Promise: (Matthew 17:20 KJV)
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Four kinds of Righteousness:
Definition of Righteousness: Many of us have the wrong definition of righteousness. We have set up things to do to be righteous before God. i.e., A pastor told me. He is a man of prayer with sincerity. When pastors get together for prayer, his voice will stand out. The way he would describe the attributes of God. But he had traces of sugar readings. He had sick sensations and could not get up early in the morning and pray. There were times I got sick and could not get up early in the morning.
We are not righteous because we do right. We became righteous because of what Jesus did for us at the cross. Righteousness is not based on our right doing. It is entirely based on Jesus’ right doing.
When negative things happen in Cristians’ lives, they tend to think that God is punishing them for their past sins. You need to understand and believe what God says.
(Hebrews 8:12 KJV) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
(Ephesians 1:7 KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Some people draw a line for Christ’s forgiveness. The past sins of mine Jesus has forgiven. Some believe there are bigger sins that he has not forgiven. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.
(Col 2:13 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
He died for all your sins referring to the past, present, and future. Christ is not going to come again to die for your future sins. He has died for all your sins.
Why pastor is this revelation that I am forgiven important? First, if you have no confidence that all your sins have been forgiven, then your eternal security and salvation will always hang in the balance.
Secondly if you think that your sins were not fully forgiven you cannot enjoy the Lord’s presence and know that He is on your side. Constantly you will feel unworthy and you cannot ask God for big things or believe that He will give success in your life.
Third, if you do not believe that Jesus has already forgiven all your sins, it means that when you fail, you will believe that you are not “right” with God and that fellowship with Him has been cut off. And instead of depending on His unmerited favor to overcome your failure, you will feel that you need to confess your sin, be remorseful and make amends with God before you can restore fellowship with God and depend on Him again.
You will be in a constant cycle of feeling insecure, where you are always hopping in and out of God’s favor. All these feelings depend on how well you think you have performed and ignore the cross of Jesus altogether. My friend, God does not evaluate you based on your behavior. He sees only Jesus’ perfect work. But because you do not believe that Jesus has indeed forgiven you of all your sins, you end up feeling like a total and complete hypocrite and failure.
While Jesus is all ready to bless you, give you favor and make you a success, unbelief in His finished work robs you. of the ability to receive His goodness, His blessings, His unmerited favor and His success in your life.
– God demanded righteousness from man.
– (Exodus 20:5 KJV) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
God is not changed from His wrath, it has come upon Christ.
Blessings based on obedience. (Deu 28:14 KJV) and thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
(Deu 28:15 KJV) But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.
– Depending on self-effort rather than heart transformation.
– (Heb 10:3-4 KJV) But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Blood sacrifices of animals only covered their sins.
– The children of Israel were robbed of their confidence in the goodness of God because they were always looking at themselves to see how well or poorly, they performed (i.e. self-conscious).
– The children of Israel could not have an intimate relationship with God
because their unrighteousness put distance between them and God.
The children of Israel could not enter the holy of holies (where the presence of God was). Only the high priest could, and that only once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
(Lev 16:2 KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
The children of Israel were under the ministry of death. (2Co 3:7 KJV) But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
God imparts righteousness to men through eh finished work of Jesus. (Rom 4:5 KJV) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
God by no means remember your sins. (Heb 8:12 KJV) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
(Heb 10:17 KJV) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more..
Believers need not depend on their self-efforts because Jesus has overcome on the cross. (Col 2:14 KJV) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Christ became a curse so that we could be a blessing. (Gal 3:13 KJV) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
– (2Co 3:18 KJV) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The blood of Jesus has removed the past, present and future sins of God’s people.
(Heb 10:10 KJV) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(Heb 10:11 KJV) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
(Rom 6:14 KJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
– (Rom 4:5 KJV) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
– Believers can have a tremendous sense of confidence and security in Christ because they are now looking to Jesus and not themselves (i.e. – Christ-conscious).
Believers can enjoy a close, intimate relationship with God as their Father because they are made righteous by faith in Jesus. (Rom 5:10 KJV) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
– (Heb 4:16 KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
– (2 Co 3:6 KJV) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
– (John 10:10 KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.