Righteousness by faith - the essence of the gospel of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers, do you wonder why many in the body of Christ are still sick, weak, under oppression and living in fear today? I believe it is because many do not believe that our Heavenly Father gives us all things freely according to Romans 8:32 - 

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

In Matthew 10:8, Jesus said: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

This command is for ALL believers. Remember we are joint heirs with Christ. But thanks to those who Paul describes in Galatians 1 as preaching a different gospel, many believers are not freely receiving/freely giving today!

This is evident in many churches where you are asked to "come fasting," or “stop sinning” so that you can receive your miracle (only Jesus can deliver from sin and death. Paul says in Romans 7:18 "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.")

People are even asked to do things like "bring your childhood picture!" in order to break curses that Christ has already redeemed all believers from; (Galatians 3:13 tells us that "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law")

These false teachers preach a different gospel – a mixture of law and grace - leading the sheep in their care to believe that unless they, by their own effort, follow their 'nine steps to healing and deliverance,' keep the Ten Commandments or buy their books and handkerchiefs, God will not supply their needs.

Instead of telling people about God's gift of righteousness in Christ, they lavish the Law (WHICH DID NOT COME THROUGH CHRIST) and subsequently condemnation on people that God loves so much, telling them that unless they do or stop doing some things, they cannot obtain favour from God or be delivered from evil. How can a Saviour who came to save us from our sins use those very sins as an excuse for not saving us? 

Believers, it is having this very mindset that makes Christians unable to enjoy and share God’s blessings which are freely given. Romans 8:32 says "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

Our Heavenly Father gives us ALL things freely with no terms and conditions. If you are struggling with sin, He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will help you to overcome that sin - this is why Jesus came. To save.

Under the Law is where nothing is freely given. And when a believer is under the Law, Christ becomes of no effect in his life – Galatians 5:4 – “For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.”

Outside Christ’s righteousness, the curse and judgment that come with living by the law (which no one can keep) is free to manifest in the lives of believers!

Believers, it is our Lord’s gift of no condemnation that makes us go and sin no more; not more doing; not more works! We are righteous by faith, not by our works. Even the holiest pastor in the world is filthy in the eyes of God if he presents his holy lifestyle as evidence of his righteousness. The works of the law can never make anyone righteous in God’s sight according to Romans 3:20 – “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

James 2:10 tells us that all it takes to be guilty of the whole law is one sin. Without God’s gift of righteousness through Christ, that one that only lied about how much he earns and that child-molesting murderer are in the same boat of unrighteousness.

Preaching the Law (that people have to keep the Ten Commandments in order to be righteous or saved) will only produce more sin. The Law gives sin its power. 1 Cor 15:56 – “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.” If we could stop sinning and obey the Ten Commandments, Jesus would not have needed to come and save us from sin.

But many people still preach that believers need to stand in their own righteousness (deliver themselves from sin or do works) before God will help them. This is like saying what Jesus finished at the cross is not enough and we can complete the rest. To think that we can do this is pride! You find that the preachers of this horrid mixture of law and grace have a monopoly over the list of things that you have to do in order to get right with God/be healed, break curses or overcome oppression, (all of which are freely given in Christ), even down to pre-prepared prayer points. This smacks of Old Testament processes (the Law) where the high priests were the only ones who could tell God’s people what kind of animal to bring, what to do, what to say, etc, in order to be forgiven or cleansed!

But the Law is not of faith! And without faith, it is impossible to please God. So you cannot please God by keeping the Ten Commandments.

John 1:17 says “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” They are different and cannot mix.

Believers in Christ, praise the Lord that we are not under law but under grace. In Christ, we are no longer servants. We are children of God. He delivers us from trouble when we call on Him and blesses us not because of the things we do or don’t do but because of what Jesus has done. His Spirit transforms us and helps us live right, not our determination.

Without pre-prepared prayer points and orders from human high priests, we can freely enjoy our Heavenly Father’s blessings. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. Because He took our place on the cross and made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), our prayers and praises are perfect in our Heavenly Father’s eyes, just the way they are. Think about it. Which would move you to bless your child more – a bad-looking but hand-written birthday card made for you by your beloved child or a generic, fancy Hallmark greeting card that someone bought for him to present to you?

Believers, we are not under law but under grace. Not a single person that was healed under the New Covenant that Christ cut for us with His blood had to “prepare” in order to receive their healing or deliverance. The man that was lame from his mother’s womb in Acts 3 did not fast for a second before he received his healing from Christ through Peter and John. He received freely.

The possessed that were delivered and the lame/paralyzed that were healed in Acts 8 received their miracles not by what they did but because they heard Phillip preaching Christ!

Check out how Aeneas got healed in Acts 9: 32 "Meanwhile, Peter travelled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly.”"

Peter just happened (of course our Lord arranged it!) to come across this man during his visit! No ceremony or preps on his part or that of the bed-ridden man before his healing! Even raising Tabitha from the dead a few verses after did not demand a trip to the mountain. Peter simply prayed and asked the dead woman to get up – and she did.

Above all, when our Saviour Jesus walked the earth, He healed ALL that came to Him without asking if they had fasted or sinned. Bear in mind that nobody was born-again at this time because He was yet to take our place on the cross! Even unbelievers can receive freely from Christ! Luke 6:17 tells us that He healed everyone who came to hear Him and be healed by Him. Unbelievers get healed and then, they believe!

Believers, Christ in us performs the miracles, not us. We receive all things freely. You know you're using your efforts when you think that praying for 10 seconds will suffice for someone with a headache but more effort needs to be put into praying for a cancer patient: the prayer needs to be hours long and has to be done in the middle of the night with dry fasting and at a dangerous location so that God can answer:) There is rest in Christ.

I don't know about you but whether we give our kids what they ask for or not and how fast we respond to their requests does not depend on how much they shout and squeeze their faces when they ask. They can shout if they are in pain but not in order to be heard. It does not depend on how much they've read our biographies, what time they ask, where they're asking from or how many meals they skipped before asking. If we consider it needful, harmless or good for them, we give it to them, at the time that we feel is best for them to have it. It is also our job to train them well so that they don't misbehave. In Christ, our Heavenly Father loves us much more than this. His Spirit teaches us all things too. His Spirit is in us to transform us to live right and do His will, not us. We can't because in our flesh dwells no good according to Romans 7:18 -

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."

Believers, let’s not be deceived by peddlers of a different gospel. Paul asks us in Galatians 3:5 – “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—…"

By listening to preaching of the word of faith (not the Ten Commandments but Grace because the letter kills), our Heavenly Father supplies us with His Spirit and works miracles among us. Saves us!

Also, 1 Corinthians 1:21 says “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.”

The word “saved” here is not just being saved to go to heaven; it is also deliverance from the molestation of enemies and redemption from all earthly ills. It is being saved from the penalty, power and pleasure of sin!

Believers, in Christ, we have free access into the Holy of Holies/the presence of our heavenly Father! Please beware of preachers of a different gospel – those who preach justification by works and not justification by faith. Those who give you lists of things to do before you can receive from the Lord. These people have taken on the role of high priest. They are not your high priest. I’m quite sure if you looked on their backs, they don’t carry scars of the stripes by which you were healed!

The justification by works that James 2 speaks of is justification before man and not before God. The works that James used as examples are not in line with the Law - Abraham was going to kill his son and Rahab lied about the spies to her own people. These things are against the Law! 

Jesus Christ is our High Priest and all we need to do to be saved is believe! Believe that you have been made righteous in Him (seek God's righteousness, not yours) and all other things will be added unto you - including the grace to live right and deliverance, health, every blessing!

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right!