“But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be a loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the failure of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God based on faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3::7-11).
What is His righteousness?
God made Jesus, who did not sin to become sin so that we might become righteous through Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, now the journey of walking with Him in the righteousness of God continues by faith. The moment we received Him as our Lord and Savior, a divine transformation took place. He rushed and sealed into our lives the Spirit of God, He clothed us in His righteousness, and calls us the children of God sanctified, and born of the Spirit. He calls us children of God, citizens of heaven, no more aliens but joint-heirs with Christ. The gift of God that happens to as many as receive Him because the bloodshed at cavalry appeased God to disregard our guilt from the generational sin at the garden of Eden. We asked Him to come into our lives by faith, and the new identity He gave us was not through our merit but by grace through faith in the work Jesus finished by dying for us on the cross. God implanted in our lives the Holy Spirit, who is our guide in the sacred path to teach and shape us in the heavenly fashion. Though we are still clothed externally with the body of sin, our Spirit man can relate with His Spirit that nurtures us in the path of righteousness, so we are no longer slaves to sin. See yourself dead in the flesh and be alive in the Spirit of God. “Therefore, put off the old man and be renewed “about your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted by the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” He has endowed into our lives all that is life and godliness “for His divine power has granted to us everything about life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3).
“As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7).
The New Mindset
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).
Unto this, you have been called. “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;” (1 Peter 2:21-23). The walk of faith is not by your power or might but by his spirit. By the Virtue of the deity that lives in you, He has equipped you with all that pertains to life and godliness – even in time of turbulence; he has you covered. Peter and other disciples were in the boat, and there was a heavy storm. They called on Jesus, He spoke and said peace be still, and the raging storm was calm. They were in a relationship, they were close, and we’re able to dial Him right and then and enjoyed the power in His Name. You are no longer alone. Only circumcise your heart by learning of him, living in him, digging deep to know him.
Paul gave his secret, abiding in the Savior. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Even after performing miracles and being a spiritual giant, see what Paul said; “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14). All you do is a walk-in him rooted and built up. A walk with Him fulfills the prophetic message of His coming,” to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18). Jesus lives in you- the Godhead, and the deity lives right in you to tune you into godliness. Paul, after His conversion, said, it is no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me. Furthermore, Paul mentioned he counts all as dung for the surpassing knowledge of Christ, “More than that, I count all things to be a loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God based on faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11). He then implores believers as follows, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good is, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2).
Jesus the Example
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus retreated many times from the crowd to spend time alone with His father. He depended on God’s power to accomplish His tasks. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10). Depend on the power in His Name. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). You’re victorious and triumphant when you remain in the Word. “Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law, he meditates day and night. (Psalm1:1-2). The Lord watches over the one who remains in His presence. ” One who dwells in the shelter of the Highest Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust! For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper and the deadly plague.” (Psalm 91:1-3). Remain faithful to the Lord at all times and endeavor to run the race to the end. “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and all nations will hate you because of My name. And at that time, many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many people. And because lawlessness will increase, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. “(Matthew 24:9-13). Read the Word of God and do what it teaches. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Joshua 1:8). Walk in the Spirit of God. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16).
Intimacy with the Lord comes from faith in His Word and ability. The child of God grows in faith through a daily subjection of self to the reading, meditation on the Word, and the practice of it. They are also walking daily in the Holy Spirit through worship, living in obedience to the Word, and praying at all times. These exercises help develop the child of God into a new mindset in tune with the perspective of God, which stirs the Christian into being alive in God, in tune with the Spirit of God, and growing intimacy with the Almighty. God desires an intimate relationship with His children; the Christian at this point senses the presence of God and starts to manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23). A continued intimacy can stir up the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit as the Holy Spirit desires (1 Corinthians 12). Nothing compares with the overflowing joy in the life of the Christian who walks in intimacy with the Lord- the faith that works.
“Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14).
(Jesus predicted the significance of the living water He will pour upon those who will believe in Him. On the day of Pentecost He fulfilled the promise of the Father, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is the seal of our redemption through whom we receive empowerement as believers with the attributes of the Godhead).
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