You want to be a Christian you just don't know it yet!

You want to be a Christian you just don't know it yet!

I've been a Christian for 17 years. Prior to that I was a Buddhist for 14 years. Believe me, Christianity is far better. I'll do some teaching on this blog regarding one of the most important concepts of Christianity. You may agree or disagree. The concept is "righteousness" and it has completely changed my life as a Christian.

I teach about righteouness at a drug rehabilitation center in Southern New Jersey. I'm going to post some or all of the lessons here.

One of the reasons young people get involved in drugs is because of low self esteem. I know it is one of the reasons I got involved in drugs as a teen and why I continued doing drugs as an adult. I no longer do drugs but for years as an adult I still had low self esteem. I became a Buddhist in my early twenties and that was no help at all. It was Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism which had me more screwed up than I would have been ordinarily. I thank God I got out of that mess.

RIGHTEOUSNESS INTRODUCTION AND EXPECTATIONS

I need to give you some background information about me. When I first became a Christian I was a child. I became disillusioned with the faith in my teens and became very cynical and radical. I considered myself to be a revolutionary and no self respecting revolutionary had any business believing in the white man's God. So Christianity was out. I began doing drugs and ended up flunking out of high school in Camden NJ.

I eventually took the NJ state GED test and got my diploma. I developed an interest in eastern philosophy and religion and even started taking Kung Fu lessons in my twenties. My study of the martial arts was a logical step in the direction of the Buddhist religion. But Buddhism is a spiritual trap. The god of Buddha is the devil and there is no salvation in the devil. It took me 14 years to realize the evil of Buddhism. Early in my Buddhist practice I reconnected with a friend I knew as a child. He had been living in Seattle WA and had recently moved back to NJ. He told me a story about one of his former girl friends who had been practicing Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. One of the things you do as a NS Buddhist is chant some mystical phrase over and over again. You also recite portions of the Lotus Sutra every morning and evening. This former girl friend was chanting her evening prayer in her apartment in Camden one night and she heard a noise at her window. She heard the window open and saw what turned out to be a huge ugly demon climbing into the window. Needless to say, she got out of that room and also never chanted again. Shortly there after she became a Christian.

I didn't want to believe this story and continued to practice. I downplayed the story as best I could. I figured, how could Buddhism, a religion that has been practiced by millions of people for thousands of years be evil? It just couldn't be. But that story stuck with me. It played in the back of my head for years. So I took this stance. Not knowing the one true God, I spoke to Him and asked Him to show me if my practice of Buddhsim was evil. And if it was evil to get me out of it. I had that assurance. It was a small assurance but I had it. I continued to practice NS Buddhism for a few more years.

I remember hearing a Japanese NS Buddhist young men's division leader in Philadelphia talk about walking into a relative's apartment room and feeling uneasy as he tried to chant. He said he looked around the room to try to see what it was that made him feel that way. After a few moments he saw what it was. It was a crucifixion on the wall. He removed it and threw it away.

There were many things that challenged my belief in NS Buddhism over the years. One of those things was the attutude of certain of the Japanese leaders towards African Americans. But the final straw came in a series of events. I was working on a video in New York City and was traveling with Bruce the producer of the video who happened to be a friend and a NS Buddhist. On the way to NY he told me a story about two NS Buddhist, Tal and Andy, who were personal friends of mine. I hadn't seen either of them in a while and asked about them for that reason. Bruce told me that neither of them were practicing any longer and went on to explain why. Tal and Andy were going together. Tal got very ill as a result of some chronic ailment she had. They were living in Atlantic City, NJ. For some reason she left Andy and moved to Virginia to be with her family. There was a serious flair-up of this chronic condition while there and her family put her in the hospital where she later died. But before she died Andy went to see her and she told him about an experience she had one night in the hospital. You see Tal came from a devout Christian Family. Her father was the Pastor of a church in VA. They had been praying for her salvation and wanted her to denounce her faith in NS Buddhism. She did just that. When Andy went to see her in the hospital she was adament about him stopping his practice of Buddhism and went on to tell him what happened one night in the hospital. She awoke out of a troubled sleep. After a few minutes she saw a small creature come up out of her stomach. It climbed down off of the bed and jumped to the floor and walked out of the room. Tal got out of bed and went to the doorway and into the hall as she watched this thing walk down the hall. Tal never chanted again. She died a short time later. I never saw Tal or Andy again.

A week later I was in my house kneeling in front of my Buddhist alter. I was having trouble chanting. The stories were in my head and I kept asking myself are you studid or something? I looked at the scoll in the cabinet on the alter that all NS Buddhist chant to. I could not chant any longer. Something told me to get up and go into the basement. I got up and headed towards the basement. I opened the door and climbed down the steps. I heard a noise in the lower level of my basement and turned on the light just in time to see an orange thing climb out of my basement window. I never chanted again. I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, renounced my Buddhist faith and never looked back. It was the best thing I have ever done in my life.

1 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Abraham believed God and God accounted it to him for righteousness. It is true of those of us who are believers in Christ. It is our belief in Him that saves us and not any act that we can do. Salvation is so simple. It is not a difficult thing to understand. But ultimately it is God who gives us revelation about things of the spirit.

TEXT: Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

I. INTRODUCTION

I always thought that righteousness was a way in which we are supposed to act. And there are many in the Body of Christ who believe that the way you act, pray, sing on the choir or preach and teach in the church is what will make you righteous. This is a deception. Deceived people do not know they are deceived. Ask one and you will see. There is no way that acting righteous will justify you in the eyes of God. It will not happen. Righteousness is a free gift. You can't do anything to earn it. Jesus did it all on the cross and in His resurrection.

Then you have the people who have comitted some sin or trespass in life and refuse to believe that God would ever forgive them for it. This is another deception and will keep many people from fellowship with God and other believers. A Christian who goes out and commits sin on a Saturday night will find it hard to go to church on Sunday morning. Even if they have been taught that they have a forgiving God for a Father. We should avoid sin at all cost but when we sin, and we will, we should run to the alter and repent and ask for forgiveness. Because we have been made righteous in the eyes of God because of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ we can go right before the throne of God and ask for forgiveness.

Righteousness = the ability to stand in the presence of God without any sense of guilt, without any sense of inferiority, just as if sin never existed.

This is the very basis of the righteouness that is given to us as a free gift from God. I did not really discover this concept until 7 years into my faith. I'll explain later how I found it but in actuallity I did not find it any more than God sent it. And it was at a time in my life that was unbelievably horrifying. But more about that later.

= (Gr.) uprightness/right-standing with God

A. What would life be like without the effect of these experiences?

How often did I feel a sense of not being worthy of being in the presenence of God? Too often.

1. Experiences of inferiority

a. To relate to God – Get right with God and then come to Him is contrary to righteousness.

b. To other people: weight, height, etc.

c. Racial oppression. Your past history making you inferior -- education, age,experience, etc.

2. The effect of shame or guilt

Shame = (Webster) disturbed by the painful feeling of guilt, incompetence, dishonor, disgrace, indecency; blameworthy

Guilt = the act of having done wrong by sinning; conduct involving moral, ethical, or legal breech. There should be no shame associated with anything in your life. It is just fact without the sense of guilt, just information.

3. Living as though your past history is not having any effect

An ability to stand without the effect of your history on your presentand your future

B. Two kinds of righteousness

1. Self-righteousness by man = effort to achieve the recognition and acceptance of God; trying to fulfill God's words in order to relieve the effects or penalty of sina. Always questioning if your are worthy enough

b. Demonstrates itself by strict religious practices and a highmindedness

2. Righteousness of God = not earned, merited, or deserveda. It is a gift from God imputed to us by what Jesus did, not by what we did.

b. You can do nothing to have righteousness given to you.

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

3. Righteousness of God is the key revelation for us to be able to walk in:

a. Faith
b. Health
c. Prosperity
d. Victory over sin
e. Victory over Satan
f. Safety
g. Peace
h. All the promises of God
i. Fellowship with God

II. EXPECTATIONS

A. Righteousness revelation will absolutely change you.You will change in the way you think and feel about:

1. Inferiority, insecurity, fear
2. Inherent internal fears; anticipation of things going wrong
3. Behavior patterns which seem to be unending

Isaiah 54:11 - 17 v.11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thyfoundations with sapphires. v.12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates ofcarbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. v.13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and greatshall be the peace of thy children. v.14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be farfrom oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror;for it shall not come near thee. v.15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me:whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall forthy sake. v.16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals inthe fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. v.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; andevery tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thoushalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

B. The Church is to be established in righteousness.

1. Free from oppression, fear, and terrorv.14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be farfrom oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror;for it shall not come near thee. Established = fixed, immovable

2. No weapon formed against you prospers! v.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. C. Declare that I expect to receive:Revelation knowledge Perspective = a new way of seeing Experience = results from God's action. You will not have the experience part until the Word of God is revealed personally to you.

1. Revelation knowledge

Revelation knowledge = to reveal, unveil, or disclose by direct encounter of the Holy Spirit; He takes things never seen by natural senses and discloses it to you.

a. It is not received by normal senses or by logical progression of thoughts.

b. Your senses or your mind will never tell you are righteous.

c. The Holy Spirit is unveiling to your spirit what Jesus did for you.

2. How to receive revelation knowledge

Colossians 1:26 - 27 v.26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and fromgenerations, but now is made manifest to his saints: v.27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the gloryof this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Mystery = information disclosed by Goda. God alone gives revelation by His Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:13 - 14 v.13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. v.14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spirituallydiscerned.Discerned = scrutinized, examined, investigated

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Where you are not living is where you are not taught!

b. God requires an open heart of expectation. Set yourself, and focus on the Lord until you are made to understand.

Daniel 10:12 - 14 v.12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from thefirst day that thou didst set thine heart to understand,and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. v.13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood meone and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with thekings of Persia. v.14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shallbefall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision isfor many days. Cry out with your heart!

Psalms 119:145 - 147 v.145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. v.146 I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thytestimonies. v.147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

c. You must meditate.

Meditate = to mutter, speak, roll over and over again

Psalms 1:1 - 3 v.1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of theungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sittethin the seat of the scornful. v.2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his lawdoth he meditate day and night. v.3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Meditation is like a rough rock rolling down from a mountain stream until it finally reaches the ocean. Then it is smooth and almost transparent.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.d. The biblical process to manifest His word -- meditation, revelation, motivation, action, fruit of God's Word

Meditation produces Revelation
Revelation produces Motivation
Motivation produces Action
Action produces Fruits or Results