Back to The Quick Teachings Page Back to The Quick Teachings Page
To be righteous, to be justified, not to feel condemned, not to sin, not to feel accused, these are states that most Christians seek, but the majority never really find them.
We are used to hearing in the Christian world that we are justified. For many, this remains a simple theory, very few are those who manage to live this justification consciously in their daily lives.
However, there is no shortage of good resolutions. Thousands of teachings deal with this subject, but very few follow the pattern that the Bible teaches us on this subject.
A thousand and one ways are given to make us feel righteous before God, but one after the other shows their limits. Of course it is very easy to feel right, without reproach, when everything is going well in my life, but what about when I realize that I have done something wrong, that I realize that I have committed a sin?
It is beyond human understanding to grasp the fact that we can stop sinning without any effort on our part. Only a revelation of the Holy Spirit can give us an understanding of it. I usually tell people that the more they try to stop sinning through good resolutions, the less they will succeed in the long run.
Romans 8: 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Where did the condemnation come from?
It comes from sin, not from God. This fact is very important to understand. God does not condemn, it is sin that condemns us. In the same way, God does not accuse, it is the devil who accuses. This passage of Romans is often uncomfortable for some Christians. They do not know where to position themselves in relation to the fact that there is no longer any condemnation on them. Then some say to themselves that they can live according to the desires of their flesh because there is no condemnation on them, but others say that this word of Paul is valid only when I do not sin, and these try with all their strength not to sin any more in order to ease their conscience.
The truth is that both are wrong.
When we go through the new birth we are justified. I would like to point out here that going through the new birth is not only about reciting a prayer, but about having understood and accepted the fact of exchanging my life for that of Jesus. I die, and He comes to live in me in my place, this process being acquired by faith.
When I am born again I am therefore justified, that is, above reproach, irreprehensible (Colossians 1: 22).
I am spiritually righteous and perfect.
Some will say to me: “Well, Franck, what you say is very nice, but I notice that I sin and that sometimes I do evil, and in these cases I really don't have the impression of being righteous and perfect.
You will be absolutely right. And this is where the vast majority of Christians do not understand what is happening and give up after a while. They read in the Bible that they are perfect, without sin, without reproach, but in their lives they sometimes find the opposite. This is why we are witnessing in the body of Christ all over the world, a kind of resignation in this area. Adding to this teachings that are at both extremes, in one way or another, as I wrote above, neither of them are correct.
Hebrews 10: 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
When I am pure, justified, it is because I have decided to believe that the Bible tells me: I am pure, justified by my faith. I decided to believe it firmly without doubt. Because of this I am therefore purified and blameless before God, because the life of Jesus has come to replace mine (new birth).
Think with me for a moment, what are the effects of sin in the life of a human being?
This is to mention only the main ones, but this list could constitute a whole book.
If I am therefore justified, there is no longer any effect of sin in me. If I am righteous it is because the life of Jesus in me has come to remove sin and all these effects, it is a reality. When I begin to understand this, I will then begin to see the unconditional love that God has for me. I will also begin to understand what my value is, because it is up to the sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross.
Because I am righteous, I can say that the effect of sin no longer exists in me. If the effect of sin no longer exists in me, then illness, any dysfunction of the body or mind, bacteria, anger, timidity, lies, depression, manipulation, selfishness, wars, etc... disappear.
The effects of sin no longer have any effect on me, it is a fact that I believe by faith, because it has already been acquired.
This shows us that if I am justified, no effect of sin can be conceived and subsist in my life.
We are beginning to see a little more clearly that it is because I have understood and accepted that I am righteous, that the effects of sin have died in my life.
Justification (the fact of considering oneself fair) is the basis of all things.
No disease can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No dysfunction of my body or mind can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No bacteria can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No anger can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No shyness can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No lie can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No depression can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No disease can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No manipulation can remain in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
No selfishness can subsist in me, because I am justified, made righteous.
I need to firmly believe that I am justified, and that sin and all its effects no longer have any possible life in me. This process is exactly the same as the one you accepted for your salvation through faith.
Why can you say that you are saved?
Simply because you believe it firmly with your faith.
If you are saved, you are also justified, no effect of sin can remain in you. Start believing it firmly today.
I now answer this remark: "Well, Franck, what you say is very nice, but I notice that I sin and that sometimes I do evil ".
Hebrews 10: 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
This passage alone sums up our entire attitude. Most Christians will think that in order to be able to put this verse into practice, we will have to make every effort to stop sinning, to reach a state of almost perfection so that our conscience does not accuse us.
But that's not what this passage means at all.
If I miss out, make a mistake and sin, my conscience remains pure because I am already justified and I remain so no matter what happens, because God does not change His mind. This fact is immutable because it is acquired in me. It is not my actions or mistakes that will change the fact that I am justified. Justification is a grace, an undeserved gift that is not based on my actions or thoughts. The devil will try to accuse you by trying to question your justification. It is our responsibility not to give credit to such thoughts. It is important to distinguish between the Holy Spirit who will correct you in an encouraging way about one of your mistakes, and the devil who will accuse you in a discouraging way about the same mistake.
The more I realize that I am righteous, the less I will sin.
Why?
Imagine yourself dressed in an evening outfit, with clothes of great value. Would you walk in the mud, in the rain, cook or tidy up your garage?
Of course not!
Why wouldn't you do that?
Simply because you have understood that you have to be careful with your clothes because they have a certain value. The same goes for me, the more I will understand how precious I am, the more I will understand that I am perfect no matter what happens without ever having been able to deserve it. The more I understand the unconditional power of God's love for me, the more I will naturally care about myself.
I understood that I am righteous, that God has put me in the ranks of those who are perfect. I understood that God has put my value strictly on the same level as Jesus': I am a justified person, made righteous.
It is this same thought that is constantly present in me, the one that shows me the value of my person, that will make me sin less and less.
It is because I know what God says about me that I will naturally take care of myself. I understand that sin is harmful, destructive, damaging and destroying my person, so I will pay particular attention to my thoughts, actions and words.
My person has become important to me because I have discovered the value of my justification. So I will look after myself and make sure I don't sin.
My motivation not to sin is no longer the same. I no longer sin not because the Bible asks me to, but because I have understood my value, and I am in an autonomy of holiness.
If I miss out, I don't feel any accusations or condemnations. When Paul says that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ, he was thinking of that kind of moment when the devil, or our own flesh, tries to accuse us. When I realize that I am sinning I am already angry enough with myself, and this personal dissatisfaction is enough to get myself back up, still as just as I was, and to move on.
If I have made a mistake in which other people are involved, I would be eager to make it right as far as possible. This shows that I know that I am precious, and that I do not tolerate that any effect of sin can come to life in me.
Understanding that I am justified makes me mature. This maturity then passes beyond the symptoms of illness in my body, it passes beyond the demonic thoughts that the devil is trying to make me swallow.
As a result, I change for pleasure because I know I'm going in the right direction. I no longer accept any effect of sin in my life because I have understood who I am, and what I am worth. I now want to preserve this value, I want to preserve my life because I have understood that my value comes from the love of God, which is an antagonist to sin.
One of the changes in your life that will attest that you have understood this process and that you have begun to enter it, is that you will take pleasure in no longer sinning. You will also love your neighbour much more because the image of God is rooted in you and you are becoming more and more like Him. You will live normally in this world, but you will have the feeling that you do not belong to it, without living in a seclusion and rejecting all things. Your priorities will change, you will have a growing desire to be love as God is love. Not to say yes to everything, but to act like Him.
You will then find that you are changing, that you sin less and less without any effort, but simply out of genuine desire.
Welcome to the True Life in Jesus Christ....
Bye for now.
All rights reserved - 2023 - TRGN-LVBN