Romans 8:33 ( NKJV )
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
In our discussion of developing a righteousness consciousness as opposed to a sin consciousness I asked the question, “Whose opinion is most important to you?” We have discussed how the negative opinions of parents or others who hold influence in our lives can come to dominate our behavior. Everyone needs to feel loved, accepted and respected. When we don’t receive that from those around us it can be very difficult to cultivate a good opinion of ourselves. It is human nature to look to others for these things. Psychologist might say we need to cultivate that opinion within and forget about what everyone else thinks, but that is contrary to the way God created us. We are going to be moved by someone’s opinion. We need to realize that we can choose whose opinion to believe.
In reality the opinion we are all seeking is the one Adam felt had been corrupted in the Garden. All others are substitutes for this one opinion. What does the Father God think of us. Before salvation we really have no hope of resolving that issue, but once we are saved we have an open relationship with the Lord. If we cultivate His opinion of us we will take on that opinion of ourselves. This may take time, but Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God has the power to change us. The question then becomes, what does God think of us.
Many people simply assign the opinion of others to God. They do this subconsciously, but it is very real and becomes a major hindrance to their ever walking in freedom. Fortunately we don’t have to rely on hearsay to determine God’s opinion of us. He wrote that opinion down in His book. One of the most powerful studies you can do is look up all the phrases such as “In Christ, In Him, In God”, and see what it says. That is God’s opinion of you. One example is just after the scripture above.
Romans 8:37 ( NKJV )
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
God thinks you are more than a conqueror. Others may think you can’t accomplish much, but God thinks you can do anything. You can find myriad references to His love for you, His faith in you and His desire to have you as a child. There is not room to quote them here, but look up some of these “in Him” realities and allow them to determine God’s opinion of you. As you do so begin to accept by faith that God can’t be wrong. He is, after all, God! As you let the Word of God’s opinion build in your heart you will change your opinion as well.
The scripture I quoted in the beginning is most appropriate to the discussion of righteousness. In this scripture and the paragraph that surround it God is letting us know that it is His opinion that the price for man’s transgression is paid. No one has the right to bring a charge against us. I believe that this can be applied in more than just a legal sense. I believe we can apply this to the opinions of others as well. We must remain submitted to those in authority and teachable in spirit. That is vitally important. However, when someone has an opinion about us that threatens to control our destiny and draw us away from God’s opinion, I believe we have a right to resist. Not resist the person so much as the devil behind this non biblical opinion of who we are.
I choose to believe what God says about me. Since it is He who justified me, saved me, and qualified me as His son, I will compare the opinions of others with His opinion. I will receive counsel and accept correction, but I will build my opinion of myself on God sees me and not on anyone else’s opinion of who or what I am.
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