Righteousness is not self achieved! It is by God's grace alone.

Righteousness is not self achieved it is by God’s gracealone!

Brendan Mc Crossan

Righteousness is not self achieved it is by God’s grace alone!

Crossan

Righteousness is not self achieved it is by God’s grace alone!

Brendan Mc Crossan

12-10-2011 One

Self righteous;

Philippians-3:9 Amplified-Bible And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.

This scripture which is God breathed tells us that we cannot have any self achieved righteousness that we can claim as our own because of what we have done. My / our, righteousness is in him and not in us, meaning it is because of Jesus and because of us being in Jesus; and the amazing thing I see in this scripture is that God declares that we are found and known as in Him, he is saying we are in Jesus and that my friend is a wonderful place to be “In Him.” This wonderful gift from Jesus is an expression of the great love that he has for you and me. And the scripture continues on by saying that we possess the genuine righteousness, which comes through faith in Christ.

Galatians 2:20 Amplified-Bible

I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Because of His righteousness I have been crucified with and in Christ Jesus and through him and in him I am one with Christ Jesus because I have died to myself and now at this moment I no longer live but it is Christ Jesus who lives his life in me, and it is up to me to give Jesus the freedom of living his life in me by dying to myself so that he can move into that area of my life and take over and have room to move and it is all because of His righteousness, his righteousness not mine. I am righteous and it is all because of him it is a gift from our loving God. The more I live a righteous life the more Christ is allowed to expand inside me and the more his spirit grows in me as part of me leaves and so it will be until there is nothing left of me but all of him in me and so I can say that, ‘it is not I who live but Christ Jesus who lives in me.’

Hebrews 10:38 Amplified-Bible

But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervour born of faith and conjoined with it]; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him.

God says that the righteous servant shall live by his convictions, and he will respect other men and women’s relationship with God, and will bow to divine things, and will live in Holy fervour passion and zeal for God because he has been conjoined to God through Jesus. Too

often we have no real respect for other pastors or preachers or servants of God who stand in church or on TV trying to share God’s word with others, and I for one am guilty of that , many times over the years I have thought I could do better than that, and that was pride on my part for which I see, and I am asking God for mercy for my blindness, I forgot that God speaks to many in different ways, he speaks to one through seemingly boring people and to others speakers who seem to be on fire for God but both reach those whom God had planned to reach, each speaker had within them a message from God for a particular person or persons and no one else could have reached them but the speaker who was sharing God’s word in their own manner and in doing so reached others of similar manner.

God talks to each of us in the way he knows that we hear and listen to him and uses those pastors, preachers, and ministers of God’s word, through music or speech; and he uses those whom he wishes, to reach those he wants to reach, and if he uses us it is not because of our being on fire for God or by our self-righteousness but by how much we love others and how much we respect those whom God has placed in a position to lead and guide. We must respect God’s relationship with others, knowing God is God and does what he knows best, and we have no understanding of God at all, he does things contradictory to our thinking. He sees the complete picture where we see nothing except what God allows us to see, or we see what we judge and criticise and condemn, there is no humility in this attitude and sad to say that has been the way I have been for quite a long while. Thank God for his mercy because I am one who needs his mercy and when I realise that I need mercy then I can ask and receive it, he is a gracious God full of mercy. Having a righteous attitude means giving respect to others believing that God is using them even if they are getting it all wrong, it is only wrong in our eyes not in the eyes of God, we never know who is being touched by God’s grace.

2 Thessalonians-1:12-King-James-Version

that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Two

Righteousness reveals the darkness inside

Our righteousness is designed to give glory to our God and to his Son Jesus and God desires that righteousness leads and guide us every moment of our lives leading us closer and closer to his divine will.

In that scripture Hebrews 10-38 this following scripture is revealed;;as we read that scripture in Hebrews; I could see the darkness in me that moral blindness clearing away as God revealed to me as I wrote, things that were hidden deep inside of me, and I seen that I was only deceiving myself thinking I didn’t criticize anyone but quietly deep inside I really was, I just didn’t allow myself to think I was, and I did share with others my criticism of preachers and those in ministry, and it is only by God’s grace that I am where I am today. Who is criticising me when I preach, who does not agree with me when I share God’s word the list could be endless, only God knows, and there was me quietly criticising others in ministry, the measure you use is what is coming to me at this moment in time and how true it is.

1 John-2:8 Amplified-Bible

yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true (is realized) in Him and in you, because the darkness (moral blindness) is clearing away and the true Light (the revelation of God in Christ) is already shining.

ThisscripturetoldmethatdarknesswashidinginmeandnowbythegraceofGoditisclearing away, because of the revelation of God in Christ in me, the revelation that I am righteous through Jesus, glory to God on high, thank you Jesus for your mercy which overlooks the faults of many including myself.

1 John-3:10 Amplified-Bible

By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children, and who take their nature from the devil, and are his children: no one, who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).

God‘s word says here, no one who does not practice righteousness is not of God but of the devil. That is why the Holy Spirit in us reveals the hidden darkness in us bringing it into the light to be gotten rid of, by us. We are the ones who need to keep practicing righteousness, a righteous behaviour and attitude believing the best of everyone even terrible killers who have murdered millions.

Three

Even war criminals can be saved by grace and mercy

I heard an old preacher who was eighty years old tell a story of sixteen war criminals who served with Hitler, and a Lutheran minister was appointed to see to these men’s spiritual needs, he told the people who asked him to take on this job there was no way he would do this, then God spoke to him and told him to take the job. To keep the story short fourteen of these men turned to Jesus and asked for mercy from God, two didn’t. All fourteen men were later hanged for their crimes, but were received into heaven by God. That’s not fair you may say, but you also sinned against God and didn’t deserve his mercy either and yet he forgave you, sin is just that as far as God is concerned not the size of the sin but sin is sin and sin offends God, and God is merciful even to those who don’t deserve it, but to those who ask for it. Two of these men killed themselves later, as they were sentenced to death but this was changed to life imprisonment.

We also must practice righteousness by giving out mercy to those who don’t deserve it just like we didn’t deserve it either. Only God is the righteous judge and we have no time for judging others, God asks for mercy for others from us because we are made in his image and likeness and have been declared righteous.

Righteousness leading to faith

Romans-1:17 Amplified-Bible

For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, the man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.

Righteousness springs from faith and leads to more faith and it also arouses to even more faith. In other words faith is from righteousness and it leads to even more faith and onwards to further faith leading to complete trust in God and so the scripture that says the prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results. Believing that you are righteous by God’s grace and love and mercy makes your faith grow by leaps and bounds because the more I realise that I am righteous and in good standing with God at all times then the more I am assured that I can come to God and receive favour from him; and the more deeper I get to understand righteousness the deeper my faith grows because again I am in a greater understanding of our position in Christ Jesus and the more confident I become when miracles of healing areneeded. I havethatblessed assurancethatI am welcometo comebefore God the Father and receive whatever miracle I need for someone. Righteousness is the grounding for faith, and as faith springs forth the more righteousness is understood and grows increasingly stronger in me, because I know who I am, and who my Father is and who I am in Christ Jesus. This is all by grace and is not self achieved through good works or deeds by me but it by faith in my loving father who desires to give me miracle working power for his glory through righteousness , by me good standing in him.

Righteousness is the gift given together with salvation so understand that is of significant importance to the Christian believer; the believer who does not believe that he or she is in constant righteousness before the Father has no faith, they may say they have and try and act in faith but faith comes from believing and by the word of God which declares the child of God righteous, the gift of righteousness is given together with salvation, they are not separate or one comes later but the two are intertwined as one gift.

Five

Pursue righteousness

This next scripture tells us to pursue righteousness; that means to chase after it until it is caught, but not only that, but to continue to keep pursuing it always, for the rest of your life, righteousness is growing always; righteousness in itself is full grown but it grows in us the more revelation is given by God and by his word so it grows for us. And as we pursue righteousness we at the same time are to shun lust and other things that distract us from righteousness and lead us away from God.

2 Timothy-2:22 Amplified-Bible Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all

that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

Again God calls us to conform to the will of God in fellowship with all Christians. And conformity does not condemn or criticise other men or women of God. Pursue righteousness, go after righteousness like there was nothing left in this world but it, seek it with all your heart and if you are not saved you will be, to have found righteousness is not the end of your search but the beginning, it is living righteously and speaking righteously and acting righteously every day of the rest of your life.

Six

Where does righteousness come from?

1 Corinthians 1:30 Amplified Bible-But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].

Righteousness does not come from within one’s self or by ones efforts or goodness but comes entirely from God through Christ Jesus, because it from him alone that you have your life in Christ Jesus and that is where righteousness lies, inside Christ Jesus, and as scripture declares we are in Christ Jesus through our redemption. This was all a divine plan for salvation thought up by God billions of years ago even before he formed the earth or the planets surrounding the earth, Ephesians -1-4. This salvation as stated previously was all God’s brainwave; he thought it up when he made us in his image, then realised that Lucifer was jealous and had evil hidden in his heart and planned to destroy God’s creation, so God thought up again a plan that would outwit him at every turn, using his own brilliance against him, so he decided a plan to send Jesus into the world he was going to create and that Jesus would die for the sins of everyone in all time, thus destroying Lucifer’s attempts to obliterate God’s creation, man and woman. And Jesus would bring with him salvation and righteousness with him for those who accepted him as lord of their hearts, and this was a brilliant plan because we know from the word of God that Jesus came into the world and destroyed Satan, Lucifer’s plans; he defeated him by dying in our place a thing Lucifer never imagined God would do to sacrifice his only Son.

God used Lucifer’s own brilliance against him, he was so sure that when he had Jesus put to death that mankind was his forever, but it was in his death that Jesus descended in to hell itself, Satan’s kingdom, Lucifer’s home; and in there he defeated him and smashed him and then

paraded him stripped naked along with every angel that plotted with Lucifer against God Jesus paraded them all stripped naked humiliated before the angels in heaven, and there he was stripped of all power a defeated angry foe, and in turn Jesus gave righteousness to all his children, those who accepted him into their hearts and loved him, they also have the choice to either love him or reject him just as Lucifer and his hordes of evil spirits who were once angelic beings chose to rebel against God.

2 Timothy 4:8

Amplified-Bible

[As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor's] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense {reward} me on that [great] day--and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return).

PraiseGod I havelaid up for meavictors crown of righteousness,and theLord therighteous Judge will award me and reward me on the day when we all stand before God to be judged and praise God we will be declared righteous by God himself and he will smile and say, ‘well done my good and faithful servant / servants,’ if you also believe. I never realised that along with righteousness I got myself a crown, a gift from God himself given to me in great joy because I chose to love him because he is my God and Father. Isn’t it amazing to think about that in heaven there is awaiting me a victor’s crown, that means I have victory in my life before God, because he sees my victories even when they looked like defeats to me, but we forget that God promises to turn everything to good for those who love him and are fitting in with his plans; being righteous is his plan, I pray that you are fitting in with God’s plan and believing that you are righteous because Jesus made you that way. All glory to God on high for his mighty plan.

Amen