Category: Righteousness

Thirst Quencher

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 (ESV) You were born with a hole in your heart that only God can fill. Once you respond in faith to the vertical tug of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, you become a new creation. Your earthly appetites are replaced with the heavenly delight of knowing God personally through His Son, Jesus. Measure the treasure of desiring God, because this Spirit-prompted desire brought you into fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Your eternal destiny is determined by the reality of this vertical relationship. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is a result of an abiding relationship with Jesus that is real, personal, and eternal. You progress from desiring God in salvation to pursuing God in sanctification. You are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. Your hunger for righteousness will be filled. Your thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. Move into spiritual maturity by feasting on God. Righteousness is not an optional spiritual supplement but a spiritual necessity. As you hunger and thirst for His righteousness, your decisions will be guided by God’s economy. Doing life God’s way will become your passionate pursuit. Nothing will appeal to your more than pleasing God and living a life of integrity. Righteousness is the condition acceptable to God. In salvation, the atoning work of Christ on the cross makes you acceptable to God positionally. Now you are to work out your salvation practically as you live a life of instant obedience. Hungering and thirsting for His righteousness becomes your perpetual preoccupation. Desiring God is to be the focus of your conversation and your conduct as a byproduct of your salvation. Continue to grow in your passion for God. Align your life with the heartbeat of God by taking paths that bring Him glory. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

Tags Devo

Blessed Psalms Righteousness

Blessed Nation

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” Psalm 33:12 (ESV) We acknowledge verbally in our pledge of allegiance that we are one nation under God. How accurate is that statement? Are we really one nation under God? The Psalmist affirms that a nation is blessed whose God is the Lord. God has chosen them as His heritage. Would the United States of America fall into that category? We desire the blessing of God. Do we choose to bless God as a nation? We want God to open the floodgates of heaven and pour out his abundance upon us, but are we ready to open our hearts and surrender to the Lordship of Christ as a nation? “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.” Psalm 36:5-6 (ESV) “‘O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!’” Psalm 39:4 (ESV) Affirm the steadfast love of God. Acknowledge the faithfulness of God. Consider the righteousness of God and the soundness of His judgements. Rejoice in the redemptive activity of God. God is sovereign. He rules and He reigns. The Lord God knows the measure of your days and how fleeting you are. Stay humble before the Lord and acknowledge your dependency upon Him. Set the example by honoring Him with your life and validating your faith by your love. Pray for national revival and let it begin in you. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Integrity Job Righteousness

Maintain Integrity

“‘As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.’” Job 27:2-6 (ESV) Your life is like a tube of toothpaste, when squeezed, whatever is on the inside will come out. Adversity has a way of squeezing out fears, frustrations, resentment, and bitterness. By nature, we suppress those things that disappoint us or hurt us. We seek to dodge pain. Job experienced an intense season of testing that revealed what was on the inside of him. Job was honest about his disappointment and transparent about the resident bitterness within his soul. In spite of the avalanche of adversity, Job chose to maintain his integrity. He made a commitment to not speak falsehood, to not utter deceit, and to not put away his integrity. Job resolved to hold fast to his righteousness and not let it go. Everybody looks good from a distance. What do you see when you get close enough to see what is on the inside? How are you doing internally? Maintain integrity by staying close to the Lord and clean before the Lord. Surrender to the Lordship of Christ and make sure that the tongue in your mouth lines up with the tongue in your shoe. Hold fast to the righteousness of Christ. You are positionally right before God in Christ. Apply that positional righteousness through practical righteous living. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Atonement Grace Righteousness

Grace for the Race

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” Galatians 2:21 (ESV) You need grace for the race called life. In Christ, we have experienced the mercy of God in that God did not give us what we deserved. We deserved separation, alienation, and punishment for our sin. God extended His mercy to us by not counting our sins against us. We also are recipients of God’s grace. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We do not deserve God’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. We do not deserve heaven, eternal life, and God’s abiding peace. God graced us with these precious gifts. The same grace that saved you from your sin is needed in living the life God has for you. Paul acknowledged that righteousness could not be gained through the law. Human effort falls woefully short of God’s standard of perfection. God chose to punish sin by allowing Jesus to die on the cross in your place. The penalty for your sin has been paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. God’s gracious act of redemption benefits your life personally and eternally. You will not have to face a Christless eternity. Now that you have been saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus, your eternity in heaven with Jesus is secure. If you could gain righteousness through the law, then Christ died in vain. God was willing to meet you at your greatest point of need and He applied His grace. You have been given God’s riches at Christ’s expense. That’s GRACE! The grace of God saves you and the grace of God keeps you. What are you currently facing that requires the fullness of the grace of God? His grace is more than sufficient! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Christ Perfection Righteousness

Portray Christ

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 (ESV) In the language of the New Testament, the word perfect (Greek: telios) means nothing necessary for completion, finished, mature, complete, having reached the end. Upon conversion, you received the imputed righteousness of Christ. You were made fit for heaven. The righteousness of Christ was deposited into your account. From the moment of conversion on, you embrace the process of becoming who you are in Christ. You begin to workout what God has worked in. “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Col. 1:28 (ESV) “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Rom. 3:21-24 (ESV) God’s standard is perfection. In your human effort, you will never measure up to God’s standard. Jesus has met the standard on your behalf. The Christian life is not about your ability to live up to God’s standard. The Christian life is about surrendering to the Lordship of Christ and allowing Him to live His life through you. You are a vessel through which the life of Christ is portrayed to a watching world. Have you given Jesus full access to every area of your life? Is there anything in your life that inhibits the fruit of the Spirit from being evidenced through your life? Confess known sin, receive God’s forgiveness, and allow Christ to portray His life through you each moment of every day. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Beatitudes Jesus Righteousness

Hungering and Thirsting

Beatitudes Purity Righteousness

Purity

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves purity. God’s standard of perfection is Christ. The purity of Christ is the bull’s-eye for the believer. To be pure in heart is to be right with God. You cannot have a right relationship with God without having a relationship with others. You cannot have a right relationship with others without having a right relationship with God. Purity is impossible without the righteousness of Christ being imparted. The impartation and imputation of the righteousness of Christ takes place at the moment of conversion. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Eph. 1:7-8 (NIV) “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Rom. 6:11-12 (NIV) The righteousness of Christ is a grace gift from God. God is holy and demands His followers to be holy. Live in light of your position in Christ. Pursue holiness in private and in public. Stay in God’s will by staying in God’s Word. You have been made fit for the Indwelling Holy Spirit. The purity of Christ applied to your life in salvation provided you with the extreme makeover necessary for you to become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Confess sin instantly and walk in the purity made possible through your abiding relationship with Christ. The righteousness of Christ has been deposited into your account. You are a child of the Living God! Live up to the Name you bear! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Blessed Psalms Righteousness

Blessed Nation

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” Psalm 33:12 (ESV) We acknowledge verbally in our pledge of allegiance that we are one nation under God. How accurate is that statement? Are we really one nation under God? The Psalmist affirms that a nation is blessed whose God is the Lord. God has chosen them as His heritage. Would the United States of America fall into that category? We desire the blessing of God. Do we choose to bless God as a nation? We want God to open the floodgates of heaven and pour out his abundance upon us, but are we ready to open our hearts and surrender to the Lordship of Christ as a nation? “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.” Psalm 36:5-6 (ESV) “‘O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!’” Psalm 39:4 (ESV) Affirm the steadfast love of God. Acknowledge the faithfulness of God. Consider the righteousness of God and the soundness of His judgements. Rejoice in the redemptive activity of God. God is sovereign. He rules and He reigns. The Lord God knows the measure of your days and how fleeting you are. Stay humble before the Lord and acknowledge your dependency upon Him. Set the example by honoring Him with your life and validating your faith by your love. Pray for national revival and let it begin in you. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 128: Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, 39) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Integrity Job Righteousness

Maintain Integrity

“‘As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, 3 as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, 4 my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. 5 Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.’” Job 27:2-6 (ESV) Your life is like a tube of toothpaste, when squeezed, whatever is on the inside will come out. Adversity has a way of squeezing out fears, frustrations, resentment, and bitterness. By nature, we suppress those things that disappoint us or hurt us. We seek to dodge pain. Job experienced an intense season of testing that revealed what was on the inside of him. Job was honest about his disappointment and transparent about the resident bitterness within his soul. In spite of the avalanche of adversity, Job chose to maintain his integrity. He made a commitment to not speak falsehood, to not utter deceit, and to not put away his integrity. Job resolved to hold fast to his righteousness and not let it go. Everybody looks good from a distance. What do you see when you get close enough to see what is on the inside? How are you doing internally? Maintain integrity by staying close to the Lord and clean before the Lord. Surrender to the Lordship of Christ and make sure that the tongue in your mouth lines up with the tongue in your shoe. Hold fast to the righteousness of Christ. You are positionally right before God in Christ. Apply that positional righteousness through practical righteous living. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 10: Job 24-28) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Beatitudes Purity Righteousness

Purity

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matt 5:8 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves purity. God’s standard of perfection is Christ. The purity of Christ is the bull’s-eye for the believer. To be pure in heart is to be right with God. You cannot have a right relationship with God without having a relationship with others. You cannot have a right relationship with others without having a right relationship with God. Purity is impossible without the righteousness of Christ being imparted. The impartation and imputation of the righteousness of Christ takes place at the moment of conversion. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Eph 1:7-8 (NIV) “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Romans 6:11-12 (NIV) The righteousness of Christ is a grace gift from God. God is holy and demands His followers to be holy. Live in light of your position in Christ. Pursue holiness in private and in public. Stay in God’s will by staying in God’s Word. You have been made fit for the Indwelling Holy Spirit. The purity of Christ applied to your life in salvation provided you with the extreme makeover necessary for you to become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Confess sin instantly and walk in the purity made possible through your abiding relationship with Christ. The righteousness of Christ has been deposited into your account. You are a child of the Living God! Live up to the name you bear! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Atonement Grace Righteousness

Grace for the Race

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Gal 2:21 (NIV) You need grace for the race called life. In Christ, we have experienced the mercy of God in that God did not give us what we deserved. We deserved separation, alienation, and punishment for our sin. God extended His mercy to us by not counting our sins against us. We also are recipients of God’s grace. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We do not deserve God’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. We do not deserve heaven, eternal life, and God’s abiding peace. God graced us with these precious gifts. The same grace that saved you from your sin is needed in living the life God has for you. Paul acknowledged that righteousness could not be gained through the law. Human effort falls woefully short of God’s standard of perfection. God chose to punish sin by allowing Jesus to die on the cross in your place. The penalty for your sin has been paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. God’s gracious act of redemption benefits your life personally and eternally. You will not have to face a Christless eternity. Now that you have been saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus, your eternity in heaven with Jesus is secure. If you could gain righteousness through the law, then Christ died in vain. God was willing to meet you at your greatest point of need and He applied His grace. You have been given God’s riches at Christ’s expense. That’s GRACE! The grace of God saves you and the grace of God keeps you. What are you currently facing that requires the fullness of the grace of God? His grace is more than sufficient! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Christ Perfection Righteousness

Portray Christ

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:48 (NIV) In the language of the New Testament, the word perfect (Greek: telios) means nothing necessary for completion, finished, mature, complete, having reached the end. Upon conversion, you received the imputed righteousness of Christ. You were made fit for heaven. The righteousness of Christ was deposited into your account. From the moment of conversion on, you embrace the process of becoming who you are in Christ. You begin to workout what God has worked in. “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Col 1:28 (NIV) “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24 (NIV) God’s standard is perfection. In your human effort, you will never measure up to God’s standard. Jesus has met the standard on your behalf. The Christian life is not about your ability to live up to God’s standard. The Christian life is about surrendering to the Lordship of Christ and allowing Him to live His life through you. You are a vessel through which the life of Christ is portrayed to a watching world. Have you given Jesus full access to every area of your life? Is there anything in your life that inhibits the fruit of the Spirit from being evidenced through your life? Confess known sin, receive God’s forgiveness, and allow Christ to portray His life through you each moment of every day. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Beatitudes Jesus Righteousness

Hungering and Thirsting

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt 5:6 (NIV) You were born with a hole in your heart that only God can fill. Once you respond in faith to the vertical tug of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, you become a new creation. Your earthly appetites are replaced with the heavenly delight of knowing God personally through His Son, Jesus. Measure the treasure of desiring God, because this Spirit-prompted desire brought you into fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Your eternal destiny is determined by the reality of this vertical relationship. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is a result of an abiding relationship with Jesus that is real, personal, and eternal. You progress from desiring God in salvation to pursuing God in sanctification. You are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. Your hunger for righteousness will be filled. Your thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. Move into spiritual maturity by feasting on God. Righteousness is not an optional spiritual supplement but a spiritual necessity. As you hunger and thirst for His righteousness, your decisions will be guided by God’s economy. Doing life God’s way will become your passionate pursuit. Nothing will appeal to your more than pleasing God and living a life of integrity. Righteousness is the condition acceptable to God. In salvation, the atoning work of Christ on the cross makes you acceptable to God positionally. Now you are to work out your salvation practically as you live a life of instant obedience. Hungering and thirsting for His righteousness becomes your perpetual preoccupation. Desiring God is to be the focus of your conversation and your conduct as a byproduct of your salvation. Continue to grow in your passion for God. Align your life with the heartbeat of God by taking paths that bring Him glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Justification Obedience Righteousness

The Righteousness of Christ

Post author By Stephen Trammell
Post date December 17, 2009
57 Comments on The Righteousness of Christ

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18-19 (NIV) How would God reverse the curse sin produced? What would God do to restore fallen humanity? The most incredible display of unconditional love became God’s response to man’s sin. God provided for the removal of our sin through the sacrifice of His only Son. God allowed Jesus to pay our sin debt in full and to purchase our salvation. The shedding of blood was essential for the forgiveness of our sin. God chose to sacrifice an animal to provide garments of skin for Adam and Eve after their fall (Gen. 3:21). God took the initiative to reconcile and to restore them through the shedding of blood. Adam and Eve still had to face the natural consequences of their sin. They were still banished from the garden and Adam had to work the ground (Gen. 3:23). Through Adam’s sin, condemnation came to us all. As a result, we are born in sin and inherit the sin nature. However, through the obedience of Jesus on the cross, we are made righteous. Upon our trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, we receive the imputed righteousness of Christ. We are justified through faith, receive peace from God, and gain access into His grace (Rom. 5:1-2). The righteousness of Christ is deposited into our account. We are reconciled to God through the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus paid it all! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Christ-Centered Living Holy Ambition Hunger Maturing Righteousness Thirst

Christ-Centered Living (4)

Post author By Stephen Trammell
Post date January 11, 2008
4 Comments on Christ-Centered Living (4)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt 5:6 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves holy ambition. There is nothing more appealing to a starving person than food. For the follower of Christ, the spiritual appetite is a craving for righteousness. At salvation, you receive the righteousness of Christ and a resulting passion for righteous living. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24 (NIV) “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21 (NIV) “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalms 42:1 (NIV) As you seek the Lord and His righteousness, He satisfies your soul. You cannot pursue worldliness and godliness at the same time. The paths are in opposition. To grow in Christ likeness is to daily pursue Jesus and His agenda for your life. Continual prayer and consistent intake of God’s Word will feed your passion for His righteousness. Remember, whatever you feed grows; whatever you starve dies. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Condemnation Freedom Righteousness

Freedom

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 (NIV) What are you doing with the new life you have been given? As a child of God, your sin debt has been deleted, your name has been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and your adoption has been completed. Satan is defeated! Jesus reigns! Are you allowing Jesus to reign in your life? Are you living in light of your new identity in Christ? You are now free to live and express your God given potential. You are now free to share His love and shine His light. The shackles have been removed! Praise God! There is now no condemnation! The righteousness of Christ has been deposited into your account. When God sees you He sees the righteousness of Christ. The operation of the Holy Spirit has set us free from the operation of sin and death. Now we are on shouting ground! Carve out some time today to think through all that God has delivered you from. Spend a few moments praising Him for His deliverance. Bask in the reality of your relationship with our Heavenly Father. He is worthy! You are free! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Mercy Righteousness

Mercy

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” II Cor. 5:21 (NIV) Try to measure the depth of God’s mercy. When you weigh the purity of Christ’s life and the contamination of our sinfulness, the scale drastically shifts to our side. We are guilty. We stand condemned. Fortunately, God came to our rescue. Mercy came running! God made Jesus to be sin for us so that we could become righteousness. Have you received what He offers? Have you come to the place in your life of recognizing your sin and your separation from our Holy God? God initiated the process to bring you into harmony with His purpose and plan. God’s initiative demands a response. He did not make us robotic. He made us relational so that we could choose Him or refuse Him. You can be in right standing before God by placing your faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross. You can know the peace that passes all understanding. You can have the ultimate relationship with the One who demonstrated the ultimate portrait of mercy. God did not give us what we deserve. Would you be willing to simply praise Him right now for extending His mercy to you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership & Pastoral Care