Many people especially Christians, think righteousness is something gained by working hard at it, something you strive for, but it isn’t at all. Sanctification and holiness is something you strive for, but not righteousness.
True righteousness is not something derived from the law, but righteousness is imputed directly to you from God on the basis of your faith in Jesus Christ. In other words if you believe Jesus Christ is Gods Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world and Lord, God reckons (credits) that faith you have in Jesus as righteousness. And because you are righteous then you are justified. And you are an heir of all the blessings of Abraham. That seems impossible but it is the truth. Let’s take a look…
Abraham was not Jewish at the time when he became the father of faith. He was 99 years old when he was circumcised and God made the old covenant and the nation of Israel began to form. So as God had planned it, Abraham became the father of many nations as a gentile and on the basis of faith God approved him as righteous because he believed God. He didn’t become righteous by sacrificing bulls and lambs, he became righteous by his faith. James 2:23 says “and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.
Now look at Philippians 3:9 and notice the Apostle Paul said that he didn’t have a righteousness of his own derived from the Law (the old covenant) but we have through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of FAITH! So you and me are both righteous because we have faith in Jesus. It’s not an earned thing we do, it’s by the Grace of God. Are you getting this? I hope so.
Now the Apostles taught this gospel, this word of faith and said in Romans 10:9,10; “
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in RIGHTEOUSNESS, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in SALVATION.
I am righteous and you are righteous if you believe from your heart in Christ. Isn’t that great news? In the new covenant as in the old God reckons our faith, our belief in Jesus as righteousness. The new covenant is the blood of Jesus, which He shed for all mankind. It was paid once and for all.
“ and having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation , being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Heb. 5:9) THEREFORE He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”(Heb. 7:25) Repent and confess Jesus as Lord if you haven’t already done so and you too will be righteous.
“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
“ And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb. 9:27-28)
Now your job is to live a sanctified and holy life free of sexual immorality, to love God and your neighbor as yourself.
“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:20-25) Do you now understand how we are saved by grace through our Faith in Jesus? And that faith comes from God and is not of ourselves but freely given to those who believe…Stop trying to earn salvation by doing things from yourself to please God. Have faith and Love Him and your neighbor and abstain from sexual immorality and get baptized as Jesus commanded….
Kendogsinger 