Awake To Righteousness Bible Study

Week 5 Reigning in Life through Jesus

Because of Jesus Ministries BecauseofJesus.com

I. I rejoice in what Jesus did for me! Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life. AMP Rom 5:11 Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultingly glory in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received and enjoy [our] reconciliation. If while we were sinners, God sent His Son to make us righteous, how much more now that weve been made right in Gods sight will He daily deliver us from sins dominion (condemnation, shame, and guilt) and manifest His salvation (peace, joy, love, health, abundance, etc.) through His resurrection life. We rejoice and exultingly glory in God (agree with his good opinion of us in Christ) because we have been reconciled to Himmade righteous (qualified) in Jesus II. I agree with my Fathers view of me in Jesus and reign in life through Him!
Rom 5:12 Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned. AMP Rom 5:13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. NLT Rom 5:14 Still, everyone diedfrom the time of Adam to the time of Moseseven those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. Rom 5:15 But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other Man, Jesus Christ. Rom 5:16 And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. Rom 5:17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ. NLT

Rom 5:17 For if because of one man's trespassdeath reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace and the free gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ AMP Verse 12: At one time we were all trapped in the power of sin (condemnation, shame, guilt)- the feeling of never being good enough Verse 15-16 The difference between Adams sin and Gods gracious gift: Adams sin = condemnation for everyone
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Gods grace = righteousness (forgiveness and qualification) for everyone through Jesus Verse 17: Because of sin, death (condemnation) reigned and ruled everyones life But even greater is the power of grace and righteousness, for those who receive the abundance of grace (Gods power) and His gift of righteousness (agree with His good opinion of them in Christ) will triumph over sin (condemnation, guilt, and shame) and reign as kings in life through Jesus
What does it mean to receive Gods grace and gift of righteousness G2983: Receive: lam-ban'-o; to take on; to get hold of; to seize: - accept

When you receive His righteousness, you take on His identity; lay hold of His opinion of you and hold onto it as if your very life depended on it. You accept the truth that what the Father says about you in Christ is true no matter what you see When your sin (self) conscious condemnation reigns in your life: You accept and embrace your own opinion of yourself: You think, theres something wrong with me. Things may not work out well for me- a negative mindset A condemned mind holds onto its own opinion & continually thinks condemning thoughts like this: Im not sure Im hearing from God What if I make the wrong decision? What if I fail? Fear of disapproval (someones negative opinion of you) I lack in some way Im not good enough Worried thoughts about your children Feelings of guilt and shame; Im disqualified because of my failures I have to pay for my failures or someone elses Whats wrong with me? Anxious thoughts about your finances or business I just dont have enough faith. I cant do it! When your Righteous (Jesus) conscious, grace (Gods power) reigns in your life: You accept and agree with the Fathers good opinion of you in Jesus and wont let go of it no matter what: You think, I am who my Father says I am in Jesus. Everything works out for my good because of Jesus! A heart who receives the gift of Righteousness, agrees with the Fathers opinion and thinks and speaks thoughts like this: Father, I hear your voice and I follow it. I am led by your Spirit. You cause my thoughts to be agreeable to your will I am a success in you Father, I have your approval. I dont need anyone elses to feel complete I am complete in You, Jesus Father, I am very good and without fault in your eyes because of Jesus! Thank you, Lord, for teaching my children and giving them great peace! I have been made perfect forever in Jesus! I am free from all guilt and shame! I qualify because of Jesus!
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Jesus, you paid the penalty for my sins so that I dont have to pay. Jesus, You say you see no fault in me! Thank you for your unfailing love Father, Your plan is to prosper me and give me a hope and a future. Your grace abounds toward me and I am blessed to be a blessing because of Jesus! Jesus, You are the author and finisher of my faith. When I am weak, you make me strong!

Thats what it means to receive Gods grace and His gift of righteousness- agree with the Fathers view of you in Christ in every situation- and you will triumph over sin and condemnation and reign victorious in this life! (Romans 5:2; II Corinthians 1:20) Receive Grace: the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms my heart and life & empowers me to believe who I truly am in Jesus. I am no longer depending on my ability to change myself or others, but I depend on Gods ability. Receive Righteousness: I no longer try to qualify myself for Gods blessing through my good works, but I embrace the gift of righteousness-that I am qualified because of Jesus and what He did for me. When I receive Gods grace (His ability) and agree that I am righteous because of Jesus, I reign as a king in life- What a King decides and decrees is established! A king rules and reigns. Jesus is the King of kings and you are a king in Him! When you agree with and speak forth what He has decided about you, the truth of who you are in Jesus will be established in your heart and life!
Job 22:28 You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways.

III. I am free from the vicious cycle of sin & condemnation because Gods grace abounds toward me! Rom 5:18 Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Rom 5:19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Rom 5:20 God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. NLT
But where sin increased and abounded, grace has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded, AMP Rom 5:21 So that, [just] as sin has reigned in death, [so] grace might reign also through righteousnesswhich issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In Adam-Sin brings condemnation In Jesus-Righteousness brings new life

Adam disobeyed- many became sinners Jesus obeyed-many became righteous (forgiven and qualified) Verse 19: Is it your obedience or Jesus obedience that makes you righteous (qualified for Gods favor and blessing)? Your answer to this question determines whether you are experiencing: 1. sin and condemnation = bondage
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2. grace and the fruit of righteousness = freedom Verse 20: The purpose of the law: Gods law was given to show men that they were sinners. The law increased mans awareness of their sin and failures- that is why when you teach the law all it produces is condemnation and more sin (II Cor. 3:6) Verse 21: The Greek word for reigned is also translated king. Sin ruled like a king through condemnation and brought death to everyone. As long as you were declared a sinner and accepted that identity, condemnation brings death and destruction to your life. Condemnation is like the general of sin that enforces its power over your life. But where sin and condemnation use to rule and abound, now Gods grace superabounds toward you. Now grace rules like a king through righteousness to bring all who are in Christ into eternal life (joy, peace, love, abundance, security, etc.). Righteousness is like the general of grace that defends us against all the accusations and lies of the devil. When a person is guilt ridden and condemned over their sins, sins power has a particularly devastating effect- it affects every area of their life in a negative way. Likewise, those who embrace righteousness by agreeing with the Fathers good opinion of them in Jesus, will ultimately experience the glorious life Jesus has provided. Those who understand righteousness as a gift to be received and not a wage to be earned are the ones who reign like kings, over sin and all its effects, in this life.
Read Romans 5:16-21 in the Message Bible: 16 There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. 17 If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? 18 Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! 19 One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. 20 All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. 21 All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life--a life that goes on and on and on, world without end. MSG

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