Monthly Archives: October 2016

Tailor made Righteousness

His Righteousness

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 (nasb)

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

Isaiah 64:6 (nlt)

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

 

 

Isaiah 61:10

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

 

 

We as believers should desire righteousness. The question is, what is it that makes you righteous? Many wear costumes of deceit that are good looking on the outside, but never reveal the filth on the inside. Some wear mask of self-made righteousness to make others think everything is ok. They smile on the outside or have lofty eyes, but it’s all a front. Others just attempt to be righteous by working diligently at things they believe are good causes. But the truth is, even our best attempts at self-righteousness is filthy in the eyes of God. But here’s the good news, He provided a way for us to have true righteous that is pure in His eyes. Jesus became sin, even though he knew no sin, so that we could become the righteousness of God! But this righteousness doesn’t fit over our self-righteousness. It doesn’t fit over our costumes and masks. You see, it’s tailor made to fit perfectly over our unrighteousness. It’s when we confess our condition to God, impurities, mistakes, and all our sin, that He covers us with something we could never obtain on our own. Righteousness in the truest form.

Be honest today. Don’t think you’ve got to have it all together for God to clothe you in His garment. Confess the weaknesses he already knows and allow him to clothe your nakedness with His Holiness.

Fighting Fear

Fighting Fear

by Chris Taylor

 

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 

Nothing comes more natural to our human nature than fear. From being a child who is afraid of the dark, to being an adult who is afraid of failure, fear is very real. Our culture is constantly fueling the fires of this emotion by the popularity of scary movies and even the nightly news. We have mass shootings and terrorist attacks at public events and in schools. It seems that no one is safe.

 

Beyond the fear of these things happening in the world, we have our own personal fears. Fears regarding our success or finances. Fears regarding our parenting or even the lack of ability to become a parent. We fear the distant future. We fear what tomorrow may bring. We fear what others may think of us. There are so many things we fear, but this is not from God! (2 Timothy 1:7) In fact, His word is very clear on this issue. Do not fear!

 

That’s easier said than done. We can read this and know the LORD is commanding us not to fear, but our focus on the problems and what may happen has become so big that the command can seem impossible. I remember as a child, I didn’t only want to hear what I could or couldn’t do, but I also wanted to know why. “I don’t need to do this? Well why?” “I need to do that? Why?” I know this may seem childish; however, the explanation gives us understanding. That’s why we read on…. FOR I AM WITH YOU! Wait now… hold up… this almighty, all-powerful God is with me? That’s why I don’t have to be afraid!

 

If we just grasp the reality of His great love for us, and understand this truth that He is an ever-present help and will never leave us or forsake us…then, this prefect love will cast out our fears and we can rest in His divine peace. (Hebrews 13:5, 1 John 4:18)

 

If you’re struggling with fear today, shift your focus from the problem to the promise. Fight the fear with truth knowing that He is with you. You can trust Him!