The Search for Significance - Justification

Anchor of Hope Healing Rooms

the false beliefsI must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself.

I must have the approval of certain others to feel good about myself.

Those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.

I am what I am. I cannot change. I’m hopeless.

God’s solution - JustificationWe can tie our identity to either

what we do or what God through Christ has done for us.

Our condition – we require two problems to be corrected:1. Our sins must be dealt with.2. We need to become a new creation

so that we can be united with God and have a new identity which is apart from the natural man.

GOD’S JUSTIFICATION

God______________________

Eternity

Eternity FuturePast________________________________________

God, who is outside of time, knows all the sins of mankind and takes out His wrath upon Christ until His Holiness is satisfied.

Justification

How does God relate to our sin after we have accepted Christ?

•Many believe easily that they are forgiven for all past sins but struggle with what happens after they are saved.

 How many of our sins were placed on Christ? Did Christ refuse to pay for any sins?

JustificationDo some sins grieve God’s

Holiness more than others? Is God’s Holiness less grieved by certain sins?

Can you sin more than Christ paid?

Will the Father dishonor what Christ did?

Justification & RighteousnessJustification means more than forgiveness!

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” - 2 Cor. 5:21

What is the state of our righteousness?

RighteousnessHow was this done? God

declared this to be so. We were made righteous by “fiat”, God speaking it into existence. This is the same way creation was brought into existence.

Can we do anything to make ourselves more righteous? Can we do anything to make ourselves less righteous?

Righteousness

Is there any difference between our righteousness and Christ’s righteousness in terms of quality or completeness?

Is there anything more important in your life than having been declared to have the righteousness of Christ?

Justification

Is there anything in this life that you could achieve that is of any equal rank?

1000 years from now as you look back on your life, what will you determine gave you the most: what you have done in time or what Christ did for you?

But What About Sin?

Sin is still destructive.

God disciplines His children.

When we act sinfully, we are acting in a manner less than we are.

True Acceptance

What does it mean to accept yourself?

Performance vs. Person

Reject and condemn failure without condemning our person

Review Paul’s letters to the churches - he begins with who they are and then confronts them with their behavior.

2 Peter 1:5-9“Add to your faith goodness…

knowledge… self-control… perseverance… godliness… brotherly kindness… love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”  

Lost Agreement

Lost agreement with God about who we are.

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” James 1:22-24.

The Bottom Line

Because of redemption, you have the righteousness of Christ.

You are fully pleasing to the Father.

He loves you so much that He will release you from the power of sin.

But first you must agree with Him as to what the finished work of the Cross means to you.

God’s solution - Justification

Do not be discouraged.

In a few weeks we will examine exactly how this is to be done.

SITUATIONBELIEFS

THOUGHTS

EMOTIONS

BEHAVIOR

the formula

The Trip In

Situation: I failed a test. Identify False

Beliefs Thoughts Feelings Behaviors/Actions

I must make at least a B in the class to feel good about myself. (Standard)

I’ll never make it through this class.

I’ll flunk, and my friends will think I’m stupid.

My parents will be so ashamed of me.

AngerDepression

I yelled at my professor

I blamed my roommate for making so much noise that I couldn’t study for this test.

I then withdrew from my friends.

God’s solution

Situation: I failed a test. Identify God’s Truth Thoughts Feelings Behaviors/Actions

I am completely forgiven by God and am fully pleasing to Him.

I did my best under the circumstance. God can use the situation and it’s not the end of the world.

Peace eventually overcomes my feelings of anger and depression

I got some help in the class and talked to my classmates about the situation. We decided that in the future we’ll both study in the library or in another quite place.

My I

den

tity

in

Ch

rist

Because of Christ’s redemption:

I am a new creation of infinite worth.

I am deeply loved,I am completely forgiven,

I am fully pleasing,I am totally accepted by God,I am absolutely complete in

Christ.

When my performance reflects my true identity in Christ,

that reflection is dynamically unique.

There has never been another person

like me in the history of mankind,

nor will there ever be.God has made me an original,

one of a kind, really SOMEBODY!!

My I

den

tity

in

Ch

rist

For Next WeekPray asking God for wisdom, knowledge and understanding

Read Chapter Five (pp 53-62 ) in the book

Complete Step Five (pp 207-217) in back of book

Bring an approval Trip-in

FYILatecomers for class: Please note,

for security purposes, you must call Laura’s cell 832-863-1706 or Becca’s cell 805-570-6244 to get into class.

Each week’s homework will be uploaded to the website, www.anchorhealingtc.com, accessible by password: Search2

A discussion board has been added for comments, questions and sharing in this private area

Prayer & CounselingIf you feel in need of prayer, Anchor

of Hope Healing Room teams will be available after class for 15-30 minutes.

The Healing Room is open Saturdays, 10:30-12:30. Call for appointment.

Sissy Landry offers private counseling by appointment. Donation is $25/hour.

Anchor of Hope Healing Rooms

2205 26th St NorthTexas City, 77590

409-945-3208 or 409-770-7292

anchorofhopetc@gmail.com

www.anchorhealingtc.com