I was not planning a Part 2 to this message but when I woke up this morning (Oct 4th), this is the message I got from the Lord. Therefore, let’s begin! The Scripture for this teaching is Romans 5:1-5, 17 (Read the whole chapter when you can; very important):
1 “Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! 3 We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us." "17 It is true that through the sin of one man death began to rule because of that one man. But how much greater is the result of what was done by the one man, Jesus Christ! All who receive God's abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ” (www.biblegateway.com – Good News Translation).
As I stated in Part 1 of “Embracing God’s Dream for YOU,” “God’s highest dream is not to make us rich, not to make us successful or popular or famous. God’s dream is to make us right with Him” (Max Lucado, “Grace For The Moment” Vol. 1). God has already provided a way, the only way, for us to be right with Him, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30: “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin”- www.biblegateway.com – Good News Translation). Therefore, all we have to do is choose Christ’s righteousness and receive it by faith; if we do not choose it, we cannot receive it. The next step after we choose and receive Christ’s righteousness faith, is to walk in it and keep walking in it unto Jesus come back for us, His bride which is the church.
The Road of Righteousness is not going to be easy but it is possible; all things are possible if we only believe (Mark 9:23). It is becoming more apparent to me that everything we receive or do in God must be by faith. The Scripture that without faith it is impossible to please God and other faith Scriptures such as the one Jesus said “by your faith be it unto you,” and “you have what you say” are coming alive in me. Faith plays a big part in our living righteous because we receive our salvation by faith (Eph 2:8) and if we do not accept our salvation we cannot accept our righteousness.
(Click here for the complete message)
You can also read Part 1 at the web site (www.abusedwoman.ning.com).
Shalom!
Dr. Hooks
