Eph. 2:8-9. Those who begin to trust in their own works inevitably grow in pride in themselves, not in Christ. They will be the most offended by those who claim righteousness based on faith, such as the young Paul, “the Pharisee of Pharisees,” who was offended by the young church. It was this that drove him to persecute the church and brought him into direct conflict with the truth. It was this result of his own self-righteousness that probably enabled him to grasp the nature of this conflict with a greater depth than most of the others of his time.
The conflict that drove Paul to persecute the young church had its roots in the original conflict between brothers that caused Cain to slay his brother Abel. Cain\’s offering was rejected because he offered the fruit of his own labors, while Abel offered a blood sacrifice that prophesied of the coming of Christ. This led to a rage in Cain that caused him to slay his brother. The cross is the basis of our acceptance to God and remains the primary point of conflict between Christianity and every other religion, which are all based on man\’s acceptance through works.
If we are truly following Christ, and He is our righteousness, our boast will always be in Him. How could we ever think highly of our own works when we have beheld what He has done? For us to even presume that anything we could do would make us acceptable is an affront to the cross and the ultimate form of pride that will lead to a fall, ultimately severing us from Christ.
- Come against covenants that have been made by some leaders that are now causing backwardness in some nations.
- Command the land where you are to yield her best for you.
- Ask for the dethronement of the satanic authority given to your area.
- Pray that believers will rise up and fight to break the backbone of conspiracy and treachery of the agents of Satan.