Believing, What God Believes About Us
God sees us, as who we really are and how we can potentially be. But if we don’t get His vision for us- our lives will stay unfulfilled and fall short of the good things God has for us
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:47-51 (ESV)
Nathanael was impressed that Jesus was able to supernaturally, know Nathanael, but Jesus knew there was so much more for Nathanael if he would continue with Jesus as a disciple. The reference to ‘angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man’ is largely lost to us. It was alluding to the open access to heaven that was briefly shown to Jacob in Genesis 28 when God promised Jacob that his descendants would be mighty and fulfil God’s covenant with Abraham. Jesus was telling Nathanael that, if he stuck with Jesus, there was going to be more, far more than Nathanael could possibly imagine more.
God sees more for us than we could ever see. His plans for us are bigger and better than we could ever imagine- if we can believe His dream for us.
In 2 Cor 5: 16-17, the Bible says we are to no longer see ourselves in a natural way- we have been made ‘the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus. Being ‘the righteousness of God’ is an incredible position- you can't get more righteous, you can’t get more privileged, you can’t have more access to God.
What if we actually believed what God says about us? What if we acted as though His Word is true? There are three things we can do daily, to experience the reality of being righteous.
Firstly, we must renounce self-righteousness. We have no claim to righteousness by our own effort or our own goodness. Nothing we can do, or not do can make us anymore righteous outside of believing in Jesus.
‘If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,’ Romans 4: 2-5 ESV
God declares us righteous when we believe in Jesus. Jesus’ righteousness is imputed to us- God sees us as totally right, totally qualified to access Him! You can’t get more righteousness than that- it’s terminal righteousness. Being the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus is the PhD of righteousness- once you have that qualification you can’t become more qualified!
Once we’ve renounced self-righteousness, we must denounce condemnation. Condemnation is the accusing voice of judgement. Romans 8:1-3 says there is ‘now no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. When voices of condemnation come against us, we need to recognise that they are not from God- they are the voice of the devil, he is the one who accuses Christians. Denounce condemnation; tell condemnation that it has no place coming near you.
Finally, once we have renounced self-righteousness and denounced condemnation, we must announce that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Boldly declare who you are in Christ Jesus. In every situation, announce your position in Christ, saying “I am the righteousness of God- in Christ Jesus”.
Renounce self-righteousness, denounce condemnation and announce righteousness. Here’s short rhyme to help.
I believe what God says about me
I’ve been washed of sin’s debris
Awarded my Righteous PhD
Now I act on His guarantee!
