Excerpt from Chapter Two – Righteousness Is A Gift Not A Reward – of the book Grace Driven Life from Madam BeBe Angel
There are so many believers in the Church today who have been hoodwinked into believing that God demands that they do right for them to make it to Heaven. You do not need to live right to go to Heaven. Yes, you heard me correctly. In fact, you are the very reason I am writing this book. Without even realizing it, this “live right” way of thinking causes you to become more sin conscious than righteousness conscious. You might be wondering, what does it mean to be sin conscious? When you’re sin conscious, you become so obsessed with trying not to sin that you end up doing the very thing you’re trying to avoid. Let me explain it this way.
Have you ever noticed that when you drive a car, you steer in the direction of your focus? You might be determined to stay on course, but if your eyes look to the right, you will undoubtedly steer to the right even if that’s not where you want to go. That’s exactly what happens when you focus on works rather than righteousness. When you are trying to “live right,” your focus is really set on the sin you’re trying to avoid. Consequently, you inadvertently steer your life towards sin because that is where your focus is.
I want you to think about this very carefully because what you choose to focus on will ultimately determine what you become. Watch what the scripture says in 2 Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Paul was literally telling us in that verse that you become what you behold and what you focus on. It’s a spiritual law. When God wants to heal you, He sends His word that proclaims your healing, and when you receive it and maintain your focus, your body has no choice but to be completely healed. When the enemy wants to keep you in bondage to sin, he only needs to employ one strategy, keep your focus on sin. And guess what, once you fall for it he can keep you there as long as he likes. But when you focus on righteousness, you are no longer trying to live right. Your focus is on benefits that righteousness produces which in turn produces right living. As a result, your life is steered on a course of grace that leads to blessings and victory every time!
CONTINUED IN CHAPTER TWO OF GRACE DRIVEN LIFE
