Isaiah 54:14 "In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee."
While traveling to different churches I have the privilege of meeting many children. Some of these children enjoy drawing pictures for the visiting missionary. I have had many little kids excitedly hand me a piece of their artwork and smile in anticipation of the praise they assume they are due. I am thankful for the kids that inform me of what the picture is, because there are times I don’t know. I can look at a picture and have it explained to me, but still won’t see what it's supposed to be. They can tell me it’s a dog, a cat, or even me. It doesn’t look like it, but they have declared it to be so. Those lines are made into a dog by the word and work of a 5 year old. That’s what it is!
Think about the Word and work of Almighty God! When God declares us righteous, He moves inside of us to live His life through us. God can only dwell in those who are righteous. God can only call something what it is, He won’t lie about it. If God says something is righteous, then it is. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, God's declaration of righteousness makes us righteous. We are not just declared righteous, we are made righteous. It’s who we are.
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
You may not feel like it at times, you may not look like it at times, and you may not act like it at times, but if you are saved you are righteous. That will never change, because now you are God's and your life is Christ's life.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
The real you wants what Christ wants. We have believed the lie that we don’t want God's way. However, the real us is righteous and that means we want what God wants. Stop listening to the old you who is dead and start listening to the real you who is righteous. The real you doesn’t mess up.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
1 John 3:9 "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
As we deny the flesh, our old self, and submit to righteousness, Christ through us, we will be living out who we are. Go forward taking God at His Word, knowing that the real you wants what God wants, and that you are righteous.
As we get established in righteousness, we must claim the truths that we are declared righteous at salvation and made righteous through Christ. Both take place when we get saved. Claim it. Change your outlook.