Thursday, May 12, 2005

Boasting in the beauty of his holiness

"The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done"

" This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truely know me and understand that I am the Lord who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things." I the Lord have spoken." A time is coming", says the Lord, " when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit....." Jeremiah 9:23-25

Jesus has clearly warned "Unless your righteousness surpasses (exceeds) that of the pharisees, YOU CAN NOT ENTER the kingdom of God at all." (Matthew 5:20)

Jesus said: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Never murder. Whoever murders will answer for it in court.' But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire. "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift. "Make peace quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. Otherwise, he will hand you over to the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. I can guarantee this truth: You will never get out until you pay every penny of your fine. "You have heard that it was said, 'Never commit adultery.' But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart. "So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it thrown into hell. And if your right hand leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it go into hell. "It has also been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice.' But I can guarantee that any man who divorces his wife for any reason other than unfaithfulness makes her look as though she has committed adultery. Whoever marries a woman divorced in this way makes himself look as though he has committed adultery. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Never break your oath, but give to the Lord what you swore in an oath to give him.' But I tell you don't swear an oath at all. Don't swear an oath by heaven, which is God's throne, or by the earth, which is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, which is the city of the great King. And don't swear an oath by your head. After all, you cannot make one hair black or white. Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one. "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to oppose an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well. If someone wants to sue you in order to take your shirt, let him have your coat too. If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to everyone who asks you for something. Don't turn anyone away who wants to borrow something from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust. If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that! Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that! That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. "(Matthew5:21-46)

Your ways are not my ways, your thoughts are higher than mine oh Lord!

The thoughts, attitudes, motives and heart of Jesus super-exceeded any outward, external deed or "goodness" that any human ever will do or has ever accomplished. The only righteousness that exceeded that of the pharisees was the righteousness of Jesus, who was WITHOUT sin. He was fully human, like all of his own creation and yet perfect in full and complete dependence on the Father and obedience to His will. (Hebrews 2) Therefore, the only one worthy and acceptable of entering the Kingdom of God was the son of God.

Jesus your life, death and resurrection are my ONLY hope of entering the life and rest of God....my ONLY hope of acceptance and favor with God. Hallelujah! Jesus you alone are my source of righteousness. Jesus you alone are my covering and access to the Holy of Holies. You are the way, the truth and the life. Only through you can I come boldly as a child to my Father's lap. What joy! What freedom! What amazing restoration! You are my gate to lush green pastures and to life in all it's fullness. You are my door to the kingdom of God!

"How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jeus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of the Son, and our sins are forgiven. "Ephesians1:1-7

" Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don't you hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman. But the one by the slave was born according to the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things are illustrations, for the women represent the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery--this is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: Rejoice, O barren woman who does not give birth. Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate are many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as then the child born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so also now. But what does the Scripture say? Throw out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never inherit with the son of the free woman. Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman." Galations 4:21-31

"The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature.But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His only Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destryed sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us (who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit)." Romans 8:3,4

All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. My belief and trust in you will show itself through dependence on and obedience to your Holy Spirit.

"And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6

" For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh--although I once had confidence in the flesh too. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ--the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. "Philippians 3: 3:14

Oh my sweet Jesus, you are my righteousness and I openly sing your praises!

1 comment:

silent wings said...

"Remission of sins is not based on human merit, but on the Lord's crucifixon; regeneration is not based on human merit, but on the Lord's resurrection; and the enduement with the Holy Spirit is not based on human merit, but on the Lord's exultation....Because the Lord Jesus died on the cross, I have received forgiveness of sins, because the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, I have received new life; because the Lord Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of the Father, I have received the outpoured Spirit. ALL IS BECAUSE OF HIM: NOTHING IS BECAUSE OF ME."
(Watchmen Nee)

Hallelujah!!!!!!