Waynes World...(18Dec07)

I want to start by highly recommending a audio from Rob Rufus..His latest;
Self righteousness verses Gift of righteousness, it covers a some of what we've been looking at www.citychurchinternational.net/mp3_2/2007_12_09.zip

Romans 5:17 how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ

So here we see that two key elements to reigning in life are... "Gods abundant provision of Grace" and "Gods gift of righteousness".

This is what we've looked at the last two weeks righteousness, and Gods abundant grace.

I want to briefly massage these two concepts in, and also add a few things that I did not get to last week. I used my notes for about 10% of the time, and there are some key scriptures that I want to pick up on.

Firstly…we are righteous.

It's important to note here that it is a gift. Not something worked for, but a gift.

Romans 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Here we see that righteousness is not worked for, other wise God would be obliged to give you righteousness, and that would not be a gift, but a wages. Speaking of wages it reminds me of another scripture:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we were unsaved our wages for our sin was death, spiritual death. Now that we have been saved, we have the gift of eternal life. Please note here again, that it is not a wage of eternal life, but a gift.

We have two gifts here, the gift of righteousness, and the gift of eternal life. Tell me who pays for a gift, the giver or the receiver… the giver pays.(In this instance the price was very high. Jesus paid the price. The judgment for every sin you've ever committed, or ever will commit fell on Jesus at the cross. The punishment you should have received He received, and now we have the privileges of being righteous through HIM.) All the receiver had to do is receive it, and once received, you have it. Now unwrap it and enjoy it.

There was a picture of this in the Old Testament. The priest would offer a sacrifice of a perfect lamb, for the forgiveness of sins. Who was examined, the priest or the lamb? The lamb. They didn't say…we cannot accept this lamb, coz the priest is not dressed smart enough, or did not read his bible today, or sinned today. No, the lamb is examined, and if it was without fault it was an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God and resulting in the forgiveness of sins. The same happens now. We present Jesus for our sacrifice, God examines Jesus and finds him perfect and without fault, and so we receive the privileges of a sacrifice pleasing to God.

We don't have to be perfect to be accepted by God, coz he found one who was perfect on our behalf.

We don't have to perform well for God, Jesus performed well on our behalf.

Thank you Jesus!!

Were so inclined to want to be treated by God, the same way as when we were unsaved. "Surely my wages must produce death" we say. If I mess up it must produce death, curses. No your gift status does not change. You are still righteous, still have eternal life. It's a gift. No where in the Bible does it say that God takes these gifts away at any stage. The Bible says in Isaiah 53 he took all our sins and curses upon Himself.

Friends the rules have changed. God does not treat unsaved and saved alike.

The unsaved live under constant judgment and the tyranny of the law, the law constantly shows them their sinful nature and weaknesses…to which they have no response, but to turn to God for grace and mercy.

Once saved, our judgment is on Jesus, we are dead to the law, and God deals with us by grace and mercy, even if we mess-up. This is grace.

Every creature is either in Christ or in Adam. In Adam means, still unsaved…being judged by the law, separated from God.
In Christ means sins covered, and forgotten, no longer under judgment, and one with God.
You are either one or the other there is no middle ground. All humans on the planet fall into one of these two categories.

The tragedy of the world today, is that many Christians think they live half way between the two. Never sure if they are right with God. Never sure if they are doing enough to be loved and accepted by God. As a result, intimacy is lost, power is lost. Signs wonders and miracles dry up, and we are confused. Not reigning in life…wondering when and what God will judge us for next, and how he will pour out his wrath to get us back for sinning. This robs us of our confidence to approach the throne of grace. Wondering if were slipped to far, now God can't hear my prayers. Wondering if were done and are doing enough? Hoping we have not sinned too much so that we loose our gifts. The gift of eternal life and of righteousness.

I tell what you will loose if you think and live like this…you will loose your joy, you will loose your intimacy, you will get tired, depressed. You will begin to hate your faith and your church. Your patience wall begin to fail, as will all you other fruits. You will get sick, eventually you'll become totally unproductive for the kingdom..wondering desperately "is this all this is?"..awake beloved, this is not Christianity…YES there is more…much much more.

What God is doing with us as a church, and world wide today, is restoring the confidence of his love. The wonder of his salvation plan. As this confidence is returning, were seeing Christians rise up in authority, were seeing more healings that ever before, and were seeing signs and wonders. People are becoming confidant, sharing the gospel out there. Strongholds are broken over people and people are coming free. (story of lady in church)

Romans 3:20 through the law we become conscious of sin. 21But now righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

This is a time for faith. A time for us to believe the promises of God. We have been saved through Jesus. We have the two gifts. The gift Righteousness and of Gods abundant grace. The power of this leads to praise and gratitude. This leads to reigning in life.