Great it is to dream the dream;

When you stand in youth by the starry

stream.

But greater thing is to fight life

through;

And say at the end the dream is true.

Pastor John Osteen

Audio Tape 6
If I know that I am a righteous man then I know that my prayer will work but if I do not know whether
or not I am a righteous man I would have doubts. If I know that I am unrighteous I dont even have a
right of appeal. Here studying the word of God weve found out something about righteousness and we
are learning to understand righteousness from Gods point of view.
Righteousness is not primarily right living. Right living is the product of righteousness. A lot of people
think that righteousness from the Bible means right living. No. Right living which you may call as
righteousness as a synonym is only a product of righteousness. Righteousness gives us right-standing.
Right standing is the ability to stand in the presence of God or a qualification to stand in the presence
of God without a sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Then righteousness produces the rightness
of God in the human spirit. The ability to do right which is the character of God. Living right.
Righteousness itself is a nature. Its the nature of God.
We talked about righteousness as a legal conferment righteousness as something God has to give
legally it is reckoned to us legally and also that righteousness is a nature. We were declared righteous
legally. Hallelujah. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We were
declared righteous.

Romans 3:21 But now a righteousness from God without the law is manifested, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets;
Hes talking about a righteousness apart from the law is manifested. This righteousness is not attained
or achieved by the works of the law but by hearing of faith.

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There was a righteousness of
God that came because you
qualified for it by the works of
the law. You had to live right to
get that kind of righteousness
you had to do right things to
become righteous. That was a
certain kind of righteousness
but now the Bible says the
righteousness of God without
that king of qualifications
through the works of the law
has been unveiled.

Romans 3:22 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:
Now you have the righteousness by faith. What do you mean by faith? This means that because of what
Jesus Christ did for us we have become righteous.
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one
died for all, then were all dead:
If one person died for everybody, then everybody died. Because He died for everybody. In other words
if somebody paid for everyone then everyone has paid. We dont owe anything because somebody paid
for us. 2 Corinthians 5:15-16 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (16) Wherefore henceforth
know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now
henceforth know we him no more.
Hes talking about we used to know him as a Jew. We knew Him after the flesh now henceforth know
we Him no more. We used to recognise people according to Are you a Gentile? Are you a Jew? Are you
an American or Indian or a Nigerian? Now we dont recognise anybody according to the flesh. We
dont look at the flesh. We look at what Jesus did for you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
It doesnt matter what he looks like whether hes black or white or yellow or purple. If he is in Christ
he is a new creation. He may have juju marks on his body doesnt matter now. May have come from
a lineage of native doctors or witch doctors dedicated to juju. Now that he is born again he is a new
creation doesnt have to go back and say I remove this marks. Dont need that.
I hear that some people say that they need to be rededicated because they were once dedicated to juju.
Thats wrong. The day you came into Christ you were severed from the past. Hallelujah! Completely.
You are no longer connected to that past. You dont need to go back and start praying about your past.
If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. The Bible doesnt say old
things shall pass away old things are passed away including the juju marks. The marks remain in your
body but the covenant between or your daddy and that juju or the demon is gone forever. You dont
ever have to pray about it anymore.
They say you have to be released from the curse. Your great grand pa was under the curse and you come
from a place that has been cursed. So you have to be released from that curse. When you are born again
you are automatically released from every curse. Because the Bible says that you are called to inherit a
blessing. You cannot be even cursed anymore.
If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. He may not feel that way but he still is. He may not think
he is but he sure is. Do you understand? Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

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2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things
are of God, who hath reconciled us
to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath
given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;
Now if you have something in your life
which is not of God you can rebuke it
and tell it to leave you. Because all
things now are of God. All the new
things that have come into your life are
of God. If you ever turn around and
find something that you think is not of
God, something that hurts or binds or
demeans you you have the right to tell it to go and its got to go. James 4:7 Resist the devil and he
will flee.

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
God is not mad at them. God is not imputing their trespasses against them. Not counting their sins
against them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you
by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (21) For he hath made Him (Jesus
Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
God made Jesus to be sin. He bore our sins and became sin for us. He became the very embodiment of
sin. The very nature of sin. Not only did He bare our sins He was made sin with our sins. The reason
for Him being made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God. As our sins were laid
on Him, His righteousness was laid on us and He became sin with our sin and we became righteous
with Him righteousness. This was all legal. It was legal for God to make Him our sin bearer and by
becoming our sin bearer to become sin. John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
How come Jesus likened Himself to a serpent? That whosoever that looketh unto him shall be saved.
He became sin that we may become the righteousness of God. It was legal because the one who did it
was born of divine blood. Romans 3:23 All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. For man
to be delivered God had to send one who was not corrupted with the sin of Adam. So Jesus was born of
a virgin. Being born of a virgin the life of a sinful man was never transmitted into Him. A woman
doesnt give life to a baby. A woman only gives the body to a baby. The life of a child comes from the
man. Jesus received His body from Mary but received His life from the Word of God. The Word became
flesh and dwelt among us. He was never corrupted by the sin of Adam. He was perfect. John 14:30
the prince of this world (satan) cometh and hath nothing in me. So He couldnt die until He laid down
His life. John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. (18) No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

If it was legal for God to make Jesus our sin bearer, and thus become sin for us it was also
perfectly legal for Him to make us His righteousness bearer and therefore become His
righteousness.
Romans 3:23-26 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (24) Being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins

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that are past, through the forbearance of God; (26) To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

In the Old Testament they had the covering of sins because they had to sacrifice bulls and goats for their
sins. Atonement means the covering of sins. Their sins were covered by the blood of that bull. The Bible
says that it was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4) The sins
were only covered for a year. Sins were not taken away.
In the New Testament the sins are not covered. The sins are washed away. Remitted. Completely
removed. Washed away. Not covered. I still remember what I did!! God doesnt remember! How can
He not remember something I can remember?? Thats why He is God! Nothing is impossible with Him.
Your mind is still harbouring that thing. You still have it in the film of your mind. But God doesnt
have it. How come? When God says it doesnt exist it doesnt exist. Now can God see it in your mind?
Yes He can but He doesnt have a record of it. How can this be possible? Luke 18:27 - The things which
are impossible with men are possible with God.

Romans 3:24-25 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
(25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
What does it mean?
Someone says Well that means things which are past, God has forgiven men all the sins which I
committed before I was born again. What about the ones I committed after I am born again?
Thats not what he is talking about here. Hes talking about the sins that were covered under the blood
of animals through the forbearance of God until Jesus came. Hes talking about all the sins from Adam
till Jesus came. They are all washed away!
You have a similar scripture in Hebrews.
Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death,
for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Lets go back to Romans

Hes talking that it was perfectly legal. To legally make Jesus sin for us and by that legally make us
righteous.

Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus.
Here at this time means in this dispensation.
In other words to declare Gods righteousness in this dispensation. Ok?
There are different dispensations. There was a dispensation without the law from Adam to Moses.
Then there was a dispensation of the law. Moses to Christ. You get it? Now we are in the
dispensation of grace. To declare Gods righteousness in this dispensation, I say. Do you
understand it now?
To declare, I say at this time His righteousness..
To declare, I say at this dispensation His righteousness..
To declare His righteousness in this dispensation, I say.. Thats good English ha?
To declare His righteousness in this dispensation, I say: that He (God) might be righteous and the
righteousness of him (any man) who believes in Jesus.

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So God is the righteousness of the
man who believes in Jesus. God has
become your righteousness. Your
righteousness by works doesnt
matter anymore. He has become your
righteousness. He is my
righteousness.
Why is it so important that you
understand this? We already read that
the effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much. You
want your prayers to produce
tremendous results you have to have an understanding of righteousness. If you dont know it
you cannot appropriate it for your life. You dont know it you cant take advantage of it. 2 Timothy
2:1 Stand strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. How are you going to stand strong on
something that you dont know? Romans 5:17 they who have received the abundance of grace and
the gift of righteousness shall reign in life. They will live the life of dominion.
The prophets foresaw this.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;

You know some people they say they get some power from some juju priest and if any weapon is
fired against then the thing would be deflected by the supernatural power that they got from that
native doctor. Weve got something bigger than that. Why is it that so many of Gods people live
in fear? Because they do not know! Some are even destroyed because of their ignorance. Just
because someone is quoting scripture doesnt mean that he knows what he is talking about. God
doesnt want you to have it in your head, He wants you to have it in your heart so that you will then
have it in your mouth.

Isaiah 54:17 and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.

This makes us masters. What this man is talking about you can look in the New Testament and see
that it has come to pass. In the Old Testament it was a promise. In the New Testament we have
inherited it. It is now a statement of fact.

Isaiah 54:17 and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
Why? Because we cannot be judged anymore! We have already been judged. Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no judgement to then who are in Christ Jesus. We cannot be judged anymore
and every tongue that rises up against us in judgement thou shalt condemn. You condemn! Let
me show you another one:
God doesnt want you having a long face feeling sorry for yourself thinking that you are
condemned. Feeling sad for your life. Let the saints be joyful in glory. If nobody makes you happy
you make yourself happy. Just start laughing and the devil will ask Whom are you laughing at?
And you say Im laughing at you!
Psalms 149:5-9 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. (6) Let the
high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand; (7) To execute
vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; (8) To bind their kings with
chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; (9) To execute upon them the judgment written: this
honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Two edges sword hes talking about the word of God. The sword of the spirit.

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(7) To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; (8) To bind their
kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
Talking about these demon gods running rampage all over the place. Instead of saying Oh God
deliver me from that devil. You ought to execute judgement.

(9) To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints.

Satan has already been judged and who is to execute this judgement? We are the ones! He has been
dispossessed. We are authorised to execute the judgement. We come in and he runs. Thanks be
unto God.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise
against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD!!

Our righteousness is from the Lord!!

We stand against the devil and the devil says I know you! You are not righteous. You cant cast
me out! If you were righteous youll be able to cast me out. I say SHUT UP DEVIL! I have the
righteousness of God and I am the righteousness of God. You go in Jesus name.

But if you dont know this truth. That devil says You are not righteous! Its only pastor so and so
is righteous.. If he were here he can cast me out but I know you you are a sinner! You cant
cast me out!
He can even go as far as I will kill you!

One time I told a devil Come out! And he said Im not coming out! And I said You are coming
out in the name of Jesus. And he said Ill kill you!!! No! No!! a thousand times no. He doesnt
even have the ability plus that I cannot even be killed! How can you? Its not possible? What do
you mean kill? That thing can be killed has been removed a long time ago. We cannot be killed.
We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We can only lay down our lives. If we dont lay
it down by persecution we dont die!!! What do you mean kill? We are new creations in Christ
Jesus. You have to understand this! We are not ordinary people. their righteousness is of me,
saith the LORD!!
My righteousness is from the Lord!

Philippians 3:9 And be found

in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the
law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God
by faith:

I dont want to be found with

my own righteousness. I want
to be found with His
righteousness. My
righteousness doesnt count. I

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want His righteousness. Brother your righteousness doesnt count. Its His righteousness that
matters. Your righteousness is as filthy rags so you dont need yours. Take unto you His
righteousness.

People sing songs all over the churches: Grace grace!!

Amazing grace.. They are so glad for that grace and they say If it were not for Jesus we wouldnt
be standing here. Yeah I believe that. Then they go through suffering and their life is all down and
they go In the sweet by and by, we shall meet in the beautiful.. what do you mean in the sweet by
and by? What about today? What do you think God is like?
What is God waiting for? A church that is triumphant! A church that has put the devil down. A
church that is walking on the devil. Thats what he is coming for.

Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they who receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

They who receive not they who are given because everybody has been given. Some have received.
Everybody in the world has been given salvation in Christ because He died for everybody. Those
who have received it are those who are born again. Amen!
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Righteousness is a gift. Have you received the gift of righteousness? If you are born again you have
received the gift of righteousness. Because righteousness is the gift of God. It is not a gift of God
it is the gift of God. God gives you only one gift and that gift is called the gift of righteousness.
That gift is also called eternal life. Zoe.

Another translation puts it this way

Romans 5:17 which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign as
kings in this life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Because its not talking about heaven. Why? Because you are not going to rein in heaven. You
have to understand this. You do not and cannot reign in heaven. You are not going to have subjects
to reign over in heaven. So the reigning has to be on this side of heaven. You have to reign over
circumstances, over devils, demons, and everything that raises up its head against the knowledge
of God. You have to reign over them. You have to teach them what to do. Show them what to do.
Put them in their places. In heaven everything is in its right place. You dont need to reign. You
are not going to subdue anything in heaven. Everything is perfect.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
in the same manner by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification
of life.
Because through Adam we were legally made sinners but through the last Adam Jesus Christ we
were legally made righteous. Hallelujah!

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of
one shall many be made righteous.

Is that clear now?

Romans 5:1 Therefore being declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ:

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Peace brings fellowship. There is no
peace without fellowship. The peace
here is not quietness. Its oneness.
We are at peace with God. Like two
nations at war and now there is peace.
We open up our borders and now we
can move freely. There is peace. We
are one now. Good relationship.

We are at peace now. God is not

against us.
Romans 5:2 By whom also we have
access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We have access. Right standing. He has given us access into His presence. In the Old Testament
they didnt have access. Only the High Priest went once in a year into the presence of the Almighty
God to intercede for the people. They couldnt come into the presence of God they had to wait in
the outer court. When the high priest went into the presence of God once a year at the time he went
in he had a great chain with bells around the chain on his waist. Every step he took the bells would
ring and by hearing the sound of the bells the priests in the holy place knew that the high priest
who was in the most holy place was still alive. Because if the high priest went in there with sin
hell die on the spot. And then nobody went in to take his corpse they would pull him by the chain
because that was the presence of God. It was separated from the holy place where the priests were
by the great curtain which was called the veil. The inner veil. The priests were in the holy place
and the high priest went into the most holy place where the presence of God was and then the
people were in the outer court. So nobody could see into the presence of God. Brothers and sisters
when Jesus was hanging on that cross at a certain hour He cried out it is finished! When He did the
rocks began to crack and the earth began to quake and then the curtain in the temple that separated
the holy place from the most holy place was teared from top to bottom. Opening for everyone the
presence of God. What they had never seen before they all saw. Showing us that the presence of
Almighty God is now for everybody. You dont have to go through a priest to get to God you come
through Jesus. He said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by
me. Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We have come in to the presence of God now. There is where we are now. We are not going to get
there. We are there. We have a right of appeal and we have right standing in the presence of God.
We have the ability to stand in His presence without a sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority.
We are no longer inferior to Him. Because the righteousness we have is not the righteousness of
our qualification but His very righteousness. He couldnt be more righteous than we are because
the righteousness that we have is His own. He put it on us. He dressed us in it. When God looks at
us today He doesnt look at our sins because there is no sin there. He looks at our righteousness
because that righteousness is His righteousness.

1 Corinthians 5:19 says it was God Himself who was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.
He brought God and man together. 1 Timothy 2:5 says that He (the man Christ Jesus) is the
mediator between God and man.

Talking about Jesus:

Colossians 1:17-22 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (18) And he is the
head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things

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he might have the preeminence. (19) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
(20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (21) And you, that
were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
(22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable
in his sight:

Now hath He reconciled. Not shall He reconcile. Past tense.

He reconciled you to present you holy unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.

Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under
heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
As long as you are in the Gospel you are in the presence of God you are in the sight of God. In His
sight you are holy, unblameable, un reprovable. Men may blame you and look at you as unholy but
He says you are holy, unblameable, un reprovable.

Can you see why we can pray and expect an answer?

Speak in the presence of the Lord and expect things to turn out the way we said?
Can you see why we can change hopeless situations? Because we have a right of hearing in the
presence of the Almighty God. We are unblameable, unreprovable and holy because we are in His
very presence.

Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and
High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am holy. No matter what the devil thinks hes still
under my feet. Jesus defeated him and gave me the victory and he said to me to put him where he
belongs. Under your feet. Amen!

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go
and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you.

1. You are ordained appointed, commissioned, and chosen to bring forth fruit. I am ordained
to be fruitful. I cannot do otherwise.
2. Fruit should remain Im ordained to produce lasting results. When I produce results they
remain and do no fail.
3. I am ordained to receive an answer to every prayer!

Can you pray? Prayers that change things?

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