Everything in Him

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” - Romans 3:21-26 NIV

I think the terms in which we, as humans, understand righteousness and how to obtain it is so far off from what the Lord actually intended. I believe He knew that would happen, and so did Paul. After His encounter with Jesus and knowing Him deeply thereafter, Paul knew His standing with God. He experienced His healing and holiness. With the eyes of God, He saw the lack of worth in the Church. He saw that identity confusion had caused people to be enslaved their past lives and displaced trust created misaligned thoughts about God's character. Over and over again He was able to speak through Paul and guide His children back to one simple truth: if they believed, they had everything in Him, and their identity was completely changed forever.
 
 Today we are fighting the same war in our minds and on Earth. I think the Lord is asking us that we would receive His righteousness by faith. It’s a gift that we simply get to live in it as a part of our inheritance. Every single person who has said yes to Him is righteous before Him, no matter his or her history. In this new story for us, we have authority over the past life, we have access to knowing God deeply, and we are completely worthy of walking in freedom and living in fullness.

 I think it is periodically important to look within ourselves and ask the Lord to reveal any part of us that may be teetering on the side of self-hatred and unbelief. Often times, when looking down upon self, questioning God’s character, and trying to live righteously, we adopt a religious spirit to work our way into a false goodness. From an outer perspective, it looks great but on the inside, we are often crumbling. It is almost as if we believe that we are on ground zero or in the negative, so we have to strive to please God or do things for Him in order for Him to bless us. All of a sudden our motivation to do things in Jesus's name becomes founded upon self affirmation or working into a status of "holy" rather than simple love for God and His people. He knows our hearts (Proverbs 16:2, Psalm 139:1).
 
 I think it's time we let go of trying to be something for God.

 We are already seated in Heavenly places. Read Ephesians 2:6.
 
 We are already holy. He made that our identity when all Hell was defeated and was transformed Himself. He gave us access to the same story. Before the righteous judge we are free from the death sentence, because we are His.

 He let us go, and He gave us every piece of Himself in the process. We are saints.
 
 As saints, we are given insight to the mysteries of God's will. We are filled with His life in its fullness. We have authority and dominion over all the Earth through the Heavenly places where we sit with Him. Most importantly, we always have access to His presence.

"I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel." - Isaiah 46:10 NIV

 His salvation is not delayed. His splendor is pouring out and there is more to come! Believe! We have all the promises of Jesus. And we can approach Him boldly. We are a citizens of Heaven, a temple of the Holy Spirit, and a dwelling place for people to know Him. We are to be revealed to the world thirsting for His presence.
 
 I think its time we begin to open our temple gates to Him and the world. Let Him heal us and let Him be seen. There is no delay. The time is now.

Right now,
 
We

Have

Value.
 
Right now, this life has value.
 
Because this life is so valuable and because we are so valuable, we are called to live set apart. Lifestyles of the past don’t feel so luxurious anymore. Subconscious sins such as slander, self-pity, self-hatred, envy, manipulation, and many others begin to feel off putting when we understand our inheritance as royalty. Grime doesn't sit real well in the Kings courts, and He is more than willing to get on His knees with us and help clean it up. He is actually the one who does most of the work.

 I think in this season He is inviting us to let go of fear and control when He beckons us to remodel our inner rooms. It will be glorious with Him. He is not a destroyer, He is a restorer and redeemer. He is the one who wants to heal. More importantly, He isn't upset when it happens. He knows that we are going to mess up and have thoughts that don't align with His. That's why He made a covenant with us that nothing could change our resting place in the Kingdom of Heaven once we simply believed in Him. But we aren't called to live in that place, so I am praying that we would allow Him to rework us. I'm asking God that we would let Him move, mold, chisel, and take our roots extremely deep in His presence and character. I am praying that He would reveal the stains in the process— [that] He [who] is our beauty would be revealed. All we have to do is say yes to Him.

 Saying yes is righteousness. Moving with His spirit is righteousness. Seeing ourselves as worthy is righteousness.
 
 I am proclaiming that all believers in this city would know Him deeper in this way and that our worth in Him would affect every thought, every word, and every action that comes from us. I am declaring that we would then minister out of simple abiding in God, holding the Kingdom inside of us. I am speaking out that we would use our keys to open up doors in other people and in the spiritual realm. I am agreeing with God that we would let the love of God inside of us grow so much that it would burst out of the gates, and flood every place where it is unfamiliar in our minds and in the physical world we live in. I am praying that as the sons and daughters of Christ begin to come out of hiding and reveal themselves, the ground would quake in response and mountains would be moved in this city. I am praying for an atmosphere of Heaven to fall and that it would be easy for every person in Athens to encounter Him.

Our ministry matters. What He tells us matters. What we pray matters. How we live and what we speak matters. There is no neutral ground. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! He is coming. Let the oil flow from us into the streets and into every heart that is in a desperate cry for one simple word from His lips, from one simple touch of His hand. We are His body. It is time that we begin to realize the power we hold, to come to Him with the perspective shifts that need to take place, and to renounce schemes of the enemy that are at work in our lives. It is time to be more aware. It is time to have more of Him. It is time to give more of Him. It is time to claim our land over and over and over again until we see Him face to face.
 
 So, I invite us, as the bride of Christ, to declare it. I invite us to speak it out. Let’s get the mess out. Let's let Him clean it up. Let's proclaim who He really is! Let's fight for the ones who don't know Him. Let's believe everything that He did and everything He has said He is going to do! Let's get hungry for His word and His people. In response, put on the armor of God and wear it everywhere you go. Creation is groaning for you to come alive, to be a warrior, and to open your mouth. One ear to Heaven and your eyes on the desperate; He will do it. He will give you the words. He will fill you up. You have the King of every realm and the King of every other god on your side.
 
 You are being asked to take back the King's land in your mind and on Earth, will you accept the invitation?

Author | Emily Helton