Do You Accept Yourself?

Do you have any Christmas gifts you have not opened from last Christmas yet?   I doubt you do. Most people can't wait to open their gifts. In fact, if you have a Christmas gift you have not opened by now, something must be wrong and maybe you need counseling! Just kidding. I ask this because of the obvious ludicrousy of this scenario - having a gift but never opening it.

Yet, in our ministry we have discovered that many, if not most, Christians have a gift from God they have never opened.   They were given this gift the moment they were saved. This gift has not been taken back by God. We have had it every single day, every single minute since the day of our salvation. It is the gift of righteousness.

Romans 5:17 is one of my very favorite verses in the Bible. In it, the Holy Spirit writes, "Those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."   Let's unpack that verse carefully.   The main overarching idea is God has provided a way for us to live our lives in the way He always intended. We have the potential to live life to the max! But how?   First, live every day by grace. The opposite of grace is to live life by rules or by self-help. To live by grace means to live daily enjoying Jesus Christ in us and then depending on Him to live through us. Second, we need to "receive" the gift of righteousness. This does not mean you and I don't have the gift of righteousness. It means, because of our lack of understanding the gospel, we really haven't "unwrapped" this precious incredibly valuable gift.  

So how do we unwrap or receive the gift of righteousness?   The truth is simple, but believing the truth here may be difficult for you. To receive the gift of righteousness it means that you must believe God made you totally righteous in your identity in Christ the moment He saved you. This does not mean you have or will live a perfectly righteous life, but it does mean that who you are deep within, is a righteous son or daughter of God.

One time, I asked a young married man, who was a believer in Christ, "How righteous are you"?   He paused and said, "Well it depends upon the day". He had not received the free gift of righteousness. His gift was unwrapped.

So, here is the million dollar question. Do you believe that you are righteous through your faith in Christ (not your good deeds or obedience to God)? 

            Until next time, remember He love us!          

Live Free In Christ, Mark Maulding, President Founder GraceLifeInternational.com