I have been on a journey with the Lord Jesus this year about what it means to be one with Him. I keep reading it in Scripture, but I never fully understood it. So the Holy Spirit has been leading me in studies and revelations. Since this is such a vast topic to talk about, I would like to go over Righteousness today. What is it? Can I say that I am righteous? Can I live permanently in it?
I pray that Holy Spirit will open the eyes of your heart as you read this article and flood your inner being with revelational light.
“Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and he now declares us flawless in his eyes. This means we can now enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us.” (Romans 5:1 TPT)
Righteousness means that we, believers in Jesus Christ, have been made in right standing before God by the redemptive work of the Cross. Before Jesus’ sacrifice all of mankind was under the bondage, or enslavement, of sin but now sin has been defeated and Christ has made a way for all who look to Him to have freedom from sin and death.
“He canceled out every legal violation we had on our record and the old arrest warrant that stood to indict us. He erased it all - our sins, our stained soul - he deleted it all and they cannot be retrieved! Everything we once were in Adam has been placed onto his cross and nailed permanently there as a public display of cancellation. Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away every weapon from them and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner, they were His!” (Colossians 2:14-15 TPT)
I don’t know about you but that makes me stand up and shout “HALLELUJAH!”
God’s enemy, and in turn our enemy, sin and death, has been, not will be, but HAS BEEN defeated! Jesus now has all power and authority over heaven and earth. And all who come to Him in faith have been buried with Him and have been resurrected with Him; which means that the old man born in Adam is dead and has no more influence, hold, or say-so over our lives. We are a new creation! A creation in Jesus, led and guided by Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of Jesus. He now rules over our hearts and we are free from obeying sins alluring call.
I love how The Passion Translation translates Romans 6:6, “Could it be any clearer that our former identity is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power.” And verse 11, “So let it be the same way with you! Since you are now joined with him, you must continually view yourselves as dead and unresponsive to sin’s appeal while living daily for God’s pleasure in union with Jesus, the Anointed One.” Forever we have freedom from the power and authority of sin in our lives for it is our inheritance paid for by Jesus on the cross. Righteousness is now ours and the enemy cannot take it away from us, unless we allow him to.
The best way I can think to describe it is a courtroom setting. Father God is the judge, the plaintiff is satan (death, sin) and he’s representing himself as pro se. The defendant is you and I and our lawyer is Jesus. Satan has brought charges against us to the court of Justice and Righteousness; and the Judge is having to make a judgment on the accusations. The plaintiff makes his case to the court but when the Judge looks at the paperwork of charges on us it’s blank, nothing is on it against us. The Judge states, “How can I punish this person when I see not one sin against them?” And then the plaintiff looks confused and bewildered, knowing that there should be charges on the judges paperwork. Our lawyer, Jesus, then stands up and tells the court that He has already paid for and fulfilled all of our required punishment. Therefore we are able to stand before the Judge guilt free, innocent, blameless, without condemnation! We are free from all penalties of sin and death. There is nothing that the plaintiff has against us. His accusations are void of merit and weight! So we can live this life as a free person in Jesus! Freedom is worth celebrating, praising and living worthy of the price Jesus paid to set us free! We did nothing to earn His gift of love but we can live in a manner that honors it.
In the scenario of the court room you can get a clear picture of what righteousness means, in right standing with God by the sacrifice of Jesus. We are walking free and clear. Hallelujah!
I will confess that saying, “I am righteous.”, was hard for me to confess. But when I read 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.” I had to decide if I was going to claim God’s truth over myself or call God a liar. But Holy Spirit gave me revelation about this scripture. When God looks at you and I he sees his Son. He sees what Jesus did upon the cross and because we are one with Jesus all the blessings and attributes that are Jesus’ are ours as well. So I can say I am righteous and not be in error. Now if Holy Spirit pricks my heart of sin then I just confess it, repent (turn the opposite way from that sin) and accept God’s forgiveness. Simple. God is so good!
“How do I live free from sin? I thought I was a sinner hoping to be good enough to make it to heaven. “ If this is your thought after reading that we are free from sin, from sinning period, then let's take a look at Colossians 2:14-15. Jesus removed all authority from the evil one on earth for those whose hearts are Jesus’. We have been bought and paid for (redeemed) by Jesus’ sacrifice. We belong to Jesus, not satan. This union is described as being one with Him by the indwelling of Jesus’ Spirit, Holy Spirit. By God’s divine persuasion, faith, we hold true to scripture and we cast out every thought that goes against it. We magnify God in our lives and we do not live sin conscience. We humble ourselves before God when the devil wants to tempt us and the Bible tells us that he must flee. God has given us every spiritual blessing to live a life of godliness (Ephesians 1:3) and it is our inheritance.
Will you draw from the bank of heaven to live this life fully surrendered to Jesus’? God is either true or he is not. Scripture is either truth in your life or it is not. Jesus either set you free and made you one with him or he did not. Either God is good or he is not. You have to sit down with Holy Spirit and check your beliefs and where they really stand with God and scripture. Ask Holy Spirit to examine your heart and beliefs and make sure that you do not have any “sand” in your foundation. You want to be building your house (life) on the rock of Jesus. Make sure that you do not have man's teachings and beliefs but that you have God’s. For it is important that we speak life and truth over ourselves and others. What God says about Himself and about who we are in him is the only thing that matters. Once you start removing any lies and start speaking the truth, Holy Spirit in you is going to dance with joy inside your heart. You will walk taller in the spirit and when temptation comes you will be empowered by Holy Spirit to laugh in its face. Life lived in truth is amazingly freeing!
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, The Word is truth and He reigns over all creation. I ask that you would forgive me of all lies that I have believed over what Scripture tells me. I renounce and break all agreements with those lies. I agree with The Word (Jesus) and I will speak His truth over what my thoughts and feelings try to say to me. I will forever say “YES” to You. Holy Spirit show me areas in my doctrines, my mindsets and my opinions that do not line up with Scripture. Take me to greater depth with You so that I can only have Your truth alive inside of my heart. Thank You for being my great Teacher! Thank You for our oneness with Jesus and that we get to share in His blessings and favor with the Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Resources
Righteousness, Sin: Romans 3:1-31, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 6 : 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesian 5:8-10
New Creation, Everything is New: Galatians 2:20, Romans 6 : 4:24
The Gift of Righteousness: Proverbs 21:21, 1 Timothy 4:8, Matthew 5:6
Seek His Righteousness: Matthew 6:33
Holy Spirit: John 14:15-26, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Romans 8:26, Galatians 5:16-25
Oneness with Jesus: John 17:11-21, Galatians 3:27-28, 1 Corinthians 6:17, Romans 6