• Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    How to rise again if you fall in life!

    Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.

    Proverbs 24:16 NIV

    When the unmerited favor of God is upon you wherever you are, like it was upon Joseph.

    (1) you cannot help but find favor.

    (2) everything that you do cannot help but prosper.

    (3) you cannot help but experience increase and promotion beyond your wildest imagination!

    Can you see that this was the consistent pattern in Joseph’s life? It didn’t matter if he was a slave or prisoner. The same applies to you. When the unmerited favor of God is upon you, you are like a rubber ball in a pool of water. Natural circumstances can try to push you down and keep you suppressed under water, but the unmerited favor of God will always cause you to POP right up to the top!

    Don’t be discouraged by your current circumstances. I know things may sometimes appear bleak, dismal, and perhaps even devastating, but it ain’t over, my friend.

    Equqlly, I wrote this to tell you that it ain’t over! I don’t believe for one moment that among the millions of articles in publication right now, you are reading this particular one by chance or coincidence. This is a divine appointment and I believe that God is saying this to you: “Don’t give up. It ain’t over!”

    There are many times where the lowest points in your life are actually launching pads to God’s greatest promotion in your life. It was so for Joseph! Let’s rewind the tape and observe the fingerprints of the Lord through the ups and downs of Joseph’s life.

    How Joseph dealt with the fall in life

    If Joseph had not been betrayed by his brothers, he would not have been sold as a slave. If he had not been sold as a slave, he would not have been in Potiphar’s house. Also, If he was not in Potiphar’s house, he would not have been thrown into an Egyptian prison meant specifically for the king’s prisoners.

    If he was not in that specific prison, he would not have interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s officers. In addition, if he had not interpreted their dreams, he would not have been summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s dream two years later. If he had not interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh would not have promoted him. Joseph became his prime minister over the entire Egyptian empire!

    This is what Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. . . . See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt” (Gen. 41:39–41). When we look back, it is clear that the Lord had turned Joseph’s darkest hour into his finest hour!

    God’s presence can change our lives

    God’s presence with Joseph and His unmerited favor caused Joseph to be promoted from the pit to the palace. It can be likned from the dunghill to Capitol Hill. Equally, it is from the outhouse to the White House.

    Stop looking at your circumstances/ fall and stop allowing them to discourage you. The same Lord who was with Joseph is with you right now. You cannot fail! You can expect to see success beyond your present circumstances!

    This and many more articles are on Pastor Joseph Prince’s website.

    My blog has many more articles about other spiritual topics.

  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    Trust God, Not Man or Self-Effort

    Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.

    Jeremiah 17:5

    Today I want to show you the difference between a blessed man and a cursed man. The Bible is amazingly clear on how you can be a cursed man and what a cursed life looks like. God’s Word also shows you a picture of a blessed man and how you can be that man.

    Let’s start with how one can be a cursed man. Jeremiah 17:5 tells us that when a man “trusts in man” and not in the Lord, he becomes a cursed man.

    A man who “makes flesh his strength” is also cursed. In this context, “flesh” can be paraphrased as “self-effort.” In other words, we can read verse five as “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes self-effort his strength.”

    My friend, there are essentially two ways to live this life. The first is for us to depend and trust entirely in the Lord’s unmerited favor, while the other is to depend on our efforts, and strive and struggle for success.

    We can never bring about good success that comes from God by depending on our self-efforts. No matter how we strive and struggle, we cannot work for our own righteousness or attain our own forgiveness. Any success that we may achieve is only partial success.

    On the other hand, God’s kind of success is complete, whole, and permeates into every facet of our lives—spirit, soul, and body. God’s Word says, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Prov. 10:22).

    Reasons why you should trust man

    God never gives us success at the expense of our marriage, families, or health. Like I always say to the business people in my church, don’t use all your health to chase after wealth, only to spend all your wealth later to get your health back!

    Health and wholeness in your physical body are part of God’s blessings. If you are constantly under tremendous stress and have regular panic attacks because of the nature of your work, then I would encourage you to take a step back and seek the Lord’s counsel. Stress robs you of health, whereas good success from the Lord causes your youth to be renewed.

    When you depend on your efforts, you can struggle for many years and get only a certain measure of success. But when you depend on God’s unmerited favor, you can experience accelerated blessings and promotion that years of striving and struggling can never achieve.

    Look at the story of Joseph from Genesis 39. He was nothing but a lowly prisoner. Yet, within an hour of meeting Pharaoh, he was promoted to the highest office in the entire Egyptian empire.

    Beloved, even if you are down and out (like Joseph was) at this point in your life, the Lord can promote you supernaturally in an instant when you choose to put your eyes on Him!

    Pastor Joseph Prince writes on similar topics everyday if you check his blog.

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  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    The Power of Jesus’ Blood

    In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

    Ephesians 1:7

    There is power in the blood of Jesus to forgive you of all your sins, and understanding this is crucial to living a victorious life. The enemy fears this truth the most and that is why he attacks this teaching on the forgiveness of sins so vehemently.

    If the enemy can get you to believe the lie that you are not completely forgiven and keep you sin-conscious, he will be able to keep you defeated, condemned, fearful of God, and caught in a vicious circle of failure.

    The writings of the Gnostics are malevolent because they propagate the lie that Jesus was a mere mortal, which means that His blood has no power to cleanse us from all our sins. This is a lie from the pit of hell!

    Jesus is the Son of God and His blood is untainted by any sin. That is why the shedding of His pure and innocent blood is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    His blood does not cover sins temporarily like the blood of bulls and goats in the old covenant. His blood blots out and completely erases all our sins.

    This is the blood of God Himself, shed for the forgiveness of all our sins! We need to start to realize that this is not a “basic teaching.” This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    What is the power of the blood of Jesus in the end times?

    In the end times, people will not be anti-God, but they will be anti-Christ. The anti-Christ movement in the end times will attempt to devalue Jesus’ deity, the cross, and His power to forgive all our sins.

    That is why, in these last days, we need more preaching about Jesus, His finished work, and the new covenant of His unmerited favor. We need more new covenant, Christ-centered preachers who will put the cross of Jesus as the focus of all their preaching.

    The only way to stem this deception from creeping into the church is to focus on exalting the person of Jesus and the central tenet of the new covenant, which is the complete forgiveness of sins! This is the gospel and when the gospel truth is preached, people will be set free.

    There should be no compromise when it comes to the gospel of Jesus. Forgiveness of sins is based on His grace (unmerited favor) alone, and we have access into this grace by faith. Our part is to only believe!

    This is what makes the gospel the good news. Take away the complete forgiveness of sins and it is no longer the “gospel,” which means “good news.”

    Beloved, believe that all your sins are forgiven. That is your part in the new covenant. That is how you become established in the new covenant of grace and experience the fullness of His unmerited favor!

    Pastor Joseph Prince explained the blood of Jesus in this devotional in an explicit way. If you want more, then click here.

  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    What does it mean to love the world?

    If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

    1 John 2:15

    As someone who preaches strongly on the gospel of grace, one of the most common questions I get asked is this:

    Pastor Joseph Prince, are you saying that everything is just by grace and we can live any way we want with total disregard for God? Are you saying that we don’t have to serve Him?

    Well, ask yourself this: When someone genuinely encounters the Father’s love, favor, and blessings in a way that is totally undeserving, how do you think they will live?

    Take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of the prodigal son in Luke 15. After all the wrongs you have committed against your father, he gives you a lavish reception. He filled him with hugs and kisses.

    You just went from starving to being clothed with a fresh clean robe. Equally, by wearing the ring of your father, authorizing you to make payments in his name. And as if that is not enough, your father has invited all the neighbors. He even killed a choice calf, and they are having a homecoming barbecue party with music. This included dancing in your honor.

    Now, does this make you want to rebel against your father again by leaving home and going back to the filthy pigpen, wallowing in the mud and feeding on things that will never satisfy you? Of course not!

    There is a great misunderstanding that believers who struggle with and indulge in sin, and who are still in love with the world, do so because they don’t love God enough. Believers are told to love God more. Thinking that if people love God more, they would love sin and the world less.

    How to test your love for the world

    But God opened my eyes one day to the real reason believers are still entangled with sin and the world. I’ve never heard anyone preach this before, so this is fresh from heaven. The apostle John tells us, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

    Notice that it is the love of the Father, not the love for the Father. So people who love the world and are trapped by worldly pursuits are actually people who don’t know him. Or don’t believe in their hearts the love of the Father for them.

    Rather than messages of “You’ve got to love God more!” what we really need is more preaching that is all about the love of the Father. It will never be about our love for Him, but His love for us.

    Beloved, when people come to truly know and believe the Father’s love for them and have it burning in their hearts, they will no longer want to go out and live like the devil. There is just something powerfully transformative about grace.

    That’s what right believing in the Father’s love brings. If you’ve tasted and savored grace from your heavenly Father, you never want to live in the wilderness of sin. You will won’t to be away from the Father’s embrace, ever again.

    If you want to read more devotionals, check this link.

  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    Find Rest in the Father’s Love

    Did you know God’s original plan for our lives is for us to rest like he rested? Our father’s love is beyond human comprehension. He has set the example.

    Here’s a deep summary of how you can rest according Pastor Joseph Prince.

    “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

    Isaiah 54:10 NIV

    I want to give you a simple but critical truth. Memorize this truth. Feed on it. Let it take root in your spirit and become an anchor in your life. You will never be the same again.

    Are you ready? Here it goes:

    As a child of God, no matter what happens in your life, your Father in heaven loves you dearly and nothing you do can ever change that.

    Will you believe that today? Whether you are going through good times or facing challenging times, you need to know that your Abba loves you.

    There is nothing that you can ever do to make Him love you more, and nothing that you can ever do to make Him love you less. Even—or perhaps especially—when you feel like you have failed, know that you will always be the apple of His eye. Always.

    God loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). A love that is the same yesterday, today, forever.

    Feel your Daddy God enfolding you in His embrace right now. You are safe. You are utterly loved and completely accepted.

    He loved you before you ever knew Him. His love for you has nothing to do with anything that you have done for Him. Nothing you do will ever affect His unwavering, unconditional love for you.

    Did you know our father’s love is unconditionally.

    There is nothing for you to prove. You only need to rest and receive your Abba’s love. Let your life become established and grounded in a love that is so perfect that no challenge or adversity will be able to knock you down.

    If you think that you’ve messed up, turn to your Father. In His loving arms you will find hope, security, and refuge from any storm.

    I love how the apostle Paul puts it: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35, 37–39).

    Beloved, there are no caveats or disclaimers when it comes to the love of your heavenly Father. The Bible plainly states that nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of your Father in heaven. It’s an absolute declaration and promise.

    “Nothing” means nothing. As a believer, this means that even your mistakes, failings, and sins cannot separate you from the love of your Father. Hallelujah!

    If you didn’t know, now you know. Our Father’s love for us has been there since the foundation of the world.

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  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    What Are You Hearing About Jesus?

    Everyday when we watch the news, we are hearing about wars and viral diseases. Do we spend time to hear what Jesus has done for us and who he is? In this detail devotional, Pastor Joseph Prince discusses how to hear from Jesus.

    She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

    Mark 5:27–29 NLT

    Perhaps like the woman with the issue of blood in the Gospels (Mark 5:25–34), you are facing an impossibly hopeless situation in your life. It could be a debilitating sickness, a marital situation, a financial crisis, or a prolonged challenge.

    In the natural, the future looks dismal and there appears to be no reason to hope. If that is you, I encourage you to believe that you too can experience the kind of breakthrough this woman experienced.

    Imagine: for twelve long years, she had watched helplessly as her condition went from bad to worse no matter what she tried. Most of us would have given up. How did she find hope in the midst of her hopelessness? What gave her the courage to hope again?

    I believe that the secret to her faith can be found in these five words: “She had heard about Jesus.”

    What you are hearing about Jesus will define your faith

    What do you think she heard about Jesus? This is an important question. Because whatever she had heard imparted an audacious sense of Bible hope and confidence in her. And this imbued her with a boldness and tenacity to risk everything just to touch the hem of His garment.

    She knew well the religious laws concerning unclean persons such as herself. That meant she could be subjected to public humiliation and, very possibly, violence if she was recognized. Clearly she must have had no doubt in her heart that she would be completely healed the moment she touched the hem of His garment. Or she would not have risked it.

    The Bible does not tell us exactly what she heard about Jesus. But I submit to you that she must have heard story after story of how Jesus healed the sick everywhere He went. Also, how good and gracious He was even to the unclean lepers or the down-and-out who came to Him.

    How are you acting on what you heard about Jesus?

    What she heard about Jesus produced in her a positive, and confident expectation of good. That we can see in what she declared: “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” This hope then resulted in a faith that was effortless.

    Faith as defined in God’s Word is “the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen” (Heb. 11:1 NLT). In other words, the hope that she had in the goodness of Jesus became faith. And this faith gave her the boldness to press through the crowd and receive her healing from Jesus.

    What are you hearing about Jesus? The more you hear about His goodness and grace, the more faith will unconsciously arise. This will enable you to receive your miracle.

    We have the responsibility to act upon what we have been hearing aboyt Jesus.

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  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    The Whole Armor of God

    Our armor is in God. Did you know that?

    Google defines armor as a verb to mean provide (someone) with emotional, social, or other defences.

    This is what God does to us and wants to do for us. In this devotional, Pastor Joseph Prince expands in detail what is the armor of God.

    Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

    Ephesians 6:16–18

    The Bible says in Ephesians 6:10–15 that God has provided us with the spiritual armor of truth, righteousness, and the gospel of peace. Today, let’s look at the rest of the armor of God found in Ephesians 6.

    What is God’s armor?

    Each piece of God’s armor is actually a weapon of right believing by which we experience His victory over the devil’s mind games. Let’s look first at the piece of armor the Bible calls the shield of faith with which to defend yourself and stand strong when the enemy comes against you with thoughts of fear, doubt, and confusion.

    In apostle Paul’s time, a shield referred to the huge shield that was used by the Romans, which was as big as a door! See your faith as a mighty shield and picture this—as long as your shield of faith is up, you are untouchable.

    No matter how many fiery darts the devil may pitch at you, ALL of them shall be quenched. Too many Christians are taking up the shield of doubt and quenching the blessings of God instead. Don’t let that be you—face your future with boldness with the mighty shield of faith.

    Another area the devil likes to attack in your mind is the area of your salvation. When you come under attack, apart from the shield of faith, be sure to have on the helmet of salvation.

    God’s armor is for us all

    The word “salvation” comes from a beautiful Greek word soteria. It definitely includes eternal life. But it is an all-encompassing word. Which means deliverance (from your enemies, diseases, depression, fears, and all evils), preservation, safety, and salvation. So put on the helmet of salvation by meditating on Jesus. And be filled with God’s wholeness, protection, healing, and soundness. Let His soteria insulate your mind against the enemy’s lies.

    Lastly, you have also been equipped with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Wield the sword of the Spirit by praying in the Spirit and speaking out God’s “now word” into your situation. Declare His promises and the truth of His grace over yourself and your circumstances. This will guard your heart against thoughts of hopelessness, despair and fear.

    My friend, the whole armor of God has everything to do with what you believe in Christ. When you believe rightly about His grace and His finished work, every evil strategy the enemy has against you will surely fail.

    So be strong in the Lord’s love for you. Believe that God is for you and not against you. His truth, His righteousness, His faith, His armor,His gospel, His salvation, His Word, and His Spirit are all weapons of right believing, They are for us to overcome all the devil’s attacks.

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  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    Are you near God?

    You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.

    Genesis 45:10–11

    In the Old Testament story of Joseph, after Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he tells them to return to their father and to tell him, “Come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have” (Gen. 45:9–10).

    The name “Goshen” means “drawing near.” God wants you to be in “Goshen”. It is a place of nearness to Him, and there is no place nearer to Him than being in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).

    God’s heart of love is not satisfied with just removing your sins from you. No, He wants more. He wants you in His presence. He wants you in the place where He can lavish the bountiful love in His heart on you!

    Why should we draw near God?

    When you draw near to Jesus, you enjoy divine protection. In recent years, new strains of deadly viruses have been making headlines. But whatever the virus may be, you can declare, “A thousand may fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come near me, God’s beloved!” (Ps. 91:7).

    When there were plagues and pestilences all over Egypt because Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go, look at what God said about the children of Israel: “I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people” (Exod. 8:22–23).

    There is a difference between God’s beloved people and the people of the world. Although Egypt was plagued by swarms of flies and other pestilences, the children of Israel were safe in the land of Goshen. They were completely untouched by the troubles!

    So even if there are bad things happening in the world today, remember that as God’s beloved child, you are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:11, 16). No plague, no evil, and no danger can come close to you and your dwelling place because you are safe in the secret place of the Most High.

    As the children of Israel were kept safe and protected in Goshen, so will you and I. This is because God calls us His beloved!

    Check the website of Pastor Joseph Prince for more daily devotionals.

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  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    The real meaning of repentance

    The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

    2 Peter 3:9

    The word “repentance” in the New Testament is the Greek word metanoia, which simply means “a change of mind.” Meta means “change” and noia refers to your mind.

    There are religious folks who have this idea that repentance means groveling in dirt and condemning themselves until they feel they have sufficiently earned God’s forgiveness.

    My question is, how condemned and sorrowful do they need to be before they have genuinely “repented”? And after they have “repented,” should they fail again in the same area, does it mean that they did not really “repent” completely the first time?

    I do not doubt the sincerity of people who believe in “repentance” this way. However, you can be sincere in your intent but still be sincerely wrong when repentance is not based on right believing that leads to inward heart transformation.

    It is possible to beat your breast sorrowfully, put on sackcloth and ashes, cry your eyeballs out, and remain unchanged. Sorrow doesn’t equal transformation.

    It is right believing that brings about true repentance (change of mind) and hence genuine transformation. It is impossible to truly repent the Bible way—to experience Jesus, His love, His grace, and His power and to allow Him to change your mind and your belief system—and still remain the same.

    What is the kind of repentance God expects from us?

    Can you see how man-centered teachings on contrition and repentance can sound so good, but in reality trap people in a permanent cycle of defeat and hypocrisy? The truth is, if you are a new creation in Christ, you already hate the sin and the wrongdoing. It vexes your soul, and you are looking for a way out of your bondage.

    The repentance you need—the change of mind you need—is to know that God has already forgiven you. Stop condemning yourself and walk in His righteous identity to new levels of victory over sin.

    Now that you understand what Bible repentance is, let’s apply it to winning the battle for your mind. When wrong thoughts come into your head, the repentance or change of mind that you need is to know that those thoughts don’t belong to you.

    Repentance in this situation is not about beating yourself up over those thoughts. I used to do that and it only left me more oppressed and defeated.

    No, give them no room to flourish by ignoring them while you continue to be established and secure in your identity in Christ. Fill your mind with His thoughts, His living Word, His peace, His joy, and His love.

    You can go to Joseph Prince website for more devotionals like this everyday.

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  • Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    God’s Grace When You Least Deserve It

    We have God’s grace. Did you know that? What an awesome blessing!

    Not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

    Philippians 3:9

    The grace of God is the unearned, undeserved, and unmerited favor of God. When God answers you in your most undeserving moment, that is grace. That is His amazing, unmerited favor!

    At your lowest point, in your darkest hour, His light shines through for you and you become a recipient of His unmerited favor, and a recipient of favor can’t help but want to extend grace to others.

    My friend, in and of ourselves, we don’t deserve anything good. But because we are in Christ and in His righteousness, God will not withhold any blessing from our lives today. Our part is not to struggle in our own works and be independent from God, but to focus on receiving all that we need from Him.

    I believe that the more righteousness-conscious you are, the more you will experience God’s unmerited favor. When the voice of disqualification comes to remind you of all the areas that you have fallen short in, that’s the time to turn to Jesus who qualifies you and hear His voice. That is the true fight of faith!

    The fight of faith is to fight to believe that you are made righteous by faith and not by works. Paul, speaking of his own achievements under the law, said that he counts them all “as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:8–9).

    Is God’s grace the same as our righteousness?

    So there are clearly two types of righteousness in the Bible:

    (1) A righteousness that comes from your obedience and from you trying to earn your way to attain it.

    (2) A righteousness that comes from faith in Jesus Christ.

    Only one of these has a solid, unshakable foundation. One is built upon you and your ability to keep the law, while the other is built upon the Rock of all ages—Jesus Christ. One can only give you the occasional confidence to ask for God’s favor, depending on how well you perceive you have done. The other gives you confidence ALL THE TIME to access His unmerited favor, even when you feel that you are greatly undeserving.

    What do you want to depend on when push comes to shove—your wavering righteousness or the perfect, rock-solid righteousness of Jesus? It is your faith in the righteousness of Jesus that gives you the right to God’s unmerited favor.

    If you want to read more of Pastor Joseph Prince’s devotionals, go here.

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    Today, because of what Jesus did on the cross, you can expect good things to happen to you. You can ask God for big things and reach out to the blessed destiny that He has for you and your family. His righteousness is your right to God’s unmerited favor! Don’t let any voice of accusation tell you otherwise!