RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD

[Albert Finch]

We will never be righteous due to anything we do for God. Only the righteousness of Jesus Christ which covers us makes us righteous. This is why in Galatians 3:1, Paul addressed those in the Church concerning this issue. Paul was concerned that they seemed to have tossed aside the finished work of Christ and were back into the old belief system that involved the Law and performance. If they were truly doing this, and obviously Paul thought they were, then they were negating what occurred on the Cross! Read what Paul said to the Galatians:

"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort. Have you suffered so much for nothing – if it really was for nothing? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Galatians 3:1-6

HEARING THE WORD

Paul pointed out that the Galatians had become "foolish." He asked them if they received the Spirit by observing the law or believing what that had "heard." Let us all remember how faith in God comes – by "hearing and hearing" the Word (Romans 10:17).
We "believe" because we "hear," and not because of what we do!

What we do for God does not make us righteous, nor does it cause our faith to become established. Our relationship with Him establishes our faith and our righteousness is only due to the fact that when Christ shed His Blood, we, therefore, became righteous.
Notice that Paul asked the Galatians who had "bewitched" them. This word means "cast a spell," (over them) or "fascinated" (them). Fascination and sensationalism are closely linked.

THE MEANING OF "SOZO"

When Jesus died on the Cross, He provided the fullness of "sozo", a Greek word meaning not only salvation, but also healing, deliverance, provision and all that Heaven offers!
Yet, if our relationship with God is somewhat superficial (meaning we want the sensation without the relationship) we fall short of receiving what we need from God because we really don't know how to believe for His best!

FOCUS ON JESUS

It is unfortunate many have become self-focused rather than God-focused. By this I mean that we focus on what we need rather than the One Who shed His Blood to provide what is needed. Matthew 6:33 says that we are to "...seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."
Did you notice that we are to seek first God's Kingdom and "His" righteousness? This means that we are not righteous without Him and that we are to seek His righteousness – this is clearly stating that we cannot be righteous due to our performance or religious works, but only righteous due to Christ's righteousness.

Secondly, when we do this "first" then "all" things are added to us. The term "all" in this passage refers to everything we need is already accomplished due to the finished work of Christ!

We need not perform any longer believing that this makes us a better person or that God will bless us because of what we do. No! It means whatever we need is already done – at the Cross!

RECEIVE THE FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS -- EVERY DAY

When we "plead the Blood," we are proclaiming all that Jesus accomplished for us by shedding His Blood. To plead it with faith of all that Christ did on our behalf will release the demonstration and power of God!

BAPTIZE YOUR LAND TODAY OR ANY DAY

God provided the first sacrifice for the sin of mankind. He placed skins of a slain animal upon both Adam and Eve to cover their sin.
Later we notice that Noah, upon coming out of the ark after the Flood, made a sacrifice to God immediately upon stepping onto the land. This is symbolic of our going to baptize our Promised Land by recalling what Jesus accomplished at the Cross.

In other words, when we recognize what Christ did and that we are righteous due to His Blood, it empowers us to take our Promised Land!

Think upon this -- Every time we receive a prophetic promise or prophetic revelation, we baptize that promise from God by renewing our mind concerning what Christ did at the Cross. We can, therefore, tell the devil to "get off our land," when we remind him that the battle is already won!
So rise up and declare the power that is in the Blood! And, know that TODAY is your day that God will provide for your every need!

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[William Serota]

Amen!! HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED, ALL THE TIME.