How Righteous Are We? August 15th Devotional

Read:

Romans 6:19

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

A professor at a college asked his students, "How many here believe that you are just as righteous as me?" Most of them raised their hands. He then asked, "How many here believe that you are just as righteous as the greatest Evangelist who ever lived?" Some of them raised their hands. He then asked, "How many here believe that you are just as righteous as Jesus?" Hardly anyone raised their hands. The word resulting here in Romans 6:19 is the Greek word "eis" and it means for sanctification. We see that we are sanctified and live a holy life because of us submitting to the revelation of righteousness that has been given us by His blood. Thank God for His blood. "For" (as used in Acts 2:38 "for the forgiveness...") could have two meanings. If you saw a poster saying "Jesse James wanted for robbery", "for" could mean Jesse is wanted so he can commit a robbery, or is wanted because he has committed a robbery. The later sense is the correct one. So too in this passage, the word "for" signifies an action in the past. Otherwise, it would violate the entire tenor of the NT teaching on salvation by grace and not by works. There is not a thing we can do in our own strength to make us right with God. We need to submit to God with a heart of true worship, and when we submit to God by faith, we will walk in the spirit, advance God's Kingdom, and do the works of Christ. We can grow in the revelation of righteousness, and that revelation of us being righteous will compel us to live for Him. I believe that many will stand in the judgement of God and say, "I have a degree Lord! Can I enter in now? I believe that many will say, "I did this, and I did that. God does not grade on a curve! Jesus died but Christ arose from the dead, and Jesus Christ is alive today for us. We can believe in the risen Christ today. Friend, I want to encourage you today to have the revelation of what Christ did on that cross, and our believing in what He did on the cross. If we died on that cross we still couldn't satisfy God. I find myself at times looking to the things I do to make me right with God versus what Christ did for me, and me submitting to what He did for me will cause good works to be produced from within. We do need to produce good works, but the produce that comes from us has to be because we submitted to God through Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord, we ask that you give us a fresh revelation of who we are in you through the blood of Christ. Help us to realize that it's not the works that we do alone, but us being dressed within that causes good works to be shown to many, Amen.

by Keith Edwards