Commended Into Righteousness – July 16-17, 2025 (254/365)

Praise the Father, praise the Son!

Praise the Spirit, Three-In-One!

God of glory, majesty!

Praise forever to the King of Kings!

We continue to give thanks to the Lord, in spite of our being clocked in, and in spite of my feeling just a tad bit under the weather today. I thank God, because in my thanking God, I believe the rest of my being follows in being changed and transformed towards the better. I thank God for the revelation that it is in thanking God that we are continually brought to learning, re-learning, and un-learning – indeed, as the Scripture would say, we forget what lies behind and stay focused on our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I thank God. I’m led to believe that it is therefore through our thanksgiving, initiated in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are moved, and by our thanksgiving our minds our opened to how the Lord has moved, is moving, and will move in us and around us.

When you’re thanking God, you’re praising God, and whether you’re thanking Him or praising Him, you’re praying to Him. And since the Holy Spirit is ever so diligent in convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, so we’re constantly reminded and consequently brought to keep thanking and praising God, throughout the day.

By the move and power of the Holy Spirit, we are constantly thanking, praising, praying, and therefore communicating with the Creator, our God who is our Father!

‘Forgiven, Once And For All’ Continued

Facilitated by Dox

Personal notes mingled in there.

Romans 10:9-13 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

IV. Forgiveness Produces Joy, Not License

Romans 4:7-8 NLT

7 “Oh, what JOY for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what JOY for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”

In the absence of forgiveness is fear and insecurity. Forgiveness naturally leads to joy.

Colossians 1:13-14 NKJV

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

We’ve been brought to another location. That’s salvation. We’ve been moved from darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. We appreciate Christ, not a mere payment but the OVERPAYMENT of our sins.

This does not mean that everyone is saved. Remember Romans 10:9-13 and the keywords: confess with your mouth, believe in your heart. Call upon His name. We are absolutely not believing in universal salvation.

THERE IS NO SALVATION WITHOUT JESUS.

THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS WITHOUT THE CLEANSING BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT ALL OUR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN WITHOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.

Conversely, with Jesus is Salvation, Forgiveness, and Assurance. This consequently would lead us to a life of righteousness. We’re motivated to cling to what is good, demotivated from every form of evil.

GRACE & TRANSFORMATION

The concept of GRACE, often associated with forgiveness, is not a free pass to sin.

Instead, it’s seen as a transformative power that enables believers to LIVE A NEW LIFE, free from the dominion of sin.

Our new life is an inspiring existence to live.

LOVE AS MOTIVATION

Understanding the depth of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ is believed to inspire a love for God that motivates believers to LIVE ACCORDING TO HIS WILL.

FREEDOM FROM SIN’S DOMINION

The truth is that those who truly understand grace are not enslaved to sin; they are EMPOWERED TO RESIST its temptations and live a life that reflects God’s character.

NOT A LICENSE

The belief that forgiveness grants a license to sin is often seen as a misunderstanding of the gospel and a MISAPPLICATION of God’s grace.

V. Why (is) A Revelation Of Your Forgiveness So Important?

1 John 2:12 NKJV

¹² I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

Understanding the fullness of forgiveness changes everything. It’s not just mere forgiveness but FULL forgiveness.

Here’s the scandalous truth of the Gospel: God isn’t judging you based on your works – He’s looking at Jesus’ perfect work.

VI. Unbelief Disqualifies What The Cross Already Qualified.

Hebrews 8:12 NKJV

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

When you’re unsure of your forgiveness, we’re also unsure of God’s love; We’re also unsure of God’s blessings.

The New Covenant us built on unmerited favor.

YOU DON’T have to: EARN IT, FIX IT, ADD TO IT, FEEL IT.

No more need, therefore, for an ‘encounter Jesus retreat‘

JESUS’ FINISHED WORK UNLOCKS:

PEACE that outlasts your feelings

CONFIDENCE before God

STRENGTH to reign over sin

BOLDNESS to receive blessings

SECURITY that you are always in His favor

Let’s fix our eyes on the cross.

DECLARE:

I AM FORGIVEN—FULLY, FREELY, AND FOREVER.

I REFUSE TO LIVE LIKE I’M NOT.

I REST IN JESUS’ FINISHED WORK AND

RECEIVE EVERY BLESSING HE DIED TO GIVE ME.

You are free to live fully loved, and totally forgiven.

VII. You Are Completely Forgiven

Before the cross, there were our scriptures on the offerings for sin, atonement, and so on… There’s that still oft-quoted scripture from 2 Chronicles that we sing, which is of a CONDITIONAL healing. Before the cross, Jesus Himself was saying that we’re forgiven only when we forgive.

If we’re forgiven from sin, does this mean we’re atoned into righteousness? Atonement is still forgiveness, so I guess, what, we’re ‘blessed’, ’empowered’, ‘commended’ into righteousness.

After the cross, we’re brought to the realization that we forgive FROM the forgiveness we received through Christ’s finished work. The forgiveness we receive from the Lord is infinitely greater than any forgiveness we can ever give.

After the cross, repentance and remittance of sins shall be preached.

After the cross, we preach that through believing in Christ is the forgiveness of sins.

After the cross, we preach that our lawless deeds are forgiven, and we are blessed.

After the cross, we preach that we have been reconciled by Christ, and we received the ministry of reconciliation.

After the cross, we preach that we forgive as Christ forgave us.

After the cross, we preach that because of Christ, our lawless deeds are remembered no more.

The condemnation of sin was taken away, and we’ve received the ministry of reconciliation.

The Cross changed everything!

BEFORE: “All Sins Will Be Forgiven” (Mark 3:28)

AFTER: “Proclaim Forgiveness of Sins in all Nations” (Luke 24:47)

DECLARE:

“I AM COMPLETELY FORGIVEN—NOT BECAUSE I’M GOOD, BUT BECAUSE JESUS IS PERFECT.

I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR, GUILT, OR SHAME.

I REST IN THE FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS.

I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST, AND I WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME!”

Is there an area in your life where guilt still lingers?

Personally, whenever you feel the consequences of your past choices. You DO feel guilt, but there is no condemnation – it’s not going to come from God.
On the consequences of our past – We’re reminded that God is FAITHFUL to work all things for the good.

Why do you think it’s hard for some to believe in full forgiveness?

Because the consequences and the wrong decisions are more real for them than the full forgiveness.
Because ‘It’s too good to be true’ and/or they’re ‘too far gone’.
The conviction of the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the truth and real-ness of our full forgiveness.

How does understanding full and once-for-all forgiveness change your prayer life?

We’ve encouraged by the same Holy Spirit who opens our eyes.
We’re talking to our Father who actually listens. We talk from Truth and less from trauma. It’s a big deal to me, personally, that our God always thinks about us and is actually interested and listening.
- God LIKES you. He really does.
- There is transformative commendation in place of debilitating condemnation.
We’re talking from the promises of God, and not from the conditions of the Old Covenant.

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.Ephesians 1:15-23