Legally Righteous

By Dr. J.C. Wheeler

Since the foundation of the earth man has never been able to live a righteous life.  Man has always failed to please our Creator God.  Finally through Christ we can please God by faith in the Blood of Christ!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Focus on the Word Ministries
• Release date: Mar 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507025420

Dr. J.C. Wheeler

Dr. J. C. Wheeler gave his life to Jesus Christ at the age of sixteen, and has been working for the Kingdom of God ever since. He has ministered in many countries such as Germany, Portugal, and the Middle East.  He is known for his practical teaching and preaching ministry.  God has used his ministry gift to be a blessing to countless multitudes of people, edifying the Body of Christ worldwide. Dr. Wheeler has served as the Pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in the Azores, Portugal. He is also founder and Senior Pastor of New Life Worship Center of our Lord Jesus Christ in Warner Robins, GA.  What started as one church has grown to several New Life churches in several cities. To fulfill his kingdom assignment Dr. Wheeler has founded Focus on the Word Ministries and Kingdom Ministerial Alliance which serve as an extensions of his local ministry and covers several churches, pastors, and ministers nationally.  Dr. Wheeler is also an author of two published books entitled “Legally Righteous” and “The Power of Humility”. In his pursuit of excellence in academia, Dr. Wheeler has matriculated through several Bible and secular colleges; Immanuel Bible Institute, Wesley Bible College, City College of Chicago, Moody Bible Institute, Friends International Christian University, and Columbia Southern University. He has received a Bachelor of Biblical Studies, Master of Biblical Studies, and Doctor of Ministry Degrees.  He also holds an Undergraduate Certificate in Information Technology, an Associate of Applied Science in Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. Dr. Wheeler works ministry with the full support and assistance of his beautiful, loving wife and son.

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Introduction

Christ paid for our right to be legally righteous.  He paid our sin debt, lived without sin, and resurrected from the dead.  Through Christ, we have a contract agreement to participate in the power of God, because of the blood and the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  The time has come for us to learn our rights as Christians and start walking in the righteousness of God.  Don’t let your failures keep you out of the righteous blessings of God.

Sin has been a debilitating disease on mankind’s relationship with God ever since Adam failed in the Garden of Eden. Once God revealed his right ways through the Mosaic covenant and law in the Sinai wilderness through the Ten Commandments, many believers have been plagued with thoughts of failure.  These self-depredating thoughts we call sin consciousness. 

Sin consciousness is the constant cognitive focus on ones failures instead of the forgiving power of Jesus Christ. Sin consciousness will always resist the free flow of righteousness and blessings in the life of the believer. When a Christian practices sin consciousness they will fail to receive the benefits of the righteousness of God, because their focus is on their failures instead of Gods victory.

As Christians we have the great opportunity to walk in the righteousness of God which will open up heaven for us.  Once received, righteousness will guide us into the manifestation of the power of God in our lives. Once we are righteous then we are perfect candidates for God to use to release His power. 

God wants to extend his power and authority to men but he will only grant that privilege to righteous men and women.  When God looks at the earth he is not looking for perfect Christians, he’s looking for Christians who have received the righteousness of Christ. 

The righteousness of God is not an emotional state of mind.  With God, righteousness is a systematic process; it is written in heaven and it is very legal.  In the Old Testament God made pacts with men, heavenly contracts which were obligatory on earth. When God makes a covenant with someone he will monitor the entire universe to ensure that heaven endorses and fulfills that covenant.  The righteousness of God is a contract made in the blood of Jesus Christ and is therefore upheld and endorsed by all the power of God.

Since the foundation of the earth, man has never been capable of being righteous in the earth.  From the beginning of time man has always failed at pleasing God and fulfilling God’s righteous cause.  Through Jesus Christ, God finally got what he has been looking for in the earth; a righteous man.  Jesus was God, but he was also a righteous man.  Since Jesus Christ was successful at living and walking in righteousness; God gave him full access to all his power. 

We now have the awesome opportunity to walk through the righteous gateway which Christ has opened for us through his blood.  We are now permitted to give Jesus our sins, and in return he gives us His righteousness.

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CHAPTER ONE

The righteousness of God

Romans 3:21 says, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Over eight times the Bible gives attention to the phrase righteousness of God.  The word righteousness can be defined as right ways or right way of doing. Therefore the righteousness of God is God’s right way of doing things. Though the phrase righteousness of God is only used a few times in the Bible; references to the righteousness of God are used over seven-hundred times in the Bible.  It is therefore safe to conclude, that the concept of righteousness is a key theological principle in the Bible and in Christianity.

God has his own concepts of right and wrong; and his own way of doing things, which is not always shared by mankind.  Isaiah 55:8 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  God has his own way  of doing things, which is higher than the ways of man. Standing in opposition to God’s way of doing things is the enemies way and man’s way.  In the scriptures God teaches that his way of doing things is more profitable to an individual than their own ways.  We also know it almost goes without saying that Gods ways are always higher than the enemies ways. Proverbs 16:25 says, There is a way