WE ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST
The word righteous according to Free Dictionary means morally upright without guilt or sin. What does the Bible say about how to become righteous. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3, NKJV). The Bible tells us that to be seen by God as righteous we need to simply believe Him. We need to believe in the work that Jesus did on the cross, we need to believe in all the promises that God has given us. Faith in God is our righteousness! Righteousness is a gift given when you believe. Our righteousness is accredited to our belief in God.
There is a belief amongst many of us that God expects perfection from us, so this puts unrealistic expectations on ourselves which the devil uses against us in the form of 'self-condemnation'. Sometimes we think 'being good' is just too hard so we pack it in, or don't even bother in the first place. If we put all our trust and faith in God He will transform us into the likeness of His Son. We don't need to strive, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to do the work in us.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV).
This Scripture actually means we first need to see ourselves as righteous before any of the blessings can be added unto us. Many either see themselves as righteous in their own strength due to good works (which is pride), or they see themselves as unworthy, always full of self-doubt and condemnation. Some may even operate from time-to-time in both of these. God wants us to see ourselves and our righteousness through the eyes of Christ; then we become Christ-like. Our own righteousness according to the Scriptures is as filthy as rags. We must see that only through the putting on of the righteousness of Christ that we become worthy. There is a fine line between humility and unworthiness. God wants us to be humble but not worthless! When there is self-rejection we fear ridicule and condemnation, so continue to strive for perfection. If perfection is not obtained we speak curses of condemnation over ourselves again and again. Self-destruction sets us up for the spirit of infirmity. Too many Christians focus on becoming 'Christ-like,' and fail to see that they are already Christ-like. God tells us to be 'us' and let Him do the transforming. He allows trials and tribulations to redefine us. We need to see ourselves as righteous, and through the eyes of Jesus. When we see ourselves as righteous, we will no longer see ourselves as unworthy. As we put on the righteousness of Christ and believe that we can only be worthy through this righteousness God will do amazing work within us, which results in the healing of our self-worth. Righteousness is not earned; it is a God-given gift. The flesh will bow down to this when you understand the power of the righteousness of Christ. Your flesh needs to die daily but the righteousness of Christ does this, not us. How? Declaration of who you are in Christ. If you declare each day who you are, there will be change and transformation of how you see yourself.
Jesus took all your sin and shame and nailed it to the cross. Worthy is the Lamb – when you take on His righteousness, you are worthy. The righteousness of Christ cancels out all un-righteousness. The born-again spirit crucifies the flesh if you let it. It is a process. His life for your life. God requires righteousness before all things can be added unto you. In your own strength you cannot do this. You do not get rewarded with blessings when you become more righteous; you get rewarded with blessings when you succumb and allow the righteousness of Christ to crucify the flesh. Self-worth is not something one can aspire to. It is a gift given by Christ. When you accept this gift, you accept the price tag that comes with it – FREEDOM! It is free. No matter how hard you try in your own strength to become righteous, you cannot. The flesh cannot defeat the flesh. Only the spirit can defeat the flesh. Declare who you are in Christ. Renew your mind – walk in it. Walk in the belief and freedom that you are a new creation. Don’t focus on the flesh, the devil, nor his power. Focus on the Kingdom. Kingdom power requires Kingdom thinking. Allow the spirit man to reign. You must speak life into your spirit-man. Declare Kingdom promises over your lives. You are Godly, you are righteous. Daily confessions of who you are in Christ will crucify and nullify the flesh. The flesh is the soul and the physical body. These two things war against the Spirit. The soul and flesh are earthly things, created from the earth and belong to the Prince of this world (the devil). Our souls were cut off from God at the fall of Adam. The spirit belongs to God. We are a spirit being with a body. Our spirit which is 'us' is righteous and born-again. When we make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives we are handing over our souls and flesh to Him. We give Him permission to crucify and sanctify the flesh into alignment with the born-again Spirit. A war begins. Your body serves two Kingdoms. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:21-24, NKJV). The Good news is that the Bible tells us that Christ has destroyed sin? Paul separated the spirit and the flesh. There is a new "inward man" and Christ has already destroyed the works of the flesh. We became sinners through inheriting sin from Adam. This is what Paul knew: that Adam made him a sinner (through the flesh) and Christ made his spirit righteous. Next time you have a war between the spirit and the flesh remember Christ has already destroyed the works of the devil. Paul knew he had been made righteous by Jesus Christ.
(Romans 5:12, NKJV) “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”.
(Romans 5:19, NKJV) “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous”.
Whatever you choose to focus on determines the Kingdom with the reigning power!
I say then: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18, NKJV).
Walking in the spirit simply means to walk in Kingdom ways adopting a Kingdom mindset which is directly opposite to the ways of the flesh!
Prophetic act and prayer......... * Put on the robe of righteousness and declare:- "Dear God I repent for unbelief, pride, self rejection, self destruction, and lack of self worth. I have cursed myself over and over because of the self belief that I am not good enough. Put a guard over my mouth Lord and help me watch what I speak. I break the curse of self destruction over my life, spirit, soul and body. I repent for not seeing myself as You see me, a woman/man of God worthy of all Your grace and love. I (name) am made in the image of Father God. This is perfection in the highest. As an ambassador of Christ I put on the robe of righteousness. I will see myself through the eyes of Jesus. I have on the righteousness of Christ. My flesh will bow down to the righteousness of Christ. The righteousness of Christ will 'not' bow down to my flesh. I choose to speak blessing over myself and declare I am worthy, I am beautiful, I am a son/daughter of God, I am righteous, I am a woman/man of God, I have the heart of God and the mind of Christ and I am loved by God, my family, my friends and most of all, myself! Lord Jesus enable my spirit so I can walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. I will be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I will put off the old man and put on the new.
I command all spirits of rejection, unbelief, unworthiness, pride, destruction, self-destruction, self harm, curses, striving, perfectionism and infirmity to leave immediately in the name of Jesus Christ.
Pray: Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3, NKJV). I pray for security, self worth and the love of Christ to be released into my innermost being. I pray also for the blessings of Abraham to be released in Jesus name”.
*If self worth is something you continually struggle with, each day you can declare the following prayer whilst putting on the robe of righteousness :- "I have on the righteousness of Christ. Flesh you will bow down to the righteousness of Christ. I am worthy, I am beautiful, I am a son/daughter of God, I am righteous, I am a woman/man of God, I have the heart of God and the mind of Christ and I am loved by God, my family, my friends and most of all, myself - Amen".
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, declare each day who you are in Christ!
*When you declare these things you are declaring into the atmosphere that you believe the promises of God. You are also declaring them over your flesh and crucifying the flesh with the truth of God's word. You are telling your flesh how it is!!
With myself the root of the lack of self worth was 'Never being Good enough'. God gave me this revelation and I received the healing after I had spent a few months putting on the righteousness of Christ. This is how it happened...............
Never being good enough - I had fear in my life that was impossible to overcome. I kept asking God for more of His love because 'Perfect Love casts out fear'. I couldn't receive this love, although I kept asking for it. I kept asking God why can I not receive Your love? What do I need to do? God showed me that I would seek approval from everyone. People had rejected me my whole life for being different. I am a super sensitive person and people had teased and rejected me. Nothing I ever did was good enough. I had to strive to be accepted. I carried this onto God. God showed me that I needed to forgive everyone who had rejected me and made me feel that I was never good enough. He told me that there was a spirit with me called 'Never being good enough'. He told me that perfectionism is from the devil. It is okay to not be perfect because God's love is unconditional. He loves you anyway. He told me that His love is a free gift. You can ask for it whenever you need it and He will supply it. Unbelief and other things though can block you from receiving it. I hadn't been able to receive an impartation of God's love because I thought I needed to do something to earn it. The moment this revelation hit my spirit I received the biggest infilling of God's love - laughing and crying uncontrollably for 10 minutes.
***** If you are asking for God's love and not receiving it ask God to show you the blockage. Receiving God's love is the key to conquering everything and is the thing we should most desire.
(PRAY) - "In the name of Jesus Christ I forgive all the people who have made me feel that I wasn't good enough. (Name them if possible and bless them - "I forgive ....... and bless ....... in Jesus name"). I repent for believing the lies that I am not good enough. I repent for believing and partnering with the lie that I am not good enough to qualify for 'good things'. I repent for believing I had to be good enough to receive God's love, and that I have to 'do' something to receive God's love. I repent for unbelief, for not believing that God's love is free, and that I had to 'earn' God's love. I can ask for God's love to infill me anytime I need it and believe that God will supply it because God's love is unconditional. I proclaim that it is okay to 'not' be perfect. Help me Father to see that perfectionism is bondage from the devil. Help me to laugh at my shortcomings and see them as opportunities to learn from, rather than accepting them as failures and errors. I declare I am the righteousness of Christ and I declare I am worthy of all things my Father in Heaven wants to bestow upon me. I will graciously accept all He has for me - Amen!
I command 'never being good enough', and perfectionism to leave me in Jesus name. I pray for an infilling of God's perfect love, Amen"!
By Tania Francis