of your righteousness in Christ by being conscious of it! Being conscious that you’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus gives you boldness and confidence to pray and expect answers. It gives you mastery over the devil, his accusations, and the circumstances of life.
This is so beautiful, because it has nothing to do with your works or “performance” before God. Your righteousness is simply the result of Christ’s vicarious suffering and triumphant resurrection. Therefore, it makes no difference how wicked or wayward you think you’ve been; it makes no difference how far you think you’ve gone away from God; all you need is to embrace His righteousness.
Accept the gift that He’s made available to you, and say, “Blessed Jesus, you’re my righteousness. I believe you died for me and that God raised you from the dead for my justification.” Hallelujah! Remember, you didn’t ask Him before He gave you His righteousness. And His righteousness can’t be improved upon, being the righteousness of the man, Christ Jesus, the only sinless one to walk the face of the earth. Thus, we’re not going to be more righteous in heaven than we already are in Him.
So, in God’s presence, we’re at liberty; no fear, no condemnation, no inferiority! We’re free to express ourselves and to be ourselves as we worship and fellowship with Him, because we have right standing with Him. All these and more are the result of His superabundant grace; the gift of His perfect righteousness. Hallelujah!
PRAYER:
Blessed Father, I thank you for giving me your righteousness as a gift, thus inspiring in me the consciousness of dominion—to reign and rule as a king in life. I’m held in the grip of your grace, enjoying my regal liberty through the gift of my perfect righteousness in Christ Jesus. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 5:20-21; Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ephesians 2:8-9; 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.
Philippians 3:7-9; But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, 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:
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew 24:1-35 & Exodus 26-27
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Acts 15:1-11 & Job 38-39
Rhapsody of Realities 3rd February 2020 Devotional was written by Pastor Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (D.Sc., D.D.). President of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy Int’l.