In Position

Ephesians 1:3  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Jesus came to earth to redeem us, renovate us and restore us to a place of blessing.  John 10:10 reveals His purpose, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  It’s no secret that God wants to bless His children.  He wants you to have the best in life – spiritually and physically.  We are designed to reign in life.

Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we enter into the family of God, and obtain a new position in Christ.  The Bible says that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. 

2 Cor 5:21 “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.”

The word “righteousness” means right-standing with God.  According to Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words, righteousness is “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.”

Righteousness is not something you can obtain, or earn.  It is something you become when you accept Jesus as Lord.  E.W. Kenyon defined righteousness as the ability to stand before God without condemnation or guilt.  It is also the ability to stand in the presence of Satan without any fear or sense of inferiority.

The devil’s strategy is to get you out of this position, out of place and out of God’s will.  His goal is to get you out of alignment.

If you have ever been to a chiropractor, you know that they often test the function of the muscle groups to assess performance.  I once asked my chiropractor why he performed one particular test every visit.  His answer was simple.  He said if this particular area is out of alignment, nothing works right!  The chiropractor makes adjustments to the spine to keep it in alignment, which thereby helps everything else in the body to work correctly.

If things seem out of place in our lives, we might need to make a spiritual “adjustment.”

Ask yourself these simple questions:

(1) Have I been walking in love? Galatians 5:6 reminds us that faith works by love.  When we lose love, we lose our way.

1 John 2:11 says, “But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

Love is not a feeling or inclination.  Love is a choice, backed up by action.

(2) Have I been walking in forgiveness? Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Remember the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18?  The debt that Jesus forgave us does not even compare to any debt that you feel someone owes you.  Let it go!  Holding a grudge against someone causes more hurt to you than the person with whom you are upset.  Besides, while you are at home pouting, they are out dancing and having a good time!  We are the ones who stay bound until the point we choose to forgive.

(3) Have I been spending time in the Word and prayer?

Have you been reading His word?  When we fail to renew our minds with God’s Word, we can get caught up in the world, and not submitted to His will - which is His Word.  Hebrews 4:12 (Amplified) reveals the immeasurable power of His word to restore and realign.

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Likewise, staying in two-way communication with God through prayer keeps us aligned with God.  "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).  As we draw near to God, He draws near to us.  As we abide in Him, His words abide in us.  As we continue in prayer, His desires become our desires and pave the pathway for our future.  James 5:16 discloses the outcome of prayer from His righteous ones – it is powerful and effective!  You will have an increased capacity for clarity and direction by staying in fellowship with God through prayer and His word.”

Righteousness is being “in position” with the Lord.  It is dependent upon our relationship with God through Jesus.  Fellowship is broken when we sin, but can easily be restored by confessing it, asking for forgiveness and turning from it.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Stay in position, follow after God with all your heart, and experience His best for your life. 

Matthew 6:33  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God , and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”