Convicted Of Righteousness

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Monday November 10, 2008

I've been to countless churches where the focus of the sermons and the teachings is almost always SIN!
For Christians to have their focus on sin is so completely unscriptural that it's appalling!!

The Bible tells us what to think about:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

We are told here that we should think about the things that fall into all the listed categories.

We are told to think about whatever is "noble". Is sin noble??? Is sin right??? Is sin pure??? Is sin lovely??? Is sin admirable??? Is sin excellent??? Is sin praiseworthy???

The answers to the above questions are: no, no, no, no, no, no, and no!!
Therefore, according to the Bible we are NOT to be thinking about SIN!!!

Yet pastors get in their pulpits every week and continually bring up the subject, bringing condemnation on their own local body with the devil's tool: LAW!! Christians are NOT supposed to even be THINKING about "law" and "sin", and yet they are often FORCED to on Sunday morning by a zealous pastor who is sin-minded!!

We are not supposed to be sin-minded!! Sin-mindedness brings CONDEMNATION, and according to the Bible, there IS no condemnation for us!!

Romans 8:1,2 (NIV)
1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2. because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

We have been set FREE from the law of sin and death!! The law of sin and death was the devil's ammunition against us; it was how he could rightfully accuse us before God the Father!! But now the law is cancelled, and the devil HAS no ammunition against the children of God!!

Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)
13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, 14. having CANCELED the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The devil has been cast down from Heaven (John 12:31) and is prowling about like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour; because he can't devour just anyone!! The only people he can devour are those who are SIN-MINDED; because he can accuse them, and sin-minded people will react with fear and condemnation!!

1 Peter 5:8,9 (NIV)
8. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

We are to be "self-controlled and alert" because the devil will come at us with condemnation every chance he can get!! The devil's tactics haven't changed: he still promotes fear with CONDEMNATION!!

Yet God gave us the Holy Spirit to make sure we are ENCOURAGED and remember the gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS we have been GIVEN!!!

John 16:8-11 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
8. When he comes (the Holy Spirit), he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9. in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10. in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11. and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Did you notice that the only "sin" the Holy Spirit convicts the world of is not believing in Jesus????? That's right; the Holy Spirit is not "convicting believers of sin" or even convicting unbelievers of their lust, hate, and debauchery!!! The only sin He convicts the world of is "NOT BELIEVING IN JESUS", because THAT is the only sin that sends people to hell!!

Did you also notice that the Holy Spirit convicts us of RIGHTEOUSNESS??? No, He's NOT convicting you of sin, He's convicting you of RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! The Bible tells us that righteousness was GIVEN to us as a GIFT!!

Romans 5:17 (NIV)
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, 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.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Your new "born again" self is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness!!! We just need to "put on" that new self; being "convicted" of the RIGHTEOUSNESS we've been GIVEN!!

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23. to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24. and to put on the NEW SELF, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

The next time someone tries to get you to think about sin, just remember that the LAW is CANCELLED!!! And according to the Bible, where there is no law, there is no sin!!!!

Romans 4:14,15 (NIV)
14. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 5. because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

When you screw up, confess it to God, forget about it, and get up on your feet and start walking with God again!!! God already blotted out your sins!! He can't use people who are wasting their time dwelling on sin!!! There's work to be done.
WE are the people who have already RECEIVED the gift!!! We are not the problem any more!! We need to be self-controlled and alert, and be aware of the devil's condemnation, so we can LAUGH AT IT!!! We can be useful in the Kingdom Of God if we will only be convicted of the righteousness we ALREADY HAVE!!!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for delivering me from the time of wrath. Thank you for your perfect love for me. Help me to stay in a constant state of being convicted of the righteousness I have received from You as a gift, so I can be useful in Your Kingdom!!
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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