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ESTABLISHED

Isa 54:14  In righteousness you shall be established. (NKJV)

As noted in my last Blog, the Biblical order to receiving peace, is found in Rom 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

This order cannot be tampered with – we can’t have joy, peace and righteousness or peace, joy and righteousness – NO – it must be righteousness, peace and joy. One triggers the operation of the other. To have peace, we must first have righteousness. To have joy we must first have righteousness and peace.

So let’s look at the first word: righteousness. Why does this come first. Isa 54:14 says we are to be,established in righteousness’. God’s character is 100% righteous, therefore, to be accepted by Him, we too must be 100% righteous.

Under the Old Covenant, no man or priest could go into the Most Holy Place of the Tab of Moses. if they did, they would immediately become burnt toast (dead). Even the High Priest would tremble with fear knowing that if he wasn’t attired with proper garments and the correct approach to God, He too would suffer similar consequences.

The priests would tie a rope around his ankle so that when he entered the Most Holy Place, if they couldn’t hear the bells tinkling on the bottom of his garment, they knew he would be dead and would pull him out by the rope.

All of this because under the Old Covenant, man couldn’t be sure of his holiness,couldn’t be sure he was 100% righteous.

Herein lies the difference: under the O.C. man had to earn his righteousness by obeying the law. Under the N.C. man is given righteousness as a free gift by grace.

Phil 3:9 That I might be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (NKJV)

Under the New Covenant, God has made us fully 100% righteous in Christ.

2 Cor 5:21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  (NKJV)

Heb 4:16 tells us we can now come boldly (the opposite of fear) unto God’s throne of grace. And because we are righteous we are assured of these things:

1) We are totally forgiven all our sins: past, present & future.

2) Christ’s blood has cleansed us from all unrighteousness.

3) We are fully accepted by God.

4) We can receive the fullness of His love.

5) We can receive the fullness of His peace.

6) We are fully pleasing to Him at all times.

7) He will never, judge us, condemn us, accuse us, withdraw from us or become angry with us, even when we sin or fail.

All these facts added together, show us that our security and identity, establish us in righteousness. We have right standing before the Father because we are righteous in Christ.

Meditation Point: Rom 8:29-30 For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like his Son, and having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.  (NLT)




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The Scripture above shows the sequence and progression of God’s work in our lives. This sequence is found throughout the Scriptures. Compare these verses:

Ps 85:10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.  (NKJV)

Isa 32:17 The work (fruit) of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.  (NKJV)

Heb 7:1-3 For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “King of righteousness,” and then also King of Salem, meaning “King of peace.”  (NKJV)

Paul the Apostle finally draws it altogether with Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

These Scriptures show us that there is a sequence and a  progression to releasing God’s peace in our lives.

1) First we are to be established in righteousness.

2) Righteousness triggers the flow of peace.

3) Peace triggers the flow of joy.

This sequence and progression, received and acted upon will completely revolution our lives and bring about the victory and freedom that many have been searching for, for a long time.

In my next Blog, I will start with Point No1 – how to be established in God’s righteousness.

Meditation Point: Father, open the Scriptures to me in new ways. Ways I have never considered before. Meet the need for my heart’s cry to experience your deep abiding peace.


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Col 1:20 Having made peace through the blood of His cross. (NKJV)

The above Scripture shows that Christ was a peacemaker not a peacekeeper. Let’s remind ourselves how this took place.

It was mankind (Adam) who broke the peace with God, not God with man. Since that time, man has always been in rebellion and enmity with God Rom 8:7  The carnal mind is enmity against God KJV.

Dic Def: ENMITY – hostility, hatred, war, suspicion, rancour.

In spite of this, God knew that man wanted peace to be restored, but because of his sin nature, was incapable of change. That is, however much he wanted peace with God, deep down, there was an inbred hostility towards Him.

Rom 5:20 But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. (KJV)

If peace was to be restored, It would have to be God who took the initiative. So God, in an act of pure grace, sent His Son to die on a cross in order to make peace. God’s master plan was enacted thus:

1) Instead of man having to be punished for breaking the peace, God took out His full judgement and fury upon His Son Jesus. Isa 53:5 The punishment that brought us peace was upon him (Christ), and by his wounds we are healed.

2) By receiving Christ into His life, the Holy Spirit heals man by taking away his sin nature and replacing it with a righteous nature. This righteous nature enables man to make peace with God (Isa 32:17, Rom 14:17 ).

3) This peace that God has made with man is an eternal peace that can never be broken. Why? Because God made His peace with Christ who is man’s representative, and Christ as a man is perfect and will never break that peace.

4) Because we are now, ‘In Christ’, every time God looks upon us, He always sees us in Christ. Therefore the peace we have with God is not based on what we have or have not done, it is based entirely on what Christ has done.

5) On the cross, God forgave man’s sin, past, present and future. Therefore, whenever man sin’s, he knows that sin was forgiven and cleansed away by the blood of Christ 2000 yrs ago. This is why, man can never break the peace between him and God.

In our next Blog we will look at how many Christian’s have still not received the fullness of God’s peace and how to maintain this peace in our lives.

Meditation Point: Am I living in the peace of God or is that peace broken by guilt, condemnation, shame and fear etc.


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