Righteousness From God

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known... this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24)

The prophet Isaiah says that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. Paul told the Romans that there is no one righteous, not even one.

Romans 3 above tells us that there is now "a righteousness from God, apart from the law". Apart from the law. We are not to live under law. We have been saved by God's undeserved, unmerited favor.

"When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." (Romans 4:4-5).

We can't work for it. We do not deserve it. It is the gift of God. We receive this indescrible gift with joy and thanksgiving. Our sins are forgiven, our position is secure, our spirit is being renewed day by day.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6)

Christ died for the "ungodly", the sinners - you and I. Jesus tells us in Matthew 9 that he has not come to call the righteous, but sinners. God sent His Son to bear all the sins of humankind - past, present, and future. Jesus came for the sinners that we might become his righteousness. This righteousness comes from God for all who believe through faith in Jesus Christ.

2,000 years ago, He came to earth to reconcile us to God by payment of our sins by His death on the cross. We trust in the Lord. We believe what the Bible tells us and we walk in the truth. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is rest for weary and power for the weak. He is the perfect lamb of God and He came to cleanse us from our sins. We can not "do better". We can only receive His free gift. We are forgiven because of what He did. We are made right with God because of what He did. We are transformed moment by moment into His perfect image as He cleanses us and imputes His righteousness into our souls. It's His work, it's why He came.

Listen Closely

"Pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body." (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Listen closely to His words:

I am your Father (John 1:12,1 John 3:1-2), you are my dearly beloved child (1 John 4:9-10). I choose you before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:2). I know everything about you and I still love you. You are not condemned (Romans 8:1). You have come out of the darkness and now live in the glorious light! I love you deeply and desire to free you from all that still entangles you. You are my workmanship. I have given you my word, my Spirit, and my promises to transform you and guide you as you walk this journey of faith.

Pay attention to what He says. Let Him fill you with his love. Give Him your heart and mind and let him reveal the truth to your soul. You are loved. You are accepted. You can have a intimate relationship where you call him "Abba Father" (Romans 8:15)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade..." (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Just for a minute - Put away your intellectual side. Give up your hang-ups and fears about God and call on His name. Come, Lord Jesus, pull me out of the pit into your loving presence. He reaches down to take hold of you. He keeps you safe, hiding you in the shelter of his wing. He draws you out of deep waters and bring you into a spacious place. He delights in you! Dwell in his sanctuary. He will lead you beside still waters. Meditate on His unfailing love. Eat with Him, he has prepared a table of good and satisfying food - food for your soul! Taste and see that the Lord is good! Sing and make music - He has given you song. Dance with him, you are beautiful to him. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength. Clap your hands and shout to God. How awesome is the Lord Most High!! Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! For the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

"the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." (Psalm 19:7-10)

Family Love

In the two week period between April 24 and May 7, my birth family and I all celebrate our birthdays. Growing up, it was a lot of cake to eat within a two week period! Now, distance separates us and we aren’t able to get together like we used to but every year at this time, I like to reflect on these most important people in my life.

My family wasn't perfect. All families have problems and dysfunction but God created the family unit that we might love and be loved. That we might forgive and be forgiven. Our hearts yearn for connection and relationship. It is what we were created for. We were made in God's image and God is perfect love. "God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in him." (1 John 4:16)

Even if you did'nt grow up in a family that showed their love like I did, you have a heavenly Father who loves and accepts you. You are his dearly beloved child. He yearns to love you with his everlasting, most perfect love. Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8). He knows where you've been, if and how you were loved, and he meets you right where you are and asks only that you open your heart to his most amazing love.

John tells us "this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another…We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers." (1 John 3:11,14)

We were created in love for love. The Father has lavished his love on us that we would be healed and whole - cleansed from our sins and enabled to love both him and others. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

Seek and receive God's most perfect love. " We love because he first loved us.." (1 John 4:19) Let him fill you with his fullness with which you will love your family. "God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit…" (Romans 5:5)

"In this way, love is made complete among us…. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God…" (1 John 4:7) Many of us are familiar with the 1 Corinthians 13 - the love chapter. In it we learn that love never fails.

God's love for you never fails. You are a part of his family. He loves you with his faithful, everlasting love. He also loves your family and has equipped you to love and receive love from them. Forgive them, delight in them. You and your family are not perfect (yet), but it is in loving and being loved that we are made complete. God delights in seeing families living in and reflecting his love. He celebrates in heaven and with God, there is never too much cake and celebration!

Father God,
Thank you for my family. Imperfect as we might be, we were created in your most perfect love to be vessels of love. Help us to receive your love. Make it complete in us so that we can love one another. Bless my loved ones as they celebrate their special day. Let the light of your face shine into their moments revealing even more of your love and life. Father, I pray today for those with broken family relationships. Restore these relationships with your perfect love. We all yearn for connection and love. In those families where this is not possible, I pray a deeper revelation of your Father heart. It is a heart that comforts, forgives, a heart full of grace and mercy . Nothing can separate us from your love - it is wide and long, high and deep. There are no strings attached to your love. You simply love us because we are yours. Thank you Father. Amen

What Now?

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who has promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:19-24)

We just celebrated the most amazing event in history, Jesus resurrection from the dead. Jesus conquered death and those who believe that He lived, died, and rose again are promised eternal life. Eternity seems like a long way off for most of us so its hard to wrap our brains around it or to really care so we celebrate, then go on with our everyday life. So, does the resurrection mean anything for us right now?

The Resurrection means that Jesus still lives. He is seated at God's right hand. He is our forever priest who always lives to intercede for us. (Hebrews 7:24)

"how much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14)

He is the holy, pure, spotless lamb who gave himself for our sins so that we might live and serve the living God. We can enter the Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. The veil of the curtain of the most holy of holies has been torn. We now have "free access" to God. Through Jesus, our guilty conscience is no more, our bodies have been washed with the precious blood of Jesus.

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4)

What does the resurrection mean for us now? Having been freed from sin, we have access to the Father. We have "ears to hear" and "eyes to see". We have been given the priviledge of living a new life. It is an abundant, good life. The life we were originally created for. A life free from the bondages of sin and condemnation. A life with a "new master", our great high priest who intercedes for us to the Father . We are going to mess up, but Jesus' blood makes us righteous. God remembers our sins no more. We are righteous in his sight so let us boldly enter the Most Holy Place to draw near to God and to receive His love and His life. It's the life he intended for us when he created us.

"..offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:13-14)

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

"It is for freedom tht Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

Covered By The Blood

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)

If you have chosen Jesus as your Lord and Savior, all of your sins - past, present, and future have been redeemed. The penalty has been paid. When you die and go in front of the judge, you will be declared "not guilty". "you were bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:20) He remembers your sins no more! While we were yet sinners, Christ died. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code (the law) … he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Col 2:14)

Just as the blood of the sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt in order that death would not destroy the firstborn of God's people, we are covered by the blood of the perfect lamb of God, Jesus Christ. God provided the lamb that would be slaughtered for our sins. He is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

He was chosen before the creation of the world." He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2) "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
He was pierced and crushed for us. By His wounds, we are healed.

We are washed by the blood of Jesus. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. " (Psalm 32:1) Blessed is the one who forgives all our sins and heals and redeems our life! For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love.. (Psalm 103)

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (1 John 5:4-6, 5:10-11)


Father God ~~
Thank you for the most precious gift of the cross. Our sins are covered by the blood of the perfect lamb when we choose to accept the sacrifice. As far as the east is from the west, you remember our sins no more. Thank you that everything we do and say is filtered through the Cross. Your sacrifice for our sins was once and for all when you offered your Son to die on the cross. It is by His stripes that we are healed. Thank you Jesus for interceding for us. The veil is torn and we are righteous in the Father's sight because of His great love for us. You accepted the will of the Father that we might have life. May we also accept the Father's will by accepting what you did on the cross. Amen

The Cross

"The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God; Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Yes, it is as you say, Jesus replied." (Matthew 26:63-64)

Jesus knew who he was and he knew why he came to earth. He came to reconcile us to God in this life now and for eternity. His death would pay the penalty for our sins and impute the righteousness needed to commune with the Creator.

"Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled……?" (Matthew 26:36)

Scripture would be fulfilled at Calvery. With a crown of thorns on his head and a staff in his hand, he was "pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5) When the priests and teachers mocked him and yelled "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" (Mark 15:29-30) He could have, but love kept him on the cross. He could have had twelve legions of angels assist him but he didn't. The cross was why he came. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Genesis to Revelation tells the story of God's love for humanity and his desire for intimacy with his people. "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:1-3)

Jesus' journey to Calvery and subsequent death would reconcile us to God. "that they may know you" Jesus said. Our sin alienated us from God. It brought death. Jesus would bring life. His crucifixion would bring redemption to all who would receive it. His resurrection would bring life to all who placed their faith in the finished work of the cross. Because of the cross, we are now sons and daughters of God. We can know him and the one He sent. God would give us the greatest gift of all - a life of eternity with him and a life here on earth that would bless us and others. A life of giving and receiving love, a life of freedom, hope, peace and joy. (John 10:10) We can have a life of purpose because he has good plans for us. We are part of God's family. He wants a relationship with us. He died for it. He is our loving Father who desires to give us good gifts. He wants us to live an abundant, prosperous life here on earth. He is full of love, wisdom, mercy, forgiveness, revelation. He is the way, the truth and the life! (John 14:6) He died so that we could have life. (Matt. 20:28)

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for the cross. You paid the ultimate sacrifice. Death on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. In gratitude, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Because of God's great love for us, you suffered that we could be free. Because of God's great love for us, you were bruised and beaten, a crown of thorns on your head so that we would never die but have eternal life. Because of God's great love for us, we are delivered from the power of darkness and now live in the light of your grace and love. "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave…You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:9-11) Surely goodness and love will follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen


"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…" (John 1:12)

Choices

God is the author of life. He created the heavens and the earth and he created us. When we create something, we can do what we want with our creation. It belongs to us and we decide what it is to be, how it is to look and what its purpose will be. We are God's creation. He is the potter and we are the clay. The potter works, the clay is formed. He decided to form us into his likeness. He decided that we would rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over all the earth. He decided that we would have a hand in filling the earth. He decided that, like him, we would be holy. All that he had made was "very good". (Genesis 1)

He also decided that we would be able to make choices. By putting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, God gave us the ability to choose. He loved us so much that he even told us the choice to make - "you must not eat from the tree" - and he told us the consequence of the choice, "for when you eat of it you will surely die." What an amazing God we serve! So gracious to allow us to partner with him, to not make us "puppets on a string" and at the same time, providing all that we need to live as we were created - in his image.

It seems that God had a lot of confidence in us. Why wouldn't we make the right choices? He would provide all that we would need to do it. But we didn't. Satan was more crafty and we made the wrong choice. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Up until that point, all was good. God did not want us to know evil because it would kill us. And it did. Now he would have to resurrect us from the dead! He would do that for us by sending his one and only Son, Jesus to earth to destroy the works of the devil and to resurrect us to new life. A life that doesn't include "death". An abundant life lived by and under his authority.

But he has not taken away what he originally gave us - the ability to choose. Once again, we can choose good or we can choose evil. He has given us the answer. Choosing "good" is choosing Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, all that God had originally intended was restored. Humans could be restored to right relationship with God. He would once again, provide all that we need to live life on this earth and into eternity where we will see him face to face. It's done. Jesus fulfilled the law and paid the penalty. He defeated. He destroyed the works of the enemy (and the consequences of our wrong choices) His death purchased our freedom. Our freedom to choose. We can choose life or we can choose death.

Father God--
You created the earth, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. Then you created man. Your desire was that we would walk with you in the garden enjoying your creation. That we would multiply filling the earth and enjoying intimacy with you and with each other - all under your direction and provision. Your love would give us the power to love and all would be "good". All that you asked of us was that we choose you. Thank you for Jesus, our redeemer. His sacrifice paid for our freedom. His resurrection brought us life. Today Lord, help us accept the sacrifice - to choose you. Draw us into your heart, into your presence that we might know the one true God. That we might, once again walk with you in the garden enjoying all that you have created, all that is very good. Amen