INSIDE OUT TRANSFORMATION

Introduction: Your testimony glorifies

God and encourages others
Pastor Prince encourages us to continue sharing our testimonies with one another. What
God has done for others, He wants to do for you as well. Even as we hear testimonies
from others each Sunday, be encouraged because your breakthrough is next!

One of the reasons why we share our testimonies is because it is how we overcome the
devil— by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony (Rev. 12:11a). Every
time you testify to someone, you are sharing God’s grace with them. No one can reason
away your experience.

Reading the many praise reports and testimonies from others builds up our faith with
the confident expectation of good for our future.

We now live by a new law—the law of

the Spirit of life—which brings
abundant life
We are continuing from last week’s sermon, Your Failure Is Not Final.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and of death.”
— Romans 8:1–2 NASB

“no condemnation at all” — The word “no” is the Greek word “oudeis,” and it describes
a scenario where there is no exception. This means that there is no condemnation
whatsoever in any shape or form for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The law of sin and death entered when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.
God never desired for us to live a life subjected to sickness and disease, growing old, or
dying. God’s dream for man is to live in health, strength, youthfulness, and to enjoy all
the good that He has in store for them.
The devil has nothing but destruction for man but Jesus came to bring life and life more
abundantly (John 10:10b).

“the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” — When Jesus died on the cross, He
introduced a new law—the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Here, “the law” is not
referring to the Ten Commandments or a rule of conduct made by a government but it
is referring to a mode of operation, e.g. the law of physics or the law of gravity. Under
the law of gravity, what goes up must come down. Likewise, the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus releases God’s abundant, “zóé”  life into the life of the believer.

“the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
of death” — When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we came under this
new law and so we were freed from the law of sin and death. Similar to how the law of
thrust and lift frees a plane from being subjected to the law of gravity, the law of the
Spirit of life has freed us from being subjected to the law of sin and death. God gave a
greater and higher law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which transcends the
law of sin and death. Today, we are no longer subjected to this law but we are subjected
to the law of the Spirit of life.

Speak out in faith and experience God’s

abundant life
While we have been freed from the law of sin and death through the finished work of
Jesus, it does not mean that the law and its effects no longer exists. However, one of the
ways we can actively claim this law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is to confess, “The
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.”

When you experience a symptom in your body, confess this law over yourself. The spirit
of faith speaks. Just as David wrote in Psalm 116:10a (KJV), “I believed, therefore have I
spoken.” And Paul who quoted David in 2 Corinthians 4:13 (KJV), said, “We having the
same spirit of faith . . . I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and
therefore speak.”

FAITH IS SPEAKING WHAT YOU HAVE BELIEVED.

The Bible tells us that when God saw darkness, He called light into existence and called
it good (Gen. 1:3). God didn’t speak about the darkness He saw; He spoke forth what He
wanted to see. We, being made in God’s image and having the same spirit of faith as
David, believe and therefore speak. This is how we operate in faith in our daily lives.
It is in this manner that we are saved: by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8 KJV). Similarly,
how do we appropriate all that Christ has done for us? By faith, and faith operates
through believing and speaking (Rom. 10:9–10).

THE HEART AND THE MOUTH ARE ALWAYS ENGAGED IN THE

PROCESS OF FAITH.

When you feel tired or weak in your body, say this: “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.”

That is your rightful place in Christ, free and above the law of sin and death, in the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus.

God sees you as a new creation in Jesus,

completely forgiven and righteous
It is essential that we are established in this truth: Because of Jesus’ finished work at the
cross, God sees us in Christ today, one with Him and ensphered in Him. Today, when
God looks at Jesus, He sees you. When God looks at you, He sees His Son, Jesus Christ.
God will never see you apart from Christ.

In God’s eyes, whatever has happened to Jesus has happened to you as well. So when
Jesus died at the cross, our old self was crucified with Him. When Jesus was raised from
the dead, we were raised with Him. When God made Jesus sit at His right hand, we sat
down with Him at God’s right hand.

We are now in Christ not by our own efforts and strength, but by God’s doing.

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”
— 1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV

Because we are in Christ, He becomes our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and

redemption.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
All our sins have been forgiven through Christ’s blood, but because we still have the
flesh (the sin principle that makes us inclined to sin) in us, we cannot help but fall into
sin. However, even when we fall into sin (the Christian walk is an upward stumbling), we
are still forgiven and righteous in Christ.

How can this be so?

Because of Adam’s sin, everyone was born a sinner. Even if a sinner does good deeds, he
is still a sinner. But now, Jesus Christ, who is the last Adam, has made us righteous in
Him. Our sinful nature has been crucified at the cross with Him and today, we are seated
with Him at God’s right hand. Now that we are righteous in Christ, we cannot revert to
being sinners even when we fall into sin.

So even when you see the flesh act up (e.g. when you have wayward thoughts or sinful
desires), you don’t have to identify yourself with them.

Don’t judge yourself by your behavior; judge yourself by your standing in Christ—you
are the righteousness of God in Christ! As you judge yourself by your righteous
standing, your behavior will start to line up with this truth and you will find yourself
reigning more and more over sin.

God’s life-transforming power is

released when you truly believe you are
righteous in Christ
The real you is a spirit. You are a spirit made in the image of God, but you live in a body
and you have a soul (thoughts and emotions).

While we have a soul and we live in a body, God does not want us to be led by our
minds and bodies. That is not to say that we don’t take care about these things, but God
wants our spirit man to take precedence over our mind and body.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but
those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to
set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and
peace.”
— Romans 8:5–6 ESV
TO SET THE MIND ON THE FLESH IS DEATH. TO SET THE MIND ON
THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE.

Throughout the Bible, there are instances where the “spirit” can refer to the Holy Spirit
or our spirit man. Sometimes, the distinction isn’t as clear because God has made our
spirit man and the Holy Spirit one (1 Cor. 6:17 KJV). The Holy Spirit dwells in our spirit
and that is how God leads us from within and how He wants us to lead our soul and
body.

In the spirit, we experience:

1. Communion with God:

We have communion with God in the realm of the spirit. We don’t commune with
God physically but spiritually. It is in the spirit where we enjoy the most intimate
communion with Him. While there are moments where we may feel God’s
presence tangibly, we should not depend on them because those feelings can
come and go.

2. Intuition:
The spirit is also where we find intuition. Even when a person is not born again,
they still have this function, although it is dormant until it is awakened when they
 are saved. For those of us who are born again, our intuition is in the form of
being led by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit leads us on the wavelength of peace. Before you make an
important decision, don’t rush, but take time to listen to what God is saying. If
you feel restless about it, take time to pray about it. If you start doing something
and there’s no peace, don’t pursue it. There may be instances where what you see
and what others are telling you seem to be the right path to take, but if you feel
uneasy about it, obey that prompting. Don’t rush to make the decision but take
time to seek God about it.

You can also parent by your intuition. Listen to what God is telling you on the
inside and let the Holy Spirit lead you to guide and parent your child.

3. Conscience:
Lastly, our conscience is found in the spirit. It is in our spirit that we first receive
the revelation that we have been forgiven and are righteous in Christ, and that
gives us a clear conscience.

In the Greek, the word “conscience” is the same word used for “consciousness.”

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of
the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have
had no more conscience of sins.”
— Hebrews 10:1–2 KJV

The sacrifices of the old covenant could atone for sins for a day or a year but it
could never fully take away sins (Heb. 10:4 KJV). If your debt has been paid, you
should not be conscious of your debt, your conscience should not have debt on
it. Likewise, our sin debt has been paid at the cross, and so we should not have
sin on our conscience.

“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same

sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,”
— Hebrews 10:11–12 NKJV

What the old covenant priests had to do continually and repeatedly, Jesus
 accomplished in one perfect sacrifice. Jesus has paid for our sins fully and He sat
down because the work has been finished. Today, we can have peace in our
conscience knowing that our sins have been forgiven.

When we continue to have sin-consciousness in our spirit, we are unwittingly

saying that Jesus’ work at the cross was not perfect and finished.

The Holy Spirit in us also bears witness with us that God is not dealing with us
based on our sins but based on what Jesus Christ has done for us at the cross
(Rom. 8:14–16). Our sins were righteously punished in the body of Jesus Christ so
that today, there remains no more punishment for us to bear.

The way to bring peace to our conscience is not by trying to justify ourselves by
our good deeds or our attempts at atonement, but it is to look to the cross and
remember again what Jesus has accomplished for us through His perfect finished
work.

No weapon formed against the

righteous shall prosper
The Bible tells us very clearly that the gospel the apostle Paul preached is a gospel that
declares the righteousness of God as a gift:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation
(‘sótéria’) for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall
live by faith."”
— Romans 1:16–17 NKJV

“the gospel of Christ . . . is the power of God to salvation” — The word “salvation” is
the Greek word “sótéria,” which refers not only to salvation from condemnation, but also
includes healing, wholeness, and well-being for your entire person. God wants this
salvation to happen to you and it is through the gospel that the fullness of this salvation
is released.

“it is written, "The just shall live by faith."” — Pastor Prince shares that he used to
think this verse was talking about faith as a way of life (for instance, when a person
chooses to trust God for their finances and supply, that is living by faith). However, in
the Greek, the sentence structure of this verse places a different emphasis that can be
seen in the New English Translation:

“For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is
written, “The righteous by faith will live.””
— Romans 1:17 NET

“The righteous by faith will live.” — The New English Translation places emphasis on
“the righteous by faith,” i.e. those who are righteous by faith will live. We see this in the
Revised Standard Version as well:

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He
who through faith is righteous shall live."”
— Romans 1:17 RSV

“He who through faith is righteous shall live.” — We have been made righteous not
by our actions or deeds, but through the finished work of Christ. If you are the
righteousness of God in Christ, you have Jesus’ abundant life in you.

If you believe you are the righteousness of God in Christ, confess it!

CONFESS THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD EVEN

WHILE THE SYMPTOMS OF SIN ARE PRESENT IN YOUR MIND AND
BODY—THAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH.

The presence of these symptoms does not discount your righteous standing in Christ. A
sinner can perform good deeds but that does not change his identity as a sinner. A
righteous man may fail but that does not change his identity as the righteousness of
God in Christ.

The gospel is more than just the forgiveness of sins but it is also about the
righteousness of God revealed. You can be forgiven of your sins but never realize that
you have been made righteous by God.

“All your children shall be taught by the Lord,

And great shall be the peace (‘shalom’) of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.”
— Isaiah 54:13–14 NKJV
“great shall be the peace” — This peace is God’s “shalom” peace, which includes
completeness, health, good success, safety, and one’s total well-being. It affects our
spirit, soul, and body.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,

And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,"
Says the Lord.”
— Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

God has promised that no weapon formed against you shall prosper—not just in the
past or present, but also in the future. This promise is not dependent on our obedience
or our own self-righteousness but it is dependent on Jesus and His righteousness.

The reason why no weapon formed against us can prosper is found in the second part
of the verse: “ . . . This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their
righteousness is from Me.’ says the Lord.”

WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS FROM THE

LORD, NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU WILL PROSPER!

Whatever the weapon or challenge may be, know beyond any doubt that this is God’s
promise to you—no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Not because your
behavior is perfect, but because of Christ’s finished work at the cross, your righteous
standing in Him is perfect.

The revelation of your righteousness in

Christ is first received in your spirit,
then impacts your thoughts and
emotions
“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you
the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all
things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
— Acts 13:38–39 NKJV
The power of the gospel that Paul preached is found in the forgiveness of sins for
“everyone who believes.” We see this more clearly in the Young’s Literal Translation:

“and from all things from which ye were not able in the law of Moses to be declared
righteous, in this one [Jesus] every one who is believing is declared righteous;”
— Acts 13:39 YLT

This gift of righteousness has already been given to you. Your only part to play today is
to simply believe. The old covenant was based on justification by works (keeping the law
of Moses—The Ten Commandments) but the new covenant is based on justification by
faith (believing that Jesus Christ has received all the punishment for our sins and today,
we are righteous in Him).

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the
body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the
Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from
the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
— Romans 8:9–11 NKJV

The born-again believer is no longer in the flesh but he is in the spirit. The born-again
man is created by God in Christ (Eph. 4:24). We are righteous in God’s sight, not by our
work, but by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our righteousness is founded on the
incorruptible truth of the finished work of Christ.

Pastor Prince shares a testimony from a sister in Texas, United States, who experienced a
180-degree life transformation (she was delivered from drugs and alcohol, and
experienced restoration in her relationships) when she became conscious of God’s love
for her instead of her sins.

When your thoughts are occupied with

Christ and His righteousness, you will
experience life, strength, and
transformation in your physical body
“And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because
of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through
His Spirit who dwells in you.”
— Romans 8:10–11 NKJV

“body is dead because of sin” — Death can manifest as thoughts of depression in your
soul and it can also manifest as sickness or disease in your body.

“the Spirit is life because of righteousness” — This righteousness is not something

that you do, it is who you are when you accept Jesus as your Savior.

How do we get this life to touch our minds and physical bodies?

“give life to your mortal bodies” — The Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead
lives in you. That same Spirit quickens and gives life to your mortal body. This is not
referring to the rapture where we will receive our glorified bodies (Phil. 3:21a ESV), but
this is referring to the life that is present in our mortal bodies right now.

Today, what dwells in our spirit is righteousness and life.

LIFE IS A RESULT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Spirit is life because of righteousness. It has to do with righteousness. For that life to
permeate our soul and bodies—which results in health, healing, and wholeness—it all
begins with our spirit. It all begins with being conscious of who you are in your
spirit, that is, the righteousness of God in Christ.

The more conscious you are of your righteousness in Christ, the more God’s “zóé” life
flows into your mortal body. Once His “zóé” life touches that depression or anxiety in
our souls, or that disease in our bodies, that’s the end of them. Where His life is, there
can be no death.

But how do we receive that boost of resurrection life from the Holy Spirit?

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and
peace.”
— Romans 8:6 ESV

“to set the mind” — The mind is part of your soul. In your soul, you decide whether you
want to focus (mind) on the spirit (who you are) or the body (what you are
experiencing). Get your mind to focus on who you are and what you have in the spirit—
listen to teachings that expound on that truth. Renew your mind with who you really are
in the spirit.

When you set your mind on the spirit (your righteousness in Christ), it is going to affect
your soul (your emotions, thoughts, and will). The life-transforming power and peace in
the spirit can touch your emotions and then flood your body with healing and
wholeness.

You are already righteous in God’s eyes, whether you feel it or not. When you allow that
righteousness-consciousness that starts in your spirit to take root in your soul (e.g. by
meditating on it), it will eventually impact your body.

AS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST, YOU SHOULD FEEL

RIGHTEOUS.

How do you feel that righteousness-consciousness? Pastor Prince shares that for him
personally, it is like a sense of newness, a sense of being in close company with God,
where there’s no fear of the future. It is a sense of assurance that when you pray, God
hears you. He encourages all of us to experience that for ourselves.
Pastor Prince shares a testimony of a powerful life transformation from a sister who was
caught in a vicious cycle of sin, guilt, and condemnation. Despite years of self-effort, it
was only through the confession of her righteousness in Christ—not of her sin—that she
was finally able to break the cycle of sin, and be set free from a constant state of guilt
and condemnation.

One of the devices of the enemy is to heap guilt and condemnation on you. The last
thing he wants you to say and believe is that you are the righteousness of God in Christ.

What are you confessing today?

Is it a confession of sin? Today, because of the finished work of Christ, we do not hold
fast to a confession of sin but we hold fast the confession of our hope, a confident
expectation of good to come because of all that Jesus, our great High Priest, has done
for us (Heb. 10:23a, Heb 4:14).

TRUE CONFESSION IS TO ALIGN WHAT YOU ARE SAYING WITH

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU TODAY.

Keep on confessing it until you experience it even in your thoughts and emotions.

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and
body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:23 RSV

“may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless” — When you
receive His righteousness that gives you a peaceful conscience, when you confess it and
believe it, you will see all parts of your being transformed—your soul (thoughts and
emotions) and your body.

Say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ and I receive my healing, full and free, from
my Savior.”

One of the ways to renew your mind is to keep on hearing the good news. Keep
listening to sermons that remind you that your righteousness is a gift and that you are
righteous apart from your works. The more righteousness-conscious you are, the more
life from the Spirit touches and quickens your soul and body!
OWN THE WORD (LIFE APPLICATION)

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He
who through faith is righteous shall live."”
— Romans 1:17 RSV

The gospel declares the righteousness of God as a gift—and we have received this
wonderful gift by faith. Today, God wants you to know that “righteousness by faith”
is not just a nice thought, but it is a powerful truth that brings His life-
transforming power into every area of our lives—our spirit, soul (thoughts and
emotions), and body.

Maybe today, you find yourself struggling in your thoughts and emotions. Are you
overwhelmed by depressive thoughts and feelings? Are you overcome by waves of
anxiety about the future? Maybe you’ve been replaying past mistakes in your mind over
and over again, and you find yourself unable to move on in life. Maybe you’ve been
harboring negative emotions in your heart toward yourself or others, and you know this
hinders you from living with joy and hope.

Or perhaps you’re facing a challenge in your body. It could be a chronic health condition
or a pain you’ve been experiencing in recent days. It could be a sudden bad report from
the doctor or an undiagnosable condition medical experts cannot understand. It could
also be an addiction or habit you can’t seem to kick.

Friend, the revelation of your righteousness in Christ will bring life into all these
areas where you’re seeing death.

This coming week, meditate often on the truth that you are righteous in Christ. When
you declare that you are the righteousness of God in Christ even while the symptoms of
sin and death are present in your mind and body, you are practicing righteousness by
faith. Meditate on this truth, mutter it under your breath, and speak it forth until you
believe it in your mind and feel it deep down in your heart! Say, “Thank You, Lord, that I
am the righteousness of God in Christ. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed
me from the law of sin and death. I receive your zóé life in my thoughts and emotions and
in my body!”

As the truth of your righteous standing in Christ becomes more and more real to you,
you will begin to experience the life-transforming power of God touching your soul and
body, making them whole (Rom. 8:10–11, 1 Thess. 5:23).
Closing Prayer
“This coming week, the Lord bless you
and your families richly, plentifully,
abundantly, because it is the blessing of
the Lord that maketh rich and not your
efforts, not your labor. The Lord make
His face to shine on you and upon your
loved ones, and be favorable to you.
Open doors of favor throughout this
week to you and your loved ones.
May you find yourself by the grace of
God at the right place at the right time,
always. The Lord lift up His countenance
on you and your families, and grant to
you and your loved ones His wonderful
shalom peace, wholeness, and wellbeing,
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
all the people say, Amen.”