CCF International Church

Gen 15:4-6
4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars–if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

There is an elaborate accounting system in the heavens that records all our doings and sayings. It is an account that is either credited and debited depending on whether our activities please or displease God.
Although the promise of God to Abraham was quite incredible and would have really tested most men of God with great faith, Abraham simply believed with childlike faith that which God told him. At this stage Abraham did nothing to manifest his belief; it shows that God was able to discern how Abraham was configured on the inside. I want you to hold on to this revelation because this would significantly change your perception in attracting Divine favour.
God was able to discern straight away that Abraham was serious in his believing. He did not simply think the right thoughts or say the right things like many of us do; he believed in his heart.
This simple act resulted in an immediate credit to his account as RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The balance on this account is a reflection of your seriousness in developing your goodwill with God. In commerce goodwill is an asset that is developed over the lifespan of an entity.This is the most active account during your entire existence on earth. This is one account that is never closed. Even if you are trading with a great deficit, this account will remain open as long as you live.

We spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about our financial affairs.
We ought to experience greater anxiety over the state of our account of RIGHTEOUSNESS, our goodwill or right standing with God. John had the revelation of the White Throne Judgement… which further proves the existence of an elaborate accounting system. This is the final judgement of all humanity….after satan is dealt with and is thrown into the lake of fire.
Then it is judgement day for us.

Rev 20:12
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The Bible says that it is the righteous that will not beg for bread. The balance in this account which has your name on it will determine whether you are flourishing or are withering away in this life, for this is the benefit that belongs to the righteous.
We accept fully that the righteous will be persecuted. We must count it a great honour and joy to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Matt 5:10-12
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Every single act, thought, spoken word gets recorded. There are great rewards for those who know how to be still in times of persecution. Scripture instructs to rejoice and be glad.
Every single act or spoken Word or thought will result in either a debit or credit in your account of righteousness. It will affect your goodwill with God.

Some of our accounts may be in deficit. It shows that you have stopped believing God for your breakthrough; your belief will be credited to your account of righteousness.

LET US LOOK AT ANOTHER CASE THAT PROVES THAT THERE ARE REWARDS FOR OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

2 Sam 22:21-25
21 “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

This particular verse should cause us to sit up straight. We all know what evil is…what the acts of evil are.
Here David tells us that ‘turning from God” is an act of evil.
You may be the most well behaved person; you pay your tithes regularly; you carry yourself well amongst the people….yet the accounting system has recorded you as an EVIL PERSON because you have turned from your God.
I can see it now so clearly. There you are standing before the Great White Throne on your judgement day. You are trying to tell God that you was never an evil doer; maybe they entered someone else’s misdeeds in your account.
Your act of evil is that you turned your heart away from God and you despised His structures on the earth. That attitude is entered as a DEBIT transaction in your account of Righteousness.

23 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. 24 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 25 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

Note the words of David’s song after the Lord delivered him from the hand of Saul and all his other enemies.
All the time that David was persecuted, he maintained his integrity, his right standing with God; his goodwill with God; recognising that Saul, although out of favour with God, was anointed to be king….his office had to be respected.
It was the same David who wrote the lyrics for this psalm:

Ps 105:13-15
13 When they went from one nation to another, From one kingdom to another people,
14 He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”

Righteousness has a voice. It will speak on your behalf; so you can maintain your integrity. Righteousness before God results in us being confident before men. Look at Jacob negotiating his exit strategy with Laban. Does not want people to think he stole anything. He asks for lambs that are blemished….those that are despised, looked down upon. He wanted to protect his integrity. He knew his righteousness will answer for him.
You can read further and see how God supernaturally added to his spotted and blemished flock.

Gen 30:31-33
31 So he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”

We must maintain our integrity at all times. Our faith in an Almighty God to vindicate us…as our righteousness will answer for us. This principle is beyond the comprehension of the simple individual.
Job found himself on the receiving end of some bad counselling from his friends. He had this response:

Job 27:2-6
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3 As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should say you are right;Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

Our righteousness will surely be tested by God. Just as God tested the faith of Abraham when He requested Isaac as a sacrifice, God will also test this present righteous company. He checking to see if you will crack under pressure. The fire will be turned up seven times hotter than usual. Daniel and his friends experienced this. They chose to hold on to their integrity.
Not taking one backward step. We have to function as ones who have died at the Cross with the Lord. That we function not as the old creation, but as believers who have experienced a spirit of renewal.