Righteousness is a gift from God that we can never earn. All the blessings of God are given to us freely as the gift of God. If we thing we've worked or performed or behaved well enough to receive something from God, then that's not the gospel and it's a lie!
The book of Romans says that all have fallen short of the glory of God. In Romans 1, Paul makes a list of many examples of "the unrighteousness and ungodliness of all men." After making this list, he concludes in Romans 2 that there is therefore absolutely no place for judging one another, since all of us are in the same boat.
He then goes on to share the good news of the gift of God's righteousness that is freely given by God Himself to those who believe. It's not our good behavior or performance that makes us righteous, and it's not our poor behavior or performance that keeps us from being righteous. It's the gift of God that makes us and keeps us righteous! The good news is that you are righteous. You are not merely a "sinner saved by grace." You are no longer identified as a sinner, no matter what your behavior. You are a holy and righteous saint!
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Well said, Joel. It's not dependent on my behavior and what I can do but it's totally dependent on what Christ has done and that's news.
ReplyDeleteYep yep yep!!!
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