HE IS - I AM : LIVING OUT OF MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST!
HE IS RIGHTEOUS—I AM RIGHT.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21.
Apr 25 He is - I am. Righteous
His Kingdom is the world I live from and look forward to!
I do not have to succumb to the spirit of the age… I can … release his glorious presence into the world. …. I never have to settle for second best….i hold a position in Christ, with advantages beyond simple human rights… I am never in need of anything…. for i have abundant resources… p.50 HIIA
My Heavenly Father’s culture supersedes all cultures, his kingdom rules over all kingdoms, and his power is greater than any and all other powers. p.50
2 Peter 3:13
But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
Matthew 28:18
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Ephesians 2:19-21
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:1-7
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:20
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Bible Story: 2 Kings 6:8-23 Elisha and his servant
Reflection:
Imagine it, “a world filled with God’s righteousness” 2 Peter 3:13.
God’s righteousness in my life is a sign that I am part of his family, I am part of the house God is building on planet earth. A house he is excited to dwell in. The scriptures tell me to that the earth is no longer my true home but that I have become a citizen of heaven all because of my relationship with Christ. In fact, at present I am seated in the Heavenlies. This shift in perspective can’t help but shape how I live my life on earth.
A fun memory of mine when I first came to Drayton. I bought one of those huge bags of earth, you know to fill the flower gardens around the house with. One of the folks came by the church parking lot. They got out of their vehicle, walked up the lawn, looked at me and then at the bag of earth and said, “who pays money to buy dirt?” Obviously, I was doing things differently than from where this person came from.
As citizen’s of heaven, I think things we do might seem strange to others who are not coming from this place. The story of Elisha and his servant is one of amazing grace. It reveals a life lived where God is righteous and I am right-or all is well. It comes from being of another place or kingdom, seeing things from heaven’s perspective. It comes with the desire to help others see and walk in what you know because of your relationship with God. That day the servant got to know, see and watch the kingdom of God change the reality of the world he was familiar with.
Stay close to God, like Elisha did, and I’m convinced the world around us, more and more, will be filled with God’s righteousness! Just like it was in our story from 2 Kings.