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

The Power of Knowing God by Name, Part 2

As discussed in Part I of this article, it is important to know God by His name for He manifest to us in various ways which reveals His attributes and nature.


As scripture teaches, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1. To know the word is to know God, for “He is”. In the first part we discussed God as EloHim, El Elyon and as El Roi. In this article we continue discussing God’s name according to His attributes, character and nature.

4) El Shaddai (The All-Sufficient one): God revealed Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai at Abrahams 90th birthday during which He also changed his name from Abrams to Abrahams. God said to Abram, “I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between Me and you, and you will multiply exceedingly” Genesis 17:1-2. On hearing this Abram “fell on his face” , Genesis 17:3.

El as previously discussed in part one means power or might and is always attributed to God. The translation for Shaddai is not as clear in its meaning amongst scholars. One view leans towards a definition of God in His might and power as seen in His judgments. Another view sees it to mean “the pourer or shedder forth, that is of blessings, temporal and spiritual---”. Both views, in my opinion manifest God as Almighty.

On the one hand, God is experienced as mighty and powerful and able to and does exercise judgments. On the other hand God is experienced as a Father who pours forth to His creations; who has, “shed forth His Spirit” to His people . Abraham needed to experience God as El Shaddai, for at 90 years and Sarah 89 years, they had no children of their own despite God‘s promise to bless them with an heir.

God established a covenant with Abrams and called him Abraham, which means father of nations. God then promised to make Abraham and his descendants extremely fruitful as well as promising that nations and kings would come from him. God went further to allocate the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants “as an everlasting possession” Genesis 17: 5-8. All God expected of Abraham was for him and his descendants to keep his covenant with God, Genesis 17:9-14.

God wants us to know Him as El shaddai and to trust Him with our weaknesses and failures. He works through our weaknesses to reveal His power and establish Himself as the Almighty God. All He expects of us is obedience to His word as revealed in the scriptures and made clear by the Holy Spirit living in us. It is not possible in the natural for a man of 90years and a woman of 89 years to bear children, yet with El Shaddai nothing is impossible.

No matter what you may be going through or what you think is impossible either because of your physical limitation or financial burden, let El Shaddai be true to His name. If you need a place of refuge and cannot get it in the world, run to El Shaddai whose might will shield you against your adversity. If what you need is impossible in the eyes of men, run to El Shaddai for He pours out His being in our weaknesses and makes the impossible, possible.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/400163_the-power-of-knowing-god-by-name-part-2#ixzz1IDH34CIC