Wednesday May 4, 2011

Read 2 Peter 1:1, passage re righteousness of God

There’s a direct correlation between the gift a child receives and the expression on his/her face. The bigger or more expensive the gift, the greater the joy and exuberance at receiving it.

To understand the enormity of the gift of faith we have received from God we have to dwell a little on His righteousness. You have received the gift of faith through the righteousness of God. That’s an easy phrase to skip over and to miss. When we talk of the righteousness of God we mean that God is so holy and so just that He will punish all sin and wickedness. By accepting the righteousness of God we admit that we too deserve His wrath and anger because we too have the stains of unrighteousness on our record.

For you and I to be given the gift of faith meant that our unrighteousness had to be dealt with. It couldn’t be forgotten or just swept under the carpet. It couldn’t be ignored and pretended not to be there. It could not be passed over as irrelevant. God in His righteousness has to deal justly with our sins. To understand the seriousness of sin, think about  a bride on her wedding day. Even the smallest spot or stain will ruin the dress and the day. God is purer and more holy than the whitest wedding dress. The smallest sin stands out like that stain on the dress and has to be dealt with.

God in His righteousness dealt with our sins completely and justly. He gave it the complete punishment that it deserved. God poured out His anger and indignation for our sins, for each and every single one of them... but He didn’t pour it out on us. He

poured it out on His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

What stirs in your heart as you read that? Do tears of joy well up at the grace you have received? I hope they do. Do you choke on the tears knowing that God’s love was so great that He didn’t spare His only Son, His one and only Son.  He gave up His beloved and infinitely close Son to cruel treatment, to whipping, to scourging, to betrayal, to cruel nails ... even to death and separation from Himself. God the Father turned His face away from God the Son so that you can be granted faith.

Prayer:-

V Spend time praising God for what He’s done for you in giving you the gift of faith.  Spend time praising God  over Scripture. Use Romans 8:1 or 1 John 1:9. See below for an example.

V Spend time praying for the India Mission Team and the Myanmar Mission Team. Pray that God would be working powerfully to bind the team, to pave the way for productive work to be done and to bring great blessings to both orphanages and colleges.

An example of praise based on Romans 8:1.

“Father God, you are so righteous and holy. You have given up your one and only son Jesus to die on the cross for all my sins. Thank you Lord God for loving me enough to send Jesus to die on the cross. Thank you God that through Jesus I face no condemnation. I praise you that you have done all this for me, even when I was a sinner and still rejecting you. I praise you that I will be with you in heaven for all eternity….’

An example of prayer based on 1 John 1:9.

‘Lord God Almighty you are a holy God. Your word is truth. In your word I read that anyone who steals commits a sin. Father I have sinned. I have acted against you and your word. Forgive me Father. I  promise to never steal again. I will not place myself in tempting situations… You are righteous Lord and I praise you that through        Jesus’ blood shed on the cross I have complete forgiveness for stealing. Thank you God for loving me enough to send Jesus to die on the cross….’

Incorporating this kind of  prayer and praise into your daily prayer time will bring about deep seated change. As you praise God for forgiving you for your specific sins and as you praise Him for His grace to you, it will become harder to sin and easier to choose that which pleases the God you’ve been praising all week.

Write down the issue or sin you are struggling with. Be specific and  detailed.

Spend time telling God that you are sorry for your sin. Ask God to forgive you for the sin. Admit He is right and you were wrong. Promise to work against that sin in the future. Read 1 John 1:9 and praise God.