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Day 72: Righteousness, Faith, and Faithful Love (Bonus Lesson 10)

 The most important benefit of redemption is righteousness. Righteousness basically means right standing with God. E. W. Kenyon defines it as:


“...the ability to stand in the presence of the Father God without the sense of guilt or inferiority.”

Another definition says to stand before God as though sin never happened. David in reference said blessed is the man to whom God accounts no sin in Psalm 32:1&2.

Every evil in the world came through sin. Once God dealt with sin by making us righteous, that righteousness came with all the benefits sin robbed man of; health, peace, wisdom, provision, protection, and long life... Everything!

Ephesians 6:14 lists the Breastplate of Righteousness as one of the fashion items of the believer. A breastplate protects the vital organs most importantly, the heart. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 however, Paul calls the Breastplate of Righteousness the Breastplate of Faith and Love. This can only mean one thing. Faith + Love = Righteousness. Faith and love are both of the heart. When we are grounded in both, fear has no hold over our hearts.

Let's break it down.

  1. Love:
John 3:16 tells us God's motivation for sending Jesus into the world is His love for us. God is love. Everything He does is motivated by love: His justice, mercy, favor... All his acts are products of His love for man. John says about God's love in 1 John 3:1 in the Amplified version:

“See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God!...”

This is the love we know as Agape. It is love by choice. Love that is sacrificial and does not depend on another. Love that needs no reason, motivation, or encouragement. It is love that is faithful and can be relied on no matter what, when, or who. Redemption came through this love and the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is a perfect illustration of it.

  1. Faith:
Because agape love and its actions are often too good to be true, the human mind cannot fathom how an All-Powerful God can be so nice to us despite our imperfections and wicked acts.

The book of Galatians is a wonderful portion of scripture that explains to us that we do not need to work to deserve what God freely gives. The only thing that connects us to the righteousness produced by Christ's love, is our faith in Him and what He did.

The word often translated as faith in the New Testament means not just faith as a conviction of truth but also faithfulness and fidelity (the character of one that can be relied on and trusted). Galatians 2:20 in the Common English Bible says:

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Faith in Christ's faithfulness is faith in His faithful agape love. It is the foundation for understanding righteousness and enjoying the benefits of our redemption. All that we have and enjoy is because Jesus was and is faithful. It's because He fulfilled every requirement for us.

To believe in God is to believe God is faithful. It is to believe His Agape love remains true and unchanging despite us. It's not permission to live recklessly, but when we understand this, the devil cannot plague us with fear and rob us of the faith we need to receive all that has been made available.

  1. Faith and Love:
Galatians 5:6 says that our faith to receive also works by this faithful agape love extended to others. It's not trying to please God with works to attain righteousness, it is work done to express our faith in Him and His love. It is because faith in God's faithfulness is shown by our faithful love for others.

When we trust God's love for us, we won't be afraid of losing out or being taken advantage of which is the root of every selfish and self-serving behavior not motivated by love. We should give men the same undeserving honor and privilege God gave us knowing God is faithful to reward works of faith done in love.

Without God's love expressed through the sacrifice of our Beloved Jesus, righteousness and all the benefits of redemption would not have been made available. Without faith in His faithful love, we cannot receive and enjoy what He has freely given and made us deserving of. Without extending the same faithful love we believe to others with the help of the Holy Spirit, our faith cannot work.

If faith in God is absent, the devil will plague us with fear. If faith is present without extending unconditional love to others, it's a sign of self-righteousness. Both of them rob us of our rights in Christ.

PRAY WITH ME:
Dear God, I believe your love is faithful. I believe I am righteousness and all the benefits of redemption are mine. Dear Holy Spirit, empower me to extend the same faithful love to all men. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:
  • Read the prodigal son's story in Luke 15: 11-32.
  • Study the book of Galatians so you may understand the difference between the works of faith and the works of righteousness and how to live by Christ's faithfulness and not yours.
  • Meditate on Galatians 2:20 in the Common English Bible version.

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