Give Up Death and Self-Effort -- Reign in Righteousness

7He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

 

8That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people." (Psalm 113: 7-8)

 

The Lord raises us out of death and self effort to sit in heavenly places.

 

We were dead in our trespasses because of Adam's sin (Romans 5: 15):

 

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3: 19)

 

Because of Adam's sin, man was condemned to his own effort, and to death.

 

To redeem us from death and self-effort, Jesus Christ died on the Cross, where He cried out "It is Finished" (John 19: 30)

 

Because of His death and resurrection, we can walk in New life":

 

"1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: " (Ephesians 2: 1-2)

 

All of our self-efforts, whether to obtain righteousness or favor, are filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64: 6). Even Paul disdained his own efforts in the past:

 

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ," (Philippians 3: 8)

 

In Christ, we go from dead and stinky to alive and reigning in life (Romans 5: 17)

 

"4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

 

Jesus is our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6; Ephesians 2: 14), and through His death we become one with Christ, and Christ lives in us, who is greater than all things that we may face in the world (1 John 4: 4):

 

"17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)