Open the Gift

Being "Right": Open the Gift!

There is a word often used throughout the Bible which needs to be better understood by God's kids: Righteousness. Being righteous means being in right standing, or accepted, especially in the presence of God, our Father. Simply put, it means "being right".

It seems that many Christians have not understood that they are now right, or righteous, in God's eyes... simply by believing in the redemption of Jesus, or His work in their place on the cross. Sadly, I believe many have not actually received this right-standing, because they still believe they must do something to earn it. If it could be earned, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for us! So His great gift of Life is being rejected, like a present laying unopened.

It can't be earned, it can't be worked for, and it must be received by faith.

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 1:17 ESV

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

God wanted to restore fellowship with people, a relationship which had been fractured in the Garden of Eden. He loved His creation, His people made in His own image, His dear children. When they messed up, it messed up His desire to spend time with them. When they were in "sin" God could not come near them for their own sake: the Light would have destroyed them, as light overcomes darkness and good overcomes evil.

If you are a parent, imagine yourself in His place, able to see us, like sheep without a shepherd, walking in darkness, walking in lack, sick, all because we were not able to reach out and take hold of His hand.

It was His design to send Himself in their place, to bear all the darkness for all time, so that - if they believed He was capable of restoring them - people could again come near Him and fellowship with Him without being destroyed. He would restore them to Right Standing... He would become their righteousness and then give the gift of right-ness to them. IF they would only believe what He said, and what He did for them.

His plan was to bring a part of Himself, His Firstborn Son into the world, to fix it, to restore peace by becoming a perfect sacrifice. His work would pay the price for all sin, for all time, so that all who believed in His power to restore would be saved from the darkness, and would be able to come "boldly to the throne of grace"... by faith.

His prophets told of the coming event many years before it happened. But never fear... He came. Peace was restored between God and man... for all who believe. Really: peace was restored between God and man. The angels sang it in the fields above the shepherds on the night they proclaimed Jesus' birth. "Peace, good will on earth." God's will for us is peace.

Psalm 22:31 ESV

they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,that he has done it.

Psalm 23:3 ESV

He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 37:6 ESV 

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,and your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 112:1-4 ESV

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,who greatly delights in his commandments!
His offspring will be mighty in the land;the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,and his righteousness endures forever.
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

We are now pure and righteous, and we are now blessed.

God told of what He would do, and what it would mean for His beloved children. No more meant to be under the power of Satan, He would now provide for us, being Jehovah Jirah (our Provider), He would bless us with every blessing mentioned in Deuteronomy... the curses (Deut. 28) would no longer be over us as we had been restored to Him. When He poured out His Spirit (when Jesus returned to heaven), the world received a bath, a baptism and the only thing that keeps us from receiving His Blessing is Not Believing. We received a cleansing and an anointing. We are now pure and righteous, and we are now blessed.

Isaiah 32:15-18 ESV

until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. 

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

Romans 4:3-8 ESV

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."

Romans 4:11 ESV

The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well...

Romans 4:13 ESV

 [ The Promise Realized Through Faith ] For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When we believe, we receive righteousness and all the blessings that come from being back safe under Father's wings... We may not always DO righteous things, but as John says, we Practice Righteous actions once we have received His right Spirit. He makes it possible for us who were in darkness, to live in light. He makes the way for us to DO right, once we believe in His right actions on our behalf. He paid the ransom. As we believe and continue to grow in our faith, we are able to practice righteousness... We can't do it apart from Him, though.

Some of the effects of His righteousness - Received By Faith! - are peace, safety, security, prosperity, success. Read the blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28 and you will begin to get a picture of all Jesus restored for us!

James 3:18 ESV

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Proverbs 20:7 ESV 

The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

Psalm 112:1-4 ESV

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!
His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

Proverbs 8:18 ESV

Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.

Proverbs 10:15 ESV 

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 ESV

Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.

Isaiah 45:14 ESV

[ The LORD, the Only Savior ] Thus says the LORD: "The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,and the Sabeans, men of stature,shall come over to you and be yours;they shall follow you;they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.They will plead with you, saying:'Surely God is in you, and there is no other,no god besides him.'"

Revelation 5:12 ESV

saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

Isaiah 58:8 ESV

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Malachi 4:2 ESV

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

James 5:16 ESV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Psalm 24:5 ESV

He will receive blessing from the LORDand righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Matthew 5:6 ESV

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

1 Peter 3:14 ESV

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled...

1 John 2:29 ESV

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

All the "blessings of the righteous" are ours, beloved children of God! Begin to see yourself as righteous, as Paul said: "We are the righteousness of God in Christ."

No, it wasn't anything we've done. We can't be good enough, ever... It was Jesus, who was Good, who bore our sickness and sorrow, who bore our sin and paid the price. If we never receive this righteousness and begin to walk in the blessings of the righteous, then His gift is left unopened.

Open that gift of righteousness. Begin to say with Paul "I am the righteousness of God in Christ!"