Righteousness is the answer to everything!

What was the first thing God said to Jesus in an audible voice? In Mark 1:11 He said, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.” Jesus didn’t do anything until He first understood this. If Jesus had to know He was in right standing with God without even doing anything yet, then we need to know this.

Let’s break down some words so we can understand them.

Righteousness means “Right standing” with God.

Holiness means “Right living” for God.

When you think or trust that your right living puts you in right standing, then you’ve rejected Jesus and trampled on the blood. 

If you’re living right to be right, you’ll be frustrated the rest of your life because you’ll constantly feel like you’re falling short.

You can’t base your life on what you do. Base your life on what He declared you to be!

1 Corinthians 15:34 says, “Awake to righteousness and sin not.” Understand your righteousness and the result will be—you won’t sin. So right standing precedes right living. Until you get this you won’t be healed or prosperous.

Romans 11:16 says, “…If the root be holy, so are the branches.” The root of your Christianity is right standing with God. The fruit of your Christianity is right living for God. If your root isn’t holy, you can’t make the branches holy any other way. You have to know you’re in right standing with God.

Romans 3:24-25 says, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

He took the bad root out. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

It’s a gift of righteousness. Just receive it. How? Romans 10:9 says, “With the heart one believes unto righteousness.” Believing in your heart results in right standing with God.

When you believe in your heart, you will have a righteousness-consciousness and not a sin-consciousness.

Righteousness-consciousness boldly says, “Yes, I’ve sinned but God has forgiven me and delivered me of it by the blood of Jesus.”

Sin-consciousness is afraid, reserved, never acts boldly, and is always conscious of the sin he commits. It thinks the sin separates him from God and it causes him to retreat from the Lord.

Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Believing comes first! Righteousness comes before action.

Meditate on these scriptures below and get a better understanding of what your righteousness brings you.

What will understanding your righteousness (right standing with God) cause?

1. It will cause every one of your prayers to work. I Peter 3:12 says, “The Lord’s ears are open to the prayers of the righteous.” James 5:16 says, “The prayer of the righteous avails much.”

2. It will provide for your protection from fear of tomorrow. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Seek first His kingdom and all these good things are going to be added to your life.”

3. It brings stability. Isaiah 54:11-14 says, “In righteousness, you will be established.”

4. It causes oppression, fear and terror to be far from you. Isaiah 54:14 says, “You shall be far from oppression and from terror; for it shall not come near you.” Romans 8:10-11 says, “The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.”

5. It delivers you from trouble. Proverbs 11:8, “The righteous are delivered out of trouble.” If you’re in trouble, find out more about your righteousness.

6. It brings much wealth (reward on earth). Proverbs 15:6 says, “In the house of the righteous, there is much treasure.”

7. When you’re the righteous, favor comes. Proverbs 14:9 says, “Among the righteous, there is favor.” Psalm 5:12 says, “The Lord blesses the righteous; with favor He surrounds him as with a shield.”

8. It will make you generous. Proverbs 21:26 says, “The righteous gives and does not spare.” You can give freely because God takes care of your tomorrow.

9. When you’re the righteous, you’ll see your enemies fall. Proverbs 29:16 says, “You don’t have to make your enemy fall.”

10. By righteousness, you have joy. Proverbs 29:6 says, “The righteous sing and rejoice.”

Gregory Dickow is the founder and pastor of Life Changers International Church, one of the largest churches in the Chicagoland area. He also is the host of The Power to Change Today—an international television ministry that reaches a potential audience of more than 900 million households weekly.

For the original article, visit changinglives.org.

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