RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS
Wednesday – January 18, 2017
Wow, ‘hump day’ already! Praise the Lord for another day to listen to that still small voice and do the Word of God by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Let us dive right back into our Bible study picking up with our texts in Ephesians and 2 Corinthians.
Ephesians 4:23-24 (KJV)
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We have been discussing at some length this idea of being renewed, renovated, in the spirit of our mind and putting on the new man. This new man is like God created to be righteous and holy as God is righteous and holy. When we receive Jesus as our Lord, we are in Him, cleansed by the Blood, we instantly have right standing with the Father or what is commonly called righteousness in the Holy Scripture. We have the same standing with the Father in that moment that Jesus has with the Father. We are also made holy as he is holy meaning that we have by the step of salvation chosen to be set apart from the world for the purposes of God.
The term ‘in Christ’ brings with it the meaning that we are not only fully submitted to the Lordship of Jesus but we are also fully submitted to the leadership of the Holy Spirit meaning that we must have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let me be clear, you can receive Jesus, reject the idea of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, and go to Heaven. The problem here is that you have half a deal. You have the authority back given of God in the Garden of Eden but no Power to enforce the authority. This means the devil can have High Holiday in your life. Let’s review the Scriptures. First the return of authority or dominion in the earth but now in Heaven as well (Adam did not have authority or dominion in Heaven).
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Notice Jesus reacquired the authority man lost with sin in the Garden and He immediately gave it back to mankind saying: [You] Go in verse nineteen (nineteen is the number of faith) above. Jesus then gives those we who were to witness His ascension to the right hand of the Father further instructions.
Luke 24:46-49 (KJV)
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
The power spoken of in verse forty-nine above is miracle working power. It is impossible to do the will of God, fulfill the plan of God, do the things Jesus did and the greater things without both authority and the Power of God. Remember in the Garden Adam was given dominion (authority) and the Blessing (Power). Brother and sister through the mercy and sacrifice of God we have been given the opportunity to a new person, to once again have right standing with unhindered access to God, and once again empowered with not only the authority but the power to get the job done. That job is to be fruitful, to multiply, to replenish the earth, to subdue the earth, be good stewards, to guard the Kingdom of God, not mix good and evil, and to do the works of Jesus and the greater things.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
