His Righteousness alone

Colossians 2 v 6 “As you have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him”

My friend Caroline sent me these encouraging words to share with you today. She said;

This verse of scripture stood out to me the other day, as I began meditating on it and studying it some thoughts began to crystallise.

I thought back to when I first believed on Jesus, not as a child, but later when I rededicated my life to God, the realisation that I couldn’t ‘do it’ without Him, that I desperately wanted and needed Him, that I had nothing to bring to the table, but that He was calling me anyway. He loved me and wanted me, the joy and faith of experiencing His love and acceptance. I remembered how I just accepted Him and loved Him for accepting me.

I also realised how easy it is to slip into legalism, and how this ploy of the enemy robs our joy. It may begin rather subtly as we desire to please God and ‘live right’ but instead of relying on Jesus, begin substituting this by our own effort, and trying to law keep.

I would gently like to remind us, that Christ is our righteousness and He alone by the power of His spirit can enable us to live out this righteousness that has been given as a gift.

Why do we find it so difficult to accept this truth? I would like to share a few thoughts, maybe it’s just my failing? Maybe I am only just ‘seeing’ this truth?

Maybe we are ignorant of the matchless righteousness of God and the standard of holiness He demands. We think that by keeping certain standards and duties, we are doing OK, when actually if we sin in one small thing, under the law we are condemned, this shouldn’t dishearten us, it brings us to a knowledge of the truth that we are dead to the law ( we cannot keep it, and are therefore condemned to death by it), Praise God that we can be married to another! Christ Jesus – Romans 7v4.

We do not see the glory of His righteousness, or the fullness of it, or the value of it to obtain the favour of God. It is the ONLY righteousness of which God is pleased. Help us never to try to establish a righteousness of our own, this is a proud ignorance and ignorant pride.

We can also tell if we have a legal soul, if we are wearied in the way. “He is wearied in his ways, but did not say it is hopeless, but found new life for his strength.” Just redoubling our efforts is not the way forward, but a total trust and reliance on God.

God wants His glory to be seen in the magnitude of His free mercy and grace, legal obedience leaves us deluded and disappointed thinking we can cover ourselves with the tatters of a robe of prayers and duties that we have performed for many years, and that this may cover us.

As long as we are under the command of the law, we remain under the curse of the law, if we pay any attention to the law as a covenant we are a debtor to the whole law. If we are alive in any form to the law, and it can be so subtle, we are not receiving Christ’s righteousness, but leaning on our works of righteousness.

If we would live unto God we must strive to enter the rest of Christ’s righteousness, in this way mercy and grace take all the credit, and Christ will have all the honour, and we will have the peace of God and be enabled to walk in His righteousness, by leaning totally upon Him.

The word is clear, we are the righteousness of God in Christ, not in ourselves, may we never be deceived by the enemy. I pray a greater revelation of these truths for myself and brothers and sisters. There is NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!! AMEN.

Caroline