For eBooks click here

God knows how strong and driving your need is—He designed it that way. You can be confident that by turning and drawing near to God He can and will meet that need!

Feeding Ourselves with How

Justified, Right, and Good

We Feel is Evidence of our 

Need to Trust God and

 Receive His Presence!

Wanting to Feel Justified

That we try so hard to justify our value to ourselves and to others is evidence of our need for God. But the Bible says that if you have trusted Christ for salvation you are already justified in Him, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Rom. 5:1). It also says that we are "...justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;" (Rom. 3:24). If you are a Christian your value has been justified by the creator of all things and the supreme authority in all the universe.

But what about your experience? That God has justified us should be something that changes our life. Has it? Do you take the approval of other spiritual people as an endorsement that you are ‘Ok?’ If so you are not depending on God as what justifies you. What about at work? You need to do a good job there. But, is it how well you perform that justifies your existence on the job? If so, you are not trusting God to be the one who justifies you.

It was Jesus who "...said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.’" (Luke 16:15). Do you rehearse arguments with other people, in order to practice how you will justify yourself next time? How much energy and focus do you waste trying to justify yourself in your own mind? Where is your faith for being justified? In God? If your justification in Christ doesn’t work on that level it doesn’t work.

It is essential that our justification in Christ be applied to our everyday experience. Otherwise, you will be in danger of putting your faith in yourself before God—however hidden and sudden they may be.

The Bible says, "...you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11). It is true that you were " justified" in Christ at the point of your being "washed" by God for salvation. You should use thanks and praise toward God to get your heart to believe it! After that, you should still let God continue to wash you! The Bible says, "...since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:19 and 22). The cleansing of God is real.

The Bible talks about the cleansing of God as something that continues after the cleansing we receive for salvation. It says, "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). The cleansing this scripture talks about is more than a theological idea—it is real. Get your heart to trust that you are walking in the Light that shines from God and that He is continuing to cleanse you of all unrighteousness!

The Bible says we were justified at salvation by God washing us with His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11). God continues to cleanse us after that too. The washing of God is real! Thrill your heart to be able to rest from having to justify yourself. Thank God that you don’t have to agree with lies that you have to justify yourself apart from Him. He has already done it! But you should also trust that as you are drawing near to God that He is washing you (the scripture in Hebrews above). Keep thanking God for the truth of the scriptures until you believe it enough to rest in the truth about what God does for you.

(If you want more clarification on this topic see the section called "What About Shame?")

Being right is often necessary for our safety and survival. Accuracy is vital in many areas. But there is also practical relationship between being right and the righteous of God. It is important to understand this relationship so that the truth has opportunity to make you free to drink from God—and not from your having to be right all the time.

Do you know someone who has to be right at all cost? Why is that so frustrating to the rest of us who have to endure it? What about you?

How much time and energy do you give to making sure you are right? Some of that is necessary but how much energy would you save if you were free from having to win all those mental arguments you rehearse in your head? How much release would you have to enjoy God if you weren’t so preoccupied with demanding that others think of you as being right.

Often I observe people spending more time and effort maintaining their status of being right than they ever did checking the details. Something is wrong with this picture. The issue isn’t about our being accurate and right—nearly as much as it is about our spiritual need for the closeness of God as our righteousness. When the closeness of God becomes what you need as your "rightness" you can check the details and try to be accurate—without the emotional need along with it. You can think and analyze without having to be so afraid of being wrong. You don’t even have to hold off making decisions because of fear about the possibility of being wrong.

Some people depend on their doctrine—on what they believe the Bible says. For them, how much they know about the Bible makes them feel justified, secure, and right. When someone challenges what they think they can’t simply discuss the issues. They have to go to war verbally because their sense of righteousness is at stake. Being "right" about the Bible makes many feel righteous. But this is a substitution for the presence of God. The Bible can’t be our God! Accurate doctrine is important but the accuracy of our doctrine can’t be what justifies you before God! Your faith has to rest in God as your righteousness—on the inside and on the outside. The closeness of God has to be your identity—your banner. It works better to trust and enjoy the presence of God as your identity of right-ness. It works far better than to trust yourself. There is no other way.

You don’t have to depend on yourself for the security and confidence that only comes from yourself. The unseen banner you wave in the face of other people doesn’t have to read, "I am right and you are wrong." Your banner can be the closeness of God’s love and His righteousness. When you depend on God that way the result is a quiet confidence that lets you rest in Him. When God is your right-ness, your love of the truth becomes more important than your being right.

The Bible says that God looks forward to a time when His people make His righteousness their own—on a practical level. Speaking about Judah and Israel the Bible says, "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The Lord our righteousness’" (Jer. 23:6). I use this verse because I believe the principle also applies to the Church. It says, "...and this is the name by which she will be called: the Lord is our righteousness'" (Jer. 33:16). Being called by that name requires that we turn our heart to trust the Lord as our righteousness on a practical everyday level.

Jesus told us, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness..." (Mat. 6:33). But it is important to ask, "How do we do that?" Jesus told us that we receive the kingdom like a child (Mark 10:15). The Bible also says, "But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amo. 5:24). It is by directing your heart into simple childlike faith that you can receive the kingdom and His righteousness rolling down upon you "like waters."

Let me also remind you that we are told, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16). Drawing near to the throne is central to how we are to receive the kingdom and His righteousness. The Bible also tells us, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You" (Psa. 89:14). It is by repentance, drawing near to God and drinking from Him that we are able to enjoy God’s presence in that way.

You can get your heart to believe the radiant glory of your God. You can get your heart to trust God’s provision for you to draw near to the throne. You can trust you are receiving the kingdom and His righteousness because God has promised to draw near to you when you draw near to Him (James 4:8).

I can tell you that you can do these things but repentance is likely going to have to come first. By directing your heart away from having to be your own righteousness you find greater freedom to trust what God pours out from His throne like "an ever flowing stream." Repentance will help you. The cross of Christ and the cleansing of God are powerful on practical every-moment levels.

You can learn to rest in the substance that is the righteousness of God and feed yourself on that. But here again we have to start by getting our heart to trust the power of the cross of Christ. We have to trust it so much that it makes a difference in our experience. God has made us Christians to be the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). He has placed His righteousness inside us. Our problem is that we also need a righteousness for our humanity. By trusting the power of the cross to be enough for you on the inside you are better equipped to trust God to wash your humanity too. Without the cleansing of God for your humanity you may always cower and want to run from God.

Actually trusting the righteousness of God as your own makes you free from the panic of when you might be wrong on a human level. Even the need to join in an argument decreases greatly. I am not saying you can discipline yourself better to avoid arguments. You can do that but that is not what I am saying. You don’t have to join in the argument because you don’t have as much you need to defend. Inside you are resting in God and loving it.

How long will you let yourself continue to trust the accuracy of what you say as your sense of righteousness before other people? Isn’t it wonderful that you don’t have to settle for so little as to trust yourself? Rejoice your heart into believing that it is time to intervene and direct your affections and faith toward God.

Take time to consciously think of God as your good and as your righteousness. Encourage yourself with the truth until you are able to trust you are looking at the Lord. Look at the radiance around the Lord and what He is shining onto you. Look at that as the righteousness you need for your humanity. Look at Him but remember that the righteousness you are looking at is His. It is yours because you have made Him your God. But the closeness of His righteousness can’t be reason to turn back and praise yourself. Train your heart to keep the praise going toward God by strongly emphasizing words like, "You" and "Lord." When you listen to your own thanks and praise toward God it helps you to keep your focus where it needs to be.

It was King David who said, "Oh God, You are my God...My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You...Thus have I seen you in the sanctuary, to see your power and your glory" (Psa. 63:1,2). David was thirsty for God but his thirst wasn’t remaining unquenched. Two verses later it says, "My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips" (Psa. 63:5). It is vital that we look at the power and glory—and the righteousness of our God.

When you draw near to God look at the radiance around Him. Think of what you trust you are looking at as your own basis for "right-ness." When you look at the Lord that way He becomes your God in a very personal way. By this you don’t have to turn around and feed on yourself. This works very well. My problem is that I sometimes forget to look at the Lord that way.

I have trained myself to stay before the Lord and keep on drinking but I don’t always remember to think about His radiance as righteousness, strength, love, holiness and purity. I have found that if we don’t look at the Lord like David did the emotional benefit isn’t as great and we get insecure again.

Follow King David’s example. Repent by training yourself to stay before the Lord and drink. But be sure to let your "drinking" from Him include looking at His radiance close to you and loving His power, kindness, compassion, strength—and His righteousness.

Why is it that when we are kind or good to someone that afterward we feed ourselves with what we did? This too is evidence of our need to feed ourselves with the presence of God and not with ourselves. In contrast, it was David who said, "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge..." (Psa. 73:28).

We should be kind and good. But rather than pat yourself on the back when you are kind to people, you can make the closeness of God your good. You can be even more thrilled by that than what your human kindness can provide.

The Bible says, "Many are saying, ‘Who will show us any good?’ Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!" (Psa. 4:6). You can train your heart to do that! You can find freedom to draw near to God and let His face shine on you as your good.

God has made us righteous—on the inside. By receiving the shine from His face—onto the outside of you, you can make the presence of God your good because His goodness shines from His face. The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord..." (Psa. 37:4). If you make God your good, you’ll enjoy His goodness much more than your own.

If you trust Him to wash you with His goodness you won’t have to worry about whether you are good enough to enter the throne room and draw near to God. Everything has to depend on God.

For eBooks click here

Please consider supporting this ministry with prayer and by purchasing the ebooks. Thanks.

Please Ask Questions on the FORUM...Thanks! 

I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart toward Him.

Barry.

       Understanding Yourself — Continued...

E-mail the Author...

(C) Barry Hall 1999

Information on this site may be reproduced for personal or for instructional purposes if it is not being used for resale. If a page is distributed for instructional purposes, the web address must be included. Printed quotes must include the authors name and the web address. Quotes for use in publications intended for resale need the written permission of the author. All rights reserved.

Scriptures are taken from the updated NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1988, The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Other scriptures are from the New International Version or Amplified Bible as noted.