"Faith & Righteousness" by Nancy Dufresne
“Our greatest defense against the enemy is a renewed mind, including renewing our mind that we are righteous.”
To receive miracles, to receive healing, and to minister that flow to others calls for faith – the God-kind of faith. Romans 12:3 tells us, “…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” At the new birth, God put in every man the beginning measure of faith – we have a measure of the God-kind of faith. But we are the custodians of that faith – we determine what happens to it – whether it grows or not. We are to cause it to grow by feeding and meditating on the Word, then release that faith through our words and actions. Faith comes by hearing, but it’s not released by hearing – it’s released through words and actions.
Faith is how we conduct business with God. Faith is the great conductor of God’s power. Faith converts the Word to power. Faith is the pipeline that God’s power flows through to reach our need. We must protect our faith so that we can keep moving with God and receive from God what He has already made ours. It’s only by faith that we can “live as rich as we are.” So, we must deal with things that try to hinder or rob us of faith.
Jesus asked, “When I come back will I find persistence in faith?” That’s what He’s looking for, for that’s what He needs so He can work.
One of the things that hinders faith is CONDEMNATION. Sin-consciousness – living conscious of past sins, faults, failures, and weaknesses – produces condemnation. It focuses on the flesh and the natural side of man, instead of focusing on who we are in Christ and on our spirit and all that’s contained in our spirit.
Any sense of condemnation shows us that further renewing of the mind is called for. The receiving of miracles and healing power is hindered where there is condemnation. Condemnation doesn't just destroy someone’s self-image – how they see themselves – but it destroys their ability to receive from God. Condemnation turns us sin-conscious instead of being righteousness-conscious.
Condemnation hinders faith; therefore, it hinders us from receiving miracles, healing, and answers for our life. It causes us to draw back; it hinders the flow of our faith – and it takes faith to conduct business with God.
But Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The timeline to the end of condemnation in your life is NOW!
Romans 14:17 tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Righteousness, peace, and joy is the flow of the Holy Ghost. This is the flow of God, and this is the flow God moves in. God doesn’t move in the flow of fear, worry, doubt, or condemnation.
We won’t walk in peace and joy unless we renew our minds to the truth that Jesus has made us righteous – right with God. Jesus made us righteous. We aren’t righteous because WE did everything right – we are righteous because JESUS did everything right.
First John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we sin, we are to immediately confess it so that our own heart won’t condemn us and so we keep the door closed to the devil. When we confess it, the Blood cleanses us. The Blood makes it as though we never missed it. How bold would we live if we knew we had never missed it? That’s where the Blood puts us.
Condemnation comes to rob us of that boldness of faith. To live under sin-consciousness and condemnation, we have to FORGET the Blood.
For condemnation to work against us, we have to fail to forgive ourselves – not having faith in I John 1:9.
Mark 11:25 instructs us, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any…,” because unforgiveness will keep your faith from working (vs. 23 & 24). Condemnation comes from not forgiving yourself or forgetting that you were forgiven when you confessed your sin.
Romans 5:17 (AMPC) reads, “For if because of one man’s (Adam’s) trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the FREE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS [putting them into right standing with Himself] REIGN AS KINGS IN LIFE through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” No wonder the devil attacks our righteousness through condemnation – for walking in our righteousness is how we REIGN IN LIFE over him and over all opposing circumstances.
Isaiah 54:13-15 reads, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake” (because you are righteous and you forbid it).
We are to be established in righteousness. That means that we are to build in our spirits and into our thought lives that we are righteous. We are to reject and cast down accusing thoughts, believing that the Blood has cleansed us from all unrighteousness when we confessed it. When we are established in our righteousness, we will be far from oppression, fear, and terror – we will forbid their entrance into our thought life and into our heart. When we are established in righteousness, peace and joy will be our flow because being righteousness-minded closes the door to fear.
Our greatest defense against the enemy is a renewed mind, including renewing our mind that we are righteous.
Righteous, peace, and joy is the flow of God’s kingdom (Rom. 14:17). That’s the flow that belongs to us, even while we are on this earth.