YOUR SINCERITY ISN'T YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

There was this rich man who lived in a foreign land. He was good and started several enterprises. He was rich and has so many persons under his pay role. But some things where really given me concern about this man's attitude towards people from his home town. Though he has lived and became so successful in a foreign land, he never for once forgot where he is from and also gave his maximum support to his own people anyway he could. There was a particular encounter, it was a football match and I was lucky to be with him that day and he wasn't supporting the foreign nation he has made all his wealth and lived freely but his home town. So I asked, why are you doing this? He said, "no matter where you are, never forget where you come from. Never forget who you are." That was a shocker to me and I eagerly wanted to hear him tell me more so I focussed my eyes on him and he said, "where you are from is default. You can't change it no matter what you do."

This was quite a shocker for me then I started doing my own research and started studying my environments as well. I started to observe that even though you "NATURALIZE" in a foreign nation, some of the citizens will still not relate with you as such because they feel that being part of them is not something your good works or deed can give you, it's something you are born into. You are part of them because you are from them. You can't be part of them because you are not part of them. That's quite simple to comprehend.

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This brings us to the matter of sincerity and righteousness. Your sincerity or good works can't earn you right standing with God (righteousness) because the bible says,

"Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; ..."

Righteousness cannot be earn by being good or sincere because we cannot be good enough to be declared righteous. This draw us to the book of Acts 10, there was a good man who loved God and his name was Cornelius. Despite his sincerity and goodness, he was not born again and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the dream and told him to send for Peter who will show him the way. Peter himself needed to be convinced of the Lord because his own knowledge about this faith had not fully grown. You can check the book of Acts 10 for the complete story.

In your walk with God Almighty, you have to understand that there’s a huge difference between sincerity and righteousness. We often think that God should look at our sincerity and count it for righteousness, but it’s not so. No matter how sincere you are, it’ll never amount to righteousness.

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God doesn’t hear and answer your prayers because you’re sincere, but because you’re righteous; because of Jesus; and your righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus. The Bible says, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). Righteousness is what gives you right standing in the presence of God. Your sincerity never gives you right standing with or before God the Father. So many Christians pray and cry to God, pleading on their sincerity, because they’re not aware of the truth of God’s Word. Never use your “sincerity” as a currency; that’s not what works; it’s your faith—your faith in His righteousness—that produces godly results.

Having been declared righteous, you have a right to be heard in the presence of God; you have peace with God (Romans 5:1). This didn’t happen on the basis of your “sincerity” or personal effort; it happened because He gave you His righteousness. Never think of God as one you need to “impress” with your good works so He’ll accept you or do anything for you; Jesus already impressed Him in your behalf.

So, when you plead your case before God, it shouldn’t be on the basis of your “performance”or self-righteousness. Rather, it should be based on your right standing with Him through Jesus Christ. God’s blessings in your life—His goodwill towards you—have to do with the righteousness of Jesus Christ phone and not your personal sincerity; that’s why you can be bold in His presence to make demands in the Name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for your Words that always nourishes me. I'm the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; therefore, I reign in life and exercise dominion over circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Thanks for reading.

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