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"The way to experience the faith that changes behavior is not to ask for more faith, but rather to ask God for help in yielding to the faith that is within us!"

Good Morning! In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we are told to first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The "Kingdom of God" refers to the benefits of justification-our heavenly home. But notice the next phrase which promotes sanctification "and His righteousness".

We are to seek "His righteousness". Not our own righteousness, not a shared righteousness, but His righteousness. What is "His righteousness" and what makes it different than our own righteousness?

That question in answered in and throughout the book of Romans. Last Thursday we discussed the passage in Romans 10 where we were introduced to Israelites who had a great zeal for God, but no real walk with Him. They were ignorant, Paul said, of the righteousness of God. The word of means "belonging to", this righteousness belongs to God.

Paul said because these God loving and law abiding citizens were ignorant of God's righteousness that they had set out to establish their own righteousness. That my friend is self-righteousness; it is doing right-yourself! That is not the righteousness of God; it is the righteousness of man.

This is what holds us back from true behavior modification. God gave us nine fruits that produce interpersonal outcomes in our every circumstance of life. But when we try to produce fruit in our own power, God is not glorified. Nor is He well pleased!

This type of behavior will cause God to place us in more difficult circumstances. This will bring eventually bring us to the end of our abilities to do right in our own strength. Our failures are to humble us into a right relationship that we may seek is righteousness. It is then "all these things shall be added unto you".

One such act of self-righteous fruit is to develop our own faith. We choose to do so, rather than depending on the righteous fruit of faith given to us through the indwelling Spirit of God. When we yield to our faith rather than the faith of Christ we are exercising our own righteousness. We are exercising our faith, which is a form of confidence in ourselves rather than the faith of Christ that dwells within us.

As a matter of fact, Paul warned us that the "righteousness of God" could only be obtained in our life by yielding to the faith of Jesus. It cannot be accessed by the faith of Steve. Look at this amazing truth:

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. . . (Romans 3:21, 22)

So we conclude that to truly change our behavior, we must accept our faith as nothing more than a fleshly alternative to the faith given to us by Christ-His faith. We even see one more truth that supports this maturation of our lives in a third passage in Romans, this one in chapter one.

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)

What do we learn here? That God's righteousness is revealed when we develop ourselves to reject our faith, which brought us our justification, for His faith which brings us our sanctification. When we progess in our walk with Him from measly faith to mustard seed faith, we see why it would take "so little faith" to move mountains.

I could not muster enough faith to do such a thing. But for Him, it is but a measly mustard! So, when things go wrong, as they so often do. Whose faith are we depending upon? Is it ours? Things will surely grow worse, for God will break us down from our measly faith to eventual unrighteous "bouts with doubt".

But if we will learn to discern His promises and cling to them by yielding to His faith during difficult circumstances we will see our behavior begin to change for the better.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY: Good Morning, Father! I see my faith and it is weak. I read of your faith, it is so much stronger. Lord, help me to realize in difficult times the many promises you have made between me and thee. Strengthen me in my inner man to respond by pausing and waiting for your clear direction that I may have the faith of Christ leading my every step. Lord, I pray you will empower me by your Spirit of Wisdom today. I pray these things in the blood stained name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!"

A QUESTION FOR TODAY'S MEDITATION: "Am I using the daily prescription cards for my daily contemplation and meditation? If not, then why?"