“By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.”
1 John 4:17 ESV

 

This verse tells us that we – as believers – are just like Jesus. Right now. We are not going to be like Jesus one day in the future; as Jesus is at this moment (and He is righteous), so are we right now in this world. Not in the world to come, but now. Your actions and thoughts may not be perfectly righteous and holy, but in your core (your spirit), you are just like Jesus. The believer’s righteousness (and their confidence to approach God because of this righteousness) doesn’t come because of their personal holiness, good works and performance. It comes from their position and identity in Christ. The more you discover and focus on the condition of your spirit – the fact that your spirit is identical to Christ – the more your actions and thoughts will be Christ-like.
 

“For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 AKJV (emphasis mine)

We have been made righteous and cannot make ourselves righteous. Our born-again spirits are perfectly holy and righteous (Ephesians 4:24). Righteousness (right standing, or being right before God) is a gift we receive, not a status we achieve (Romans 5:17). Your spirit isn’t growing in righteousness; it is 100% righteous. The righteousness in your spirit is equal to that of Jesus, in quality and in quantity. In fact, it is the righteousness of God. You can be confident in your relationship with God because as He is so are you. Jesus is perfectly righteous, and so are you!   

Being righteous means that before God you are perfect, innocent, blameless and right. This isn’t because of anything you have done – you may have done some really bad things. But because of your faith in Christ and what He has done for you, you are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1) and your guilt has been taken away. As a Christian, you deserve the blessing of God and you have the favour of God on your life, regardless of your past sins and mistakes – all because of Jesus.

Wherever you go, you should experience God’s divine favour. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have problems (Jesus had problems on earth), but it means that you will prosper supernaturally because of God’s favour in your life.  It means that doors of opportunity will open for you because you have God’s favour on your life.
 

When you go for a job interview, when you are making a pitch for a new client, when you’re going for a visa interview or applying for something, boldly declare God’s favour on your life and expect doors to open. You aren’t asking for favour: you are acknowledging that you already have His favour on your life. Remember that this favour isn’t deserved; it’s by grace. One of the definitions of grace is undeserved favour – you have the favour of God even though you don’t deserve it! It’s yours because of Jesus!

In making decisions and walking in your destiny, one of the things that you can look out for is this favour. If something in your life isn’t working out, it might mean that it’s not from God; but closed doors could also mean that the enemy (who doesn’t want you to walk in your destiny) is trying to block you. When doors aren’t opening, you need to talk to God (remember: it all comes down to relationship with Him) and find out what’s happening. When things aren’t flowing like they should, check whether you have God’s peace in the situation or not. Ask yourself: is this desire from God, or is this something you are trying to make happen? If you realize that there is no favour because it’s not what God wants you to do, then simply seek God for the correct next step, and move on. But if you realize that you are submitted to the will of God and that the opposition is just the devil trying to get in your way, simply resist him and he has to flee (James 4:7).

Another thing you have to realize with regards to having God’s favour on your life is that sometimes His favour will attract more opportunities than you should take. I’ve seen that in my own life and have turned down many opportunities to minister in different nations because I knew that they weren’t “God opportunities”. You need to know when to say “yes” and when to say “no”.  We don’t respond to need; we don’t respond to opportunities just because they come; we respond to the direction and leading of God. In situations like this, it helps to know your mission in life and make decisions that line up with your mission. But ultimately, the only way to know which opportunities to take and which to pass up is to make decisions with God. We do everything in relationship with Him.