Creflo Dollar - Understanding the Foundation of Righteousness - Part 1
If you have your Bibles, go with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 30 through 31, I’m gonna read out of the NLT. Each year I try my best to make sure that I do a series on righteousness because it is the foundation, I believe, to living this grace life and to living by grace, understanding righteousness. And so for the next couple of weeks we’re going to to stay in this series and then after this series hopefully we’ll be talking about, you know, I believe you have to have a relationship in order to live this life and we’ll be talking about practically how do you develop it, you know?
So we’re gonna talk today, we’re gonna look at understanding the foundation of righteousness, understanding the foundation of righteousness because even when I said that, some of you may have, you know, been thinking well, you know, what’s the big deal about righteousness? You know, it’s the foundation to this grace life and how does that work, what does that look like? Well, let’s check this out, 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 30 and 31 in the NLT. He says, «God has united you with Christ Jesus».
Now note, «God united us with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him, Jesus, to be wisdom itself,» so Jesus is wisdom, all right? He didn’t have it, he is. «For God has made Jesus to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God, Christ made us right with God». You didn’t become right with God through your own performance. You are right with God, your stance right now before God is his responsibility. He made you right with God. «He made us pure and,» watch this, «holy». You ask, «Well, am I holy»? He made you holy, your stance with God, you are righteous, you are holy, and you have access to wisdom itself through Jesus Christ.
Now that’s something that’s just got to be received. That’s something that you’ve got to say, you know what, «Since he made me righteous, then I receive that by declaring and believing I am the righteousness of God, not because of what I’ve done. I’ve been made righteous, therefore I am righteous, even though somebody doesn’t see me righteous, he sees me righteous, and I am righteous and I am evolving in my state in righteousness. My stance is already settled, I’m already righteous, my state is now transforming into what he made me».
See, he makes you first and then you become what he makes you. Ah, ah, don’t y’all start nothin' here this morning. And so, he made us righteous, you know, I know it blows the mind of some believers when I say to you, you are holy, but I’m not saying that based on your behaving and what you’re doing. I’m saying that you are holy because he made you that way. You can’t become something unless he already made you that what you are to be transformed into. You’re on the journey towards what he made you, that’s your journey. And you’ve been made righteous, you’ve been made holy, he has made us pure and holy, and he freed us, he freed us from sin.
So you know what I say as a believer? I’m free from sin, I’m free from sin, I’ve been freed from sin, Jesus has freed me from sin, Jesus has made me righteous and Jesus has freed me from sin. So part of this Christian life and really a big part of your faith, a big part of your faith is maintaining the victory that Jesus has obtained. If he made you that way, you maintain it, maintaining and becoming what you’ve been made. So if somebody looks at you and got a problem with you’re saying, «I am the righteousness of God,» and they say, «Well, I don’t think you’re righteous cause how you spoke to me last night». So, «Oh forgive me, I am already righteous, I’m just becoming that. You caught me in the middle of the journey, but just cause you caught me in the middle of the journey doesn’t dismiss what he made».
Somebody needs to say, «I am the righteousness of God». Now notice, it’s you are the righteousness of God, not because of what you do. You are the righteousness of God because of what he has already done and the benefit of getting born again is that now you now receive the stance that’s finished, while your state is becoming what he made you. So you already know where you’re going. My destination is destination righteousness, destination wisdom, destination pure and holy, destination of complete total freedom. I already know who I am and so what happens is your life starts, your life starts demonstrating and shedding the old soulish behavior as you take on what you’ve been made. But I am the righteousness of God, nothing starts until you agree «I am the righteousness of God».
I need you to say that one more time, I am, but the time that really matters is when you do something that’s not righteous, and you have the mitigated gall to open your mouth and say in the middle of that, «I’m still the righteousness of God». That’s when we know you believe it, «I’m still the righteousness of God». Yeah, I failed, but while I’m getting up, I fell righteous, I’m getting up righteous, I’m standing up righteous cause I was made righteous, Hallelujah. So when I got knocked down, a righteous man got knocked down and a righteous man got back up, but that’s got to be your foundation, «I am the righteousness of God».
Now, look at Romans 3, 21 through 22 in the NLT, Romans 3, 21 through 22, now watch this, «But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets and he did that a long time ago». Verse 22, «We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ». My faith is in Jesus Christ, my faith is not in my performance, my faith is not in my behavior. Now, now, and I apologize for having to pause to say this but you have to do this, you have to explain to people so you know, they won’t presume that, you know, that means something totally different, you know.
Nobody’s giving you the license to sin, okay, all right now, even if you do sin, he says, «I’m not gonna charge that to your account. I’m not gonna charge that against you». But now what you still understand that there are consequences in this, there are consequences in this natural world that exists. Here’s a benefit, it’s like if you take an exam and I’m your classroom teacher and you were getting ready to graduate and you took the final exam and there’s information in there that you need to know in order to be successful in what you’re gonna do, all right, you flunk the exam except I’m not gonna hold it against you, I’m not gonna count it against you.
That’s a blessing of the Lord it’s not being counted against us, but please don’t get so deep and dumb that you don’t recognize there’s still stuff in that test that you failed that you probably need to learn. You know, sometimes the mercy and grace comes and rescue you and you think, well, you know, «He rescued me, but I still don’t need to deal with the consequences of of how I behave,» your bad behavior can kill you. You’ll go to heaven, but you’re gonna be dead. So this stuff about, «I’m under the grace of God and I can go and commit adultery,» that’s some people who thought that. «I can just go and sleep around and I can do that,» you know, he won’t hold it against you, but the natural consequences of your actions might.
And your wife come in and catch you and Miss Kitty in the bed and she pulled a gun out and said «Oops,» bam, oh, there it is, you understand what I’m saying? You’re the righteous, but we wanna dismiss consequences in the natural and you keep going with that thing and you holler, «I’m the righteousness of God». I’m glad you’re doing that because I hope you believe that before the bullet reach you. I think y’all understand what I’m saying, right? And while you dying, «I’m the righteousness of God».
So this is not a heaven or hell issue, heaven was already settled the day you got born again, but don’t be enslaved, don’t be a slave to anything. It’s not even right, please understand what I’m saying, and it’s not a matter if this is right or wrong, it’s a matter of are you turning yourself over to enslavement? Well, God, mind you, how Pastor Dickow said this past week, he said, «Wine is something but liquor is quicker». Yeah, he said, «Wine is fine, but liquor is quicker». And my thing is, are you gonna be a slave to liquor quicker? Don’t desire to to be enslaved to anything, that’s the issue. I wanna give my whole life to God, I don’t wanna allow pieces of my life to be in bondage and in slavery to something else, amen.
«Well, I ain’t know all that, I don’t know about, I’m, you know, I’m embracing what I thought it was». Yeah, it is awesome and it gives you freedom, but do you understand that freedom has boundaries? So it says, «We’re made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ». My faith is in Jesus, the person, grace is a person, my faith is in Jesus, «And this is true for everyone,» watch this, «who believes Jesus, no matter who we are, no matter who we are». I have faith in Jesus, I’m not talking about whether you agree or disagree with a doctrine or with a teaching or, I’m talking about Jesus, do you believe Jesus? Yes, «I’m the righteousness of God,» because I’m not righteous by my own, it’s the difference between self-righteousness and the righteousness we have by faith in Jesus Christ.
There’s righteousness that you get by performing, «Well, I’m righteous because of my performance,» okay? And then there’s the righteousness you get without your performance, but your simple belief and faith in Jesus Christ. We are righteous with his righteousness. So, self-righteous or God righteous, it’s a choice. And most of the church over the years, I don’t know if I’m sure they knew it, but maybe they didn’t, have been really working for self-righteousness, «Do good, get good». Self-righteousness, «I’m good because I did good,» okay? Self-righteousness, we’re not talking about self-righteousness, we’re talking about righteousness through our belief and faith in Jesus Christ, the righteous, who made us righteous with his righteousness, I have been declared righteous, amen.
Now, God’s righteousness is given to us as a gift and like any gift, you have to decide to receive it. Like any gift, you have to decide, this is not something earned, this is not something deserved, this is something received, okay? And so that’s what this is, righteousness is a gift received, not earned. It’s amazing to me, we can hear this and then as soon as something comes up in our life, we’re trying to earn it. We’re trying to do something to feel more righteous or to be more righteous instead of just being righteous because it’s a gift and I receive that gift, «I am the righteousness of God».
Since I’ve understood the grace of God, I understood how important it is to bring a series to you at least once a year on the righteousness of God because, man, I tell you what, the enemy is after your foundation, are you listening to me? He’s after your foundation, look at Psalms 11, and 3 in the King James, he’s after your foundation. The foundation of the house is the most important part of the house. If there is a crack in your foundation, and if you allow your foundation to be toyed with, with religion and stuff like that, if the enemy can get your foundation and one day you stay up, you say, «I don’t believe I’m righteous,» I’m telling you the house falls. Psalms 11, and 3 gives us a reminder, he says, «If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do»?
And so I give you an illustration of two houses, two houses can look the same: the same kind of windows, the same kind of doors, the same kind of roof, but one was built on sand and the other one was built on the rock, follow me carefully. When challenges come, only the house built on the rock will stand, and challenges are gonna come. It shouldn’t be whether or not challenges are gonna come, challenges are going to come. Those of you who live godly shall suffer persecution, in this world you will have tribulation, challenges are going to come. You need to prepare for challenges, like in the natural, some people prepare for a hurricane that’s on its way. Challenges are going to come, but when challenges come, only the house built on the rock will stand, and let me say this, Jesus is the rock, okay?
All of the foundations are sinking or shifting or sinking or shifting sand. Jesus is the rock, our whole life and our grace life has to be built and sustained and settled on Jesus, who is the rock, Jesus. You know you can go in some churches and never hear the name of Jesus mentioned. All kinds of wonderful principles, but never hear the name of Jesus mentioned, as if those principles you came up with are better without Jesus, that house is gonna fall. I don’t care how awesome the principles you heard, but if it’s not on Jesus. Let me show you something, go to Matthew chapter 16, and let’s start at verse 13. I’m gonna try to go through this, we may get stuck here, I don’t know, but I’m good.
All right, now, I want you to just follow me as I take you through these few verses here, «Jesus is the rock,» say that out loud with me. So my righteousness is on that foundation, my righteousness is that foundation of Jesus, «Jesus the righteous who made me righteous,» that’s my foundation, all right? So you know the enemy is gonna always be trying to attack that foundation of your righteousness. all right, now watch this, this is so cool, «When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, 'Whom do men say that I The Son of man am? '» This is interesting, Jesus said, he said, «Who do they say I am»? Not because he needed their validation. He’s like, «Who do they think I am»?
And he goes, verse 14, «They said, 'Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some say you’re Elias; some say you’re Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.' He said unto them, 'But whom say ye that I am? '» «You’ve been with me, who do you think I am»? And now watch this very carefully, «And Simon Peter answered and said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'» Now, you said what are you doing that for, you think he just said that? It came out of his mouth before his brain could gain concept of what came out of his mouth. What he said came out of his mouth, came straight from God out of his mouth, how do you know that?
Well, look at this, next verse. «And Jesus answered and said,» now wait a minute, go back to verse 16, «Simon Peter answered,» we know the question, «Who do you think I am»? «Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God». And watch this, next verse, «And Jesus answered,» all right, what he answered, what what was it, what was he answering? We know the question, first of all, but then it comes in verse 17, «And Jesus answered,» what was he answering? He was answering Simon’s surprise, «Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,» what’s that? And Jesus answered, «What did I just say»?
And Jesus answered, somebody said, «How can you say that»? I’m gonna show you, we know Jesus answered, he answered something. I mean, he just didn’t go get an answer, he’s just like me coming up to you and say, «Yeah, tomorrow at 5 o’clock». Like I ain’t saying nothing to you, what you talking about? «Yeah, next week,» he looked like something going on with him, «And Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: '» Now he’s talking to Simon, he’s talking to Peter, but he wasn’t known as Peter then, he was known as Simon Bar-jona or the son of Jonah, «for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee».
So I’m gonna tell you what just happened when out of your mouths flowed, «Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,» that didn’t come from you, that didn’t come from the acrobats of your mind. That didn’t come from Sunday school quarterlies, what just came out of your mouth wasn’t revealed by flesh and blood or your intellectual part, it didn’t come out of that, it came from the Father who revealed it unto you. He said, «This was by my Father which is in heaven». You got revelation of who he was from heaven, heaven said, you think he’s just a prophet, you think he’s Jeremiah, you think he’s all these folks, but I’m telling you who he is, he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Peter said, «Oh, where did that come from»?