Understanding our Righteouness in God

“ not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” Philippians 3: 9.

No amount of law-keeping, self improvement, discipline or religious effort can make us right with God. The righteousness that comes from God is by faith through Christ. If it was by law or works, none of us would be right with God for His standards are way beyond our reach.

Our righteousness comes by trusting Christ for God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5: 21. At our conversion, Christ righteousness is poured into us for God’s offer is to trade His righteousness for our sin.

By nature we tend to be attracted to that which is contrary to God. However when we accept Christ as our Lord and savior, God works in us “ both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2: 13. God knowing our nature and weaknesses helps us to want to obey Him and also gives us the power to do His will.

God does not leave us alone in our struggles, but instead He comes alongside us and help us to “work out” our salvation, Philippians 2:12. When we make mistakes, we know that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1: 9.

Confession eases our consciences and lightens our cares which helps us to be at peace with God. Unconfessed sin gives the devil ammunition with which to continuously torment us. True confession involves a commitment not to continue sinning because one has a changed heart and not because they are caught.

In admitting our sins and in seeking forgiveness through repentance not only do we defeat the devil in his whiles against us but we also;

a) Agree with God that our sin is truly sin and that we are willing to turn from it

b) Ensure that we do not conceal the sin from God and also from ourselves

c) We recognize our tendency to sin and in the process choose to rely on God for sustenance
Our goal as Christians should be to know Christ and becoming more like Him. To do so we must lay aside anything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. This could be a relationship, a job or material things, only you know .

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503081_understanding-our-righteousness-in-god#ixzz1PlGz5lXs

Believing and Receiving the Desires of Your heart

“ Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” Proverbs 37: 4-5.

God does not change and neither does He give us things in a silver platter. Instead God changes us and our perspective in order for us to see things the way they truly are. Once we are changed we perceive things differently and are then able to change the situation.

Indeed Christ taught that “whatever things you shall ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” Mathew 21:22. He taught this message after He commanded a fig tree to die due to its lack of fruit and “immediately the fig tree withered away” (Mathew 21: 18). His disciples marveled that this could happen just by Christ speaking on the tree. Christ assured them that all it takes is faith without doubt of what one believes for the thing to come to Pass.

If God has given you a vision which looks impossible because of your current situation or because of the many obstacles facing you, remember the story of the fig tree and the words of Christ that “if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain , ’Be thou removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done” Mathew 21: 21.

The mountain maybe a financial handicap, a sickness, age, but whatever the mountain is, what you believe and have faith for, you will attract.  How then can we ensure we get the desire of our heart?

Ways to actualize your desire

1) Formulate a goal, one that is sharp, clearly defined and specific and not a fuzzy vague goal. Remember however that "a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" Proverbs 16: 9.

2) Pray about the goal to ensure that you are in step with the Lord. Christ taught that we ought to pray without ceasing until we recieve what it is we want based on our faith, Luke 18: 1

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503089_believing-and-receiving-the-desires-of-your-heart#ixzz1NwwooE57

Understanding Your Righteousness in God

“ not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” Philippians 3: 9.

No amount of law-keeping, self improvement, discipline or religious effort can make us right with God. The righteousness that comes from God is by faith through Christ. If it was by law or works, none of us would be right with God for His standards are way beyond our reach.

Our righteous comes by trusting Christ for God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5: 21. At our conversion, Christ righteousness is poured into us for God’s offer is to trade His righteousness for our sin.

By nature we tend to be attracted to that which is contrary to God. However when we accept Christ as our Lord and savior, God works in us “ both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2: 13. God knowing our nature and weaknesses helps us to want to obey Him and also gives us the power to do His will.

God does not leave us alone in our struggles, but instead He comes alongside us and help us to “work out” our salvation, Philippians 2:12. When we make mistakes, we know that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1: 9.

Confession eases our consciences and lightens our cares which helps us to be at peace with God. Unconfessed sin gives the devil ammunition with which to continuously torment us. True confession involves a commitment not to continue sinning because one has a changed heart and not because they are caught.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503081_understanding-our-righteousness-in-god#ixzz1NwvD0ESt

Real and True Love Defined

Human beings are a product of creation. Evolutionist may argue against this, and that is their prerogative which nevertheless does not change the truth. Anyway, considering that humans are created beings, they must start with their creator to understand themselves. For this reason, God has given them a manual in the form of the Bible for all truths.

Love, as a word is uttered or confessed so easily and so loosely. Many will say “I love it”, I love him/her” in reference to their emotional feelings. But what really is love? Is it an emotion that changes with circumstances? How does one attain or experience love and how is it manifested?

The Bible teaches that “God is love” 1 John 4:8. Notice it says God is love not love is God. The world has turned the word around and in the process contaminated our understanding of love. When we turn the words around we define God based on our shallow understanding of love

People assume that love is what makes a person feel good regardless of what that means. For this reason it is okay to sacrifice moral principles and others rights in order to obtain such “love”. But real love is the exact opposite and is not selfish. Real love is like God who is holy, just and perfect.

If we truly love God we will try to emulate Him in love. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Christ answered, “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And for the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself ” Mathew 22: 37-39.

One will notice that the second greatest commandment hinges on the first. To really understand love, we must first experience the love of God. Before we can know how to love ourselves and others we must first experience God’s love which is giving, freeing and affirming.

Before being crucified, Jesus Christ told His disciples that “ As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love” John 15: 11. Christ was in effect passing on to his disciples what He had received from God the Father, which is love, and was asking his disciples to pass this love to others.

Christ also showed that the condition to enjoying this love required obedience to His commandments. After teaching about what was required to abide in the love of God, Christ then goes ahead and gives His commandment which is “that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. ---- These things I command you, that you love one another” John 15:  12-13, 17.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/483337_real-and-true-love-defined#ixzz1JNBgSPFy

The Spiritual Life.

The nature of the human person before sin entered his being was righteousness and holiness. This is evident by the way he related to God in the Garden of Eden. God had warned Adam that if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die, Genesis 2:17. By eating from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve sinned against God and were thus forbidden to eat from the tree of life which was also in the Garden of Eden. The consequence of this was a separation from God and a miss of eternal life with God.

Scripture says that God is holy and those who worship Him must purify themselves. Indeed David writes “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol” Psalm 24: 3-4. God has set standards for us just like He did with Adam and Eve. Read full article at http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-spiritual-life/