Essential to our walk as Jesus followers is the understanding of righteousness - how God views us in relation to his rightness i.e his spiritual and moral perfection. Honestly, this understanding totally transformed my life and is the underlying foundation of any relationship with God in Christ Jesus. God is righteous i.e morally and spiritually excellent, pure and just. He is by nature holy. In him is no darkness, stain, flaw or any shortcomings at all. He is himself LIGHT and the very definition of RIGHT.(1 John 1:5) So how can flawed, imperfect you be accepted by a God who dwells in unapproachable light? (1 Timothy 6:16)
🤔How about... ... if 'rightness' is attributed to you not on the basis of your moral or spiritual perfection or flawlessness but on the basis of your trust in Him to make you right all by himself?
Sounds good, but would this be right?
Should a righteous God be unjust? How can a sinner and an evildoer who has hurt others just get declared right all because he trusts God? How about all he has done wrong? How about those he has hurt? Where is the justice in that?!
Actually that's a fair question. Someone's got to pay... Well here comes the payment plan... "God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people’s sins through their faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith in Jesus. " Rom 3:25 ERV Hallelujah!!!
[I honestly could not put that👆 any clearer than Paul; using the Easy Read bible version] Invariably, the evil you (and me😉) is declared guiltless and right before a God of justice on the basis of our trust(faith) in the payment made on our behalf.
Period. This means that conniving, rude, filthy, slutty, lying, no good self can now walk into the presence of a just God to receive friendship and help just because he has already pronounced us RIGHT in his own sight! The beauty of this truth is that, that gift of 'right'eousness now becomes the innate power and ability to live right! (Ephesians 4:24) Because we now have access to a holy God, the light of his holiness infuses and transforms us Holy. We are changed into a being with a capability and nature to do right like God! We begin to hunger and thirst for right, we are empowered to make right choices.
You are empowered to be and do good! [Believe me I am doing somersaults in my heart at this point🤣. If this isn't good news what is...?😄] So dear believer, no more judging and looking down on yourself or other Jesus followers, for we ARE righteous by our faith in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:22) The Lord Our Righteousness! Glory!