SIN AND RIGHTEOUS CONSCIOUSNESS

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Roman 4:3-8 KJV

Sin Consciousness

The opposite, of course, of a righteousness conscience is a sin-consciousness. The state of being where you feel separated from God. You do not sense your oneness with God, but you are very aware of your sin. You are very aware of your lack. You are very aware of your inability to do that which you want to do. Sin-consciousness is that state where you could want with all your heart to please God, and yet you find within your members that sin-consciousness, the sense of being separated, the sense of failure, the sense of fear. "Oh I would love to be able to pray in a meeting, but I feel so inferior." That is sin consciousness, and that will rob from you and steal from you everything that God wants you to have.

Sin-consciousness destroys faith. How can you have faith to believe for anything from God, if you feel inferior, if you are so aware of your sin and your shortcomings? It creates an inferiority complex. "I would love to be able to stand and share at a meeting, but I can’t." "I wish I had the boldness to share the gospel with people but I can’t." I wish I could be a better person, but I can’t." That is sin consciousness.

Sin-consciousness destroys your peace with God. Because of it you are conscious of your sin and your failure all the time, and it robs you. How could you have peace with God, knowing that you are such a failure? Now when you understand righteousness, it doesn’t mean that you never fail. It doesn’t mean that you never miss God, but you don’t have that consciousness of always failing. You have the exact opposite. The opposite of sin-consciousness is God consciousness. You are aware of your oneness and unity with your Father God, just as Jesus was. You realize that in your spirit, (the new creation man) there is no separation between you and your Father. Was there any separation between Jesus and His Father? Neither is there in you, except in your carnal mind. Your sin-consciousness robs you of your peace with God. There is no peace – Isaiah says – to the wicked.

Sin consciousness makes us feel unworthy. How many Christians ever come to a meeting, and feel worthy to have the joy of God come upon them and flow from within them? Very few Christians ever meet together on Sunday morning, or any other time, with a sense of worthiness. It’s always a sense of unworthiness. "I’ve failed God so miserably. I’ve missed God so many times this week, and I have a sense of unworthiness." So when we come together, there is no real joy. There is no real expression. There is no real release of the spirit. There is just a sense of unworthiness. Sin-consciousness is the biggest enemy that the church of the living God has today.

Sin-consciousness makes your prayers ineffectual. The scripture says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." But if you do not have that consciousness, if you do not know that you are a righteous man, if you have the sense of unworthiness and weakness and failure, your prayers will not avail much. God only answers the prayer that is prayed with the consciousness of His righteousness

Taken from Gary and Carol Sigler Ministries

(http://sigler.org/righteousness) -

THE REALITY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Reality of Righteousness

We must know experientally and subjectively, the truths of the redemption of Jesus. One of the greatest difficulties for God's people is to realize they have been made righteous. In our carnal nature we are full of guilt and condemnation because we cannot measure up to God's holy standard. In our carnal nature we have no access to God. God's people keep trying to know God by the intellect and by performing certain deeds. If you want to know the Lord you cannot know or find Him in the natural mind. We can only know and worship him in spirit.

The systematized Christian religion has been very proficient in teaching people that they are sinners. Over the years this has developed a sin consciousness in God's people. What religion has not taught us is the reality of righteousness. Those who have not experienced God's righteousness know they are sinful and do not know how to rid themselves of it. When we receive the revelation and realization of redemption and righteousness it releases us from a consciousness of guilt. Once you lose your sin consciousness you will find yourself free from all of the bondage of sin.

By Gary and Carol Sigler

(http://sigler.org/righteousness) - Gary and Carol Sigler have written Part 1 to 6 on this subject. I recommended it.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

What is Righteousness?

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:21 & Romans 10:1-3

Definition of Righteousness
- Right standing with God
- The ability to stand in the Presence of the Father without any sense of fear, guilt, shame or inferiority
- To stand in the Presence of the Father as if sin never has existed

+–Can I grow in righteousness?

No, you cannot grow in the God kind of righteousness. However, you can grow in the understanding of this righteousness, and that is what Hebrews 5:13 says makes us mature as Christians.

+–Will I be more righteous in heaven than I am right here and now?

No, you are just as righteous now as you will be in heaven. You are already perfectly righteous. When you die you just move from your body to heaven, and later you will receive a new heavenly body. However, your spirit and your right standing with God is already new and perfect, and will remain the same in heaven.

+–Can a person loose his righteousness?

We never received righteousness by our works or lifestyle, but only through grace by faith in Jesus. In the same way we can never lose our righteousness based on our works or lifestyle. Because we have Jesus we are completely righteous to God. This important truth helps to bring people into assurance of salvation. I understand that righteousness is a gift from God, and that a person will not lose his righteousness if he sins. However, if a person sins, will the righteousness get some “dark spots?” Does Jesus ever get some “dark spots” on His righteousness? Since He is your righteousness, your righteousness will never get any “dark spots”, even if you commit a sin. (1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 8:33-34)

+–I understand that righteousness is a gift from God, and that a person will not lose his righteousness if he sins. However, if a person sins, will the righteousness get some "dark spots?"

Does Jesus ever get some "dark spots" on His righteousness? Since He is your righteousness, your righteousness will never get any "dark spots", even if you commit a sin. (1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 8:33-34)

+–Will not teaching with a strong focus on grace and righteousness lead people to sin more?

No, these truths will not set people free to sin but rather set people free from a lifestyle of sin. (Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 3:9) It will not lead people to sin more but to sin less. More about this question is found in the teaching articles.

+–As Christians, are we forgiven sinners?

No. This may be a surprising answer to some, so let’s look at it a bit more. According to Romans 5:19 we all became sinners because of one man’s sin (Adam), and we become righteous through one man’s obedience (Jesus). When we got born again the old man (the sinner) died and the new man (the righteous new creation) was born. We are now called saints and righteous, and not sinners. Who are then forgiven sinners, since it is not the Church? It is all the people in the world, not yet being born again. What a wonderful message we have to them: “YOU ARE ALREADY FORGIVEN BY GOD! Jesus has already paid the full price for your sins too, no matter what you have done! Will you now receive Him as your Savior and receive the gift of righteousness and a brand new life from Him?”

By MARY FELDE

THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL RISE
Jesus Christ is a Rising sun.
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. - Psalm 37:5-7

In Malachi 4:1-3 - "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty." (NIV)

When John the Baptist's father prophesied in Luke 1:78 he referred to this verse and said that with the coming of Jesus, the day was dawning from on high. The sun of righteousness was rising. And he has been rising all over this world ever since. And one day his rise will reach its noon day brightness and he will appear in glory and the final division between the believing and unbelieving will be made. Just as light overcomes darkness, the manifest glory of God expels and scatters the forces of darkness. Believing for the miracles will seem natural and easy.

The glory of God will draw people. (Isaiah 60:3)
The glory of God provides covering and protection (Isaiah 4:5)
The glory of God produces conviction and reverential fear (2 Chronicle 7:3; Psa. 102:5)

What does it mean for us today? What could it mean for you? We see five pictures from verse Malachi 4:2 – As Sermon points:-

A rising sun
Beams of righteousness
Wings of healing
Breaking out of a stall and leaping out
Trample down the wicked into ashes

Isaiah 60 - The Glory of Zion
1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 "Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the arm.
5 Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.

Shall we pray: “ Father, We pray that none would be able to resist the offer of your grace in these words. Let we be united in the faith this year and year 2011. And may even this morning the Sun of righteousness rise with healing in his wings so that all of us might go forth leaping like calves from the stall. We leap out in healing and recovery. We come against every works of the enemy and defeated them at the Cross of Jesus this day. This is the day to put our feet on the head of the enemies and trample them into ashes. Darkness has to flee and the Son of Righteousness has arise. Arise and shine for your light has come.” In Jesus name, Amen.