Faith
One Believes unto Righteousness
The Apostle Paul laid out the Biblical facts of how we encountered the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. Paul wrote, that if you CONFESS with your mouth the LORD JESUS and BELIEVE in your heart (human spirit) that GOD raised HIM (JESUS) from the dead, you will be SAVED (Born-again). (v. 9)
For with the heart (human spirit) ONE BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS, and with the mouth CONFESSION is made unto SALVATION. (v. 10) (Romans 10:9-10 NKJV)
Hi Faith-writers, I thank God for allowing me another opportunity to share HIS WORD with HIS people. I want to zero in on the phrase, “ONE BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS”, because there are many Christians struggling with this concept of RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Here’s what Christians don’t understand about RIGHTEOUSNESS;
1. We did not seek GOD or pursued RIGHTEOUSNESS—Paul said (Romans 9:30 NKJV)
2. However, GOD created the circumstances that we encountered that brought us to hear the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, when we were invited to Church or when we came across a Radio or TV program or someone may have shared JESUS with us; And when we did HEAR, BELIEVE, ACCEPT and CONFESS HIM as our LORD and SAVIOR we became SAVED (Romans 10:9 NKJV)
3. Then Paul explained what happened to us—for with the heart (human spirit) ONE BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; (v. 10) Now, pause here for a moment and allow this phrase to sink into your human Born-again spirit, so you may catch a revelation of this TRUTH. Paul said, with our human Born-again spirit’s we BELIEVED UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
This statement is important because we sometimes fail to really grasp the spiritual reality of what happened to us right after we became Born-again. I know I did not understand what had happened to me. All I knew was that I felt different on the inside. If anyone sincerely have been Born-again we all have experienced being changed or different inwardly.
Paul’s Explanation of what Happened
I wish that Paul would have made a long list of things that occurred when we did become Born-again in one place. However, we do have more FACTS and TRUTHS about us experiencing GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS in other places in Scripture. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV; Paul wrote, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
This verse explains what happened to us on the inside of us when we became Born-again—that we could not explain. We are now NEW CREATIONS in CHRIST JESUS. We have become new on the inside. Now, skipping down to verse 21, in the same chapter; Paul begins to detail the part of RIGHTEOUSNESS we experienced as a result of being Born-again. Paul wrote, For HE (GOD THE FATHER) made HIM (JESUS) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV)
We are going to outline this verse in greater detail so we may truly understand what GOD did in our lives when we accepted JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR. We did not just get a free ticket to heaven and we can relax now. There’s actually more that we experienced that Paul taught us throughout his letters in the New Testament. God did abundantly more for us that we must catch a revelation of.
The Divine Exchange
If you’ve been a Christian for some years now, you may have come across some teaching that is titled or labeled as, “The Divine Exchange”. This is not some fancy term that some preacher or Bible teacher made up. No! This is what Paul said—that GOD did. Paul said, for HE (GOD THE FATHER) made HIM (JESUS) who knew no sin to be sin for us; Pause here for a moment and think about what GOD THE FATHER did… Our Heavenly Father made JESUS who was sinless (HE knew no sin) to become sin for us.
This is clearly a Divine Exchange, because we did not know about it, nor did we understand why GOD would do such a thing. Now, why in the world GOD THE FATHER would do that? Make JESUS to be sin for us? That we might become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM? (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV)
Paul gave us some insight in verses 19-20; (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 NKJV) Paul wrote;
That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the Word of reconciliation. (v. 19)
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (v. 20)
So we are made RIGHTEOUS by GOD THE FATHER. Not because we deserved it. Not because we earned it. But because God was in Christ RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF.
Secondly, we read that OUR HEAVENLY FATHER was not imputing our sins to us (that means, God wasn’t counting up our sins against us while HE was on HIS DIVINE MISSION—BY MAKING THE DIVINE EXCHANGE.
Our Heavenly Father, decided to make JESUS who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM. (2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV)
Therefore, we are now;
1. NEW CREATIONS (2 Cor. 5:18 NKJV)
2. OLD THINGS HAS PASSED AWAY (2 Cor. 5:18 NKJV)
3. ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW (2 Cor. 5:18 NKJV)
4. GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING US TO HIMSELF (2 Cor. 5:19 NKJV)
5. GOD DID NOT COUNT OUR SINS UP TO HAVE A CASE AGAINST US (2 Cor. 5:19 NKJV)
6. GOD THE FATHER MADE JESUS (WHO KNEW NO SIN) TO BE SIN FOR US (2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV)
7. THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM (2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV)
God made all this happen. He made “THE DIVINE EXCHANGE” 2000 years ago. He had JESUS to become sin for us. We are now RIGHTEOUS because of JESUS. We are NEW CREATIONS because of JESUS. We are reconciled to GOD THE FATHER because of JESUS. We are the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD in CHRIST JESUS. HE made us RIGHTEOUS. It was all done by HIM. IF we BELIEVE IT—then WE HAVE BELIEVED UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS. AMEN
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