From The Inside Out
When a person understands that they are made righteous by the blood of Jesus, our view of how we approach God changes from a sense of unworthiness to a sense of confidence; even as a child approaches a loving father.
Romans 4:24 But for us also it shall be counted (Like Abraham who because he believed it was counted unto him as righteousness) if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; (vs25) who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The incredible reality uncovered in the verses above reveals to us that we are justified by faith. Father God could not have raised Jesus from the dead had He still had our sins upon Him, but because the blood of Jesus fully paid the price for our sins in death, at the same measure we are fully justified in His life!
Romans 5:1 THEREFORE! Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (vs 2) by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the glory of God!
In order to live the abundant life Jesus has made available for us, it is almost impossible to talk too much about the importance of being conscious of already being made righteous through Jesus.
When we are more conscious of our sin or of the Law of Moses than we are that we have become the righteousness of God in Christ, then our confidence and strength as believers fades away along with our joy.
What we are most conscious of will be what comes out of our lives, whether it is our shortcomings, failures and offenses or our unfaltering right standing before God - a right standing not based on our works, but based on the finished work of Christ.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The heart of the Old Covenant which stands pointing at us with an accusing finger, although good and holy, has been replaced with a welcome sign for all who believe! In the New Covenant, we can approach the throne of God’s Grace with boldness at any given time. Not just when we feel righteous, but we can come even when we “feel” like we have disappointed God or when we know we have truly messed up, because Jesus is right there to present us to His Father as holy.
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
(vs20) by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh, (vs21) and having a High Priest over the house of God, (vs22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water
A good way to remove any doubt that our Father in heaven really loves us is to rid our mind of law-based thinking. The rule-based system that Israel had to live under has been replaced with a new and better way. The New Covenant is designed to remind us of how right, good, loved and forgiven we are as believers in Jesus. This is why when we do sin, we feel bad because He who is Holy lives within us and He is faithful and just to forgive.
The Old Covenant was designed to remind Israel of their sins and the continual need to “get right” with God. Year after year, the priests had to continually bring the burnt sacrifices to atone for the sins, but could never clear the conscience.
Hebrews 10:11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. (vs12) But this man (Jesus) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins FOREVER sat down on the right hand of God
Our High Priest, Jesus, is seated because the work is done!
In Hebrews 9:13 we see how the blood of the old covenant, that of bulls and goats, was able to sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, but in vs 14 we see “How much more” the blood of Christ is able to also purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God!
The Old Covenant tries to make us righteous by obeying rules - changing us from the outside in - but the New Covenant makes us righteous by the blood of Jesus and changes us from the inside out.
