Walking in Jesus by Faith Righteousness

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<p id="viewer-foo">One of the most easily forgotten instructions in the Bible is found in Col 2:6: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him”. The question I often ask is “how did you become born again?” - By grace through faith. A lot of believers know that when they encountered Grace, they did not deserve the mercy of God. They knew they were not right and hence they accepted salvation by “thrusting” themselves into the mercy of God. However, after some time, we begin to follow God based on laws and rules and by observing externalities.</p>

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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b9d0e6_e4caaa4ff2814309abf923d2a428724a~mv2_d_4000_6000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_740,h_1110,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/b9d0e6_e4caaa4ff2814309abf923d2a428724a~mv2_d_4000_6000_s_4_2.webp" alt="faith righteousness"/></figure>

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<p>faith righteousness is the only way to work with God</p>

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<p id="viewer-90d7q">Though not a new phenomenon in the body of Christ, it is wrong, wrong, wrong. It happened during the times of Paul the Apostle too. In Gal 3: 1-12, Apostle chastised the saints at Galatia for departing from the grace of Jesus Christ to follow the observance of the laws of Moses as a means of being right with God. He said they started the race well but now they have been bewitched to default to a set of rules and dependence on the law as a means of righteousness. Why is this rampant in the church even though we are called to minister the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6)? Why do we preach that the initial salvation experience comes by Grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9) but we must maintain our relationship with God by adherence to old covenant laws as a means of continuous righteousness with God? This is not what the Bible teaches.</p>

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<p id="viewer-akq46">In Rom 5:1-2, the Bible clearly states that since we have been made right with God by faith we should have peace with God and we now have access by faith into the grace of God. It is the grace of God that are we enjoined to continue to stand on so we can have a confident expectation (hope) of the view/reality (glory) of God in our lives.</p>

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<p id="viewer-bf3na">Those who trust the laws of Moses as a basis for their righteousness are like the Israelites who depended on the law to be right with God forgetting that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom 10:3-10). What is the purpose of the law then? It was added to curb sins until Christ comes but now that Christ has come, we are no longer expected to relate to God based on the law (Gal 3:19-25). Does that mean I can then do what I like? Is the law bad? God forbid. When I live in sin, then I am not living under grace. Sin hardens my heart towards God but Grace is God’s power in me to overcome sin helping me to subdue the fleshly desires in me but those who choose the law to suppress sin will realise that they are dominated by the same sin. Why? Because they have a sin-consciousness (Heb 10:2). Since the law brought the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20; 7:7-9), no one who relates to God based on the old covenant laws can really live victoriously above sin because they will live under a constant consciousness of sin (Rom 6:14). Grace is a teacher that makes you produce righteous deeds by depending on the righteousness of Jesus (Titus 2:11-14). It is the righteousness that flows from a sense of righteous identity in Jesus (2 Cor 5:21). Grace does not pander to the flesh or allows boasting in one’s abilities but depends on or is vulnerable to the Lord Jesus and His Spirit in us.</p>

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<p id="viewer-bads3">Since we received salvation by faith, we must continue to walk with Jesus by faith (Col 2:6), trusting in Him alone and not in our works as a means for righteousness. If we default on this, we place ourselves back under the curse that we have been delivered from (Read Gal 3:1-14). You will live holier under grace than under the law. The law is not God’s best for us. Grace is. Don’t relate to God as if Christ has not died. That is what we do when we mix law and Grace. If you seek to be made right with God by the law, Christ is of no effect to you (Gal 5:4, 2:21). The way out? Live dominated by God’s Spirit. Yield to Grace. Live by Faith.</p>

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<p id="viewer-40gd2"><strong>Action plan</strong>:</p>

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<p id="viewer-82qm0">Study Romans 5:1-2 every time this week</p>

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<p id="viewer-6psrd"><strong>Prayer</strong>:</p>

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<p id="viewer-1jt4e">Father, I thank you that in Jesus, I have been made righteous. Teach me to know this righteousness as a way of live in Jesus name.</p>

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