I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD!
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I believe the greatest revelation that can happen to a born again believer is when he fully
understands his place in God's covenant. This particular study is on a word that is used in the
Bible to describe that place in we stand in God's covenant. The word is "righteousness." The
word is hardly used in our society (and sadly enough even in our churches!) and that makes it
hard to comprehend. But the Bible will open the power of that word to us and the knowledge
that comes from this will usher you into new levels of joy and peace and confidence in your
Christian walk.
The study of righteousness must begin by defining the word. The word simply means a person's
right-standing position with God.
RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A GIFT FROM GOD
This next truth is absolutely necessary for you if you are to build a correct understanding of
righteousness. Read Romans 5:17. Do you see in this verse that this thing called righteousness
is a gift from God? A gift is not something that is purchased nor is it something that is earned. It
is much like what you might do with your own child on her birthday. The gifts you give to her flow
from your heart because of the love you have for her. You do not give her gifts because she
earned them nor does the thought of merit enter your mind. Each gift is given simply because
you love her. It is what a father or mother does based entirely upon WHO she is - she is your
daughter.
There is an important element to the last statement of the preceding paragraph. The key there
to take note of is that she is your daughter. Your love flows out of you towards her because of
who she is. So it is with your heavenly Father and you. His gift(s) to you, whether we are talking
about righteousness or any of the other wonderful things God gives you, are given solely
because of who you are. You are His child.
GOD'S GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NOT BE RESCINDED
Let's extend this idea of righteousness being a gift beyond just the instant of receiving a gift.
That lovely doll you gave your daughter exchanged ownership the instant she received it,
correct? You bought and paid for it, but you transferred title to that doll when that beautiful little
blue-eyed girl opened her present and excitedly took it out and hugged it. After that point, it was
hers. No matter how frustrated you might get with her a few weeks later or how disappointed in
her you might become you do not entertain the notion of taking back the gift you gave to her. No
father or mother would do that because it just isn't right. The doll is hers. The same is true of the
gift of righteousness your Father gave you. Under no circumstances will He take from you what
you received from Him. To understand this truth will go far in developing you into a mature
Christian.
Look closely at this powerful promise from God in Romans 11:29: "For the gifts and callings of
God are irrevocable" Can you see the truth that when God gives something to you, it is yours
forever, regardless of any other factor? What this means to you is that what God has given to
you, namely the gift of righteousness, cannot be taken away from you, not even by God Himself.
You may decide to forfeit your righteousness by an act of your free will and in that case you
would fall from grace and lose your covenant position and be lost eternally. That would take an
absolute, verbal denial of the blood of Jesus and a willful, conscious rejection of Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior. Hebrews 6:4-8 speaks of such a man. I am confident of better things for
you!
THE KEY: TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD
Read Romans 4:19-25. Your key to receiving the gift of righteousness is found in this passage.
God uses Abraham as the illustration of how righteousness comes. Even though Abraham heard
from God something that sounded preposterous and even impossible in the natural, he made
the choice to take God at His word and to believe Him. That single act of faith on his part is what
impressed God enough to declare him to be righteous. So from this truth we determine that faith
is the key to righteousness. It was true for Abraham and it is true for you.
When you heard the Gospel - the Good News of salvation - and received it as truth from God
and accepted God's offer of His Son Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, that act of faith on your
part ushered you into a new and powerful state of being. In that instant He washed you clean
from all sin and gave you a gift - righteousness.
THE RESULT IS REIGNING IN LIFE!
Romans 5:17 holds another glorious gem for you. Read the verse again. Do you see what
happens to you once you become righteous? You start reigning in life! That's right, you live out
a life of victory over every sin, every enemy, and every hindrance that arises to stand in your
way! Hallelujah!
One of the most wonderful aspects of your righteousness is that sin-consciousness no longer
has sway over you. You take on a righteousness- consciousness rather the sin-consciousness
that can hold you back and force you to retreat even from the presence of God. Romans 8:1
declares to you that there is now no condemnation in you. Once you enter into God's covenant
you exist in a state of forgiveness because of who you are - you are the child of God. Never
again say, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace!" Say from now on, "I am a child of God and I stand in
righteousness before my God!" You see, you are now a new creation; something that has never
existed before. No longer look to your past and declare what was; look up and recognize that
God has transformed you and made you the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
I encourage you to take the time to really digest this teaching. It is the foundation upon which
Christian life will be built. Study the passages of Scripture over and over until the light bulb
comes on. And, declare the following confession several times a day as you are developing this
truth in you....
Romans 3:21-26
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from
the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law
and the prophets.
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in
Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For
there is no difference;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God
set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through
faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because
in His forbearance God had passed over the sins
that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His
righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 4:1-8
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father
has found according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has
something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham
believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness.
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on
Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is
accounted for righteousness.,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of
the man to whom God imputes righteousness
apart from works:
7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are
forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not
impute sin.
Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of
the righteousness of the faith which he had while
still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of
all those who believe, though they are
uncircumcised, that righteousness might be
imputed to them also.
Romans 4:19-25
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not
consider his own body already dead (since he was
about a hundred years old), and the deadness of
Sarah’s womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God
through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith,
giving glory to God,
21 and being fully convinced that what He has
promised He was also able to perform.
22 And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for
righteousness.’
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that
it was imputed to him,
24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who
believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from
the dead,
25 who was delivered up because of our offenses,
and was raised because of our justification.
Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into
this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God.
Romans 5:17
For if by one man’s offense death reigned through
the one, much more those who receive abundance
of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign
in life through the One, Jesus Christ
Romans 8:1-4
1 There is therefore no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according
to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was
weak through the flesh, God did by sending His
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account
of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might
be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the
flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 10:8-10
8 But what does it say? The word is near you, in
your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of
faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation.
II Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new.
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled
us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given
us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the
world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to
them, and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as
though God were pleading through us: we implore
you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him.
Colossians 3:10
And have put on the new man who is renewed in
knowledge according to the image of Him who
created him.
MY CONFESSION
I have believed God with my heart therefore I
have come into righteousness.
I am a new creation and I rejoice that my old, carnal
things have passed away and that all things in my
life have become new.
I give praise to God that He does not impute my sins
to me and there is no condemnation to me because I
am in Christ Jesus.
I stand in the grace of God and rejoice in His mercy
that is extended to me and for His love and forgiveness.
I am justified in the sight of God and I stand holy in His sight,
called by name, cleansed by the blood of Jesus, indwelt with
His Spirit, and empowered by His word.
I stand in covenant with God and I am the righteousness
of God in Christ Jesus. I declare that I reign in life!
Amen.
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