For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Romans 5:17
There’s a lot of misunderstanding out there about forgiveness and righteousness.
In the Old Testament, people had access to a type of limited righteousness if they behaved right. But now, because of Jesus, every believer has righteousness as a gift. We are right with God because Jesus is right with God, and as he is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).
Because of Jesus, we are righteous. It’s not something we earn. We’re children of God, and because of Jesus, we stand in God’s presence as though we have never sinned.
If we sin, we still may suffer earthly consequences, like we mentioned a couple days ago. Sin destroys relationships; it wreaks havoc on our mental and physical health, and it brings the law of sowing and reaping into effect. But remember, sin does not have the power to change who you are. As a believer, you are a child of God, and he loves you.
When you mess up, it’s still important to ask God for forgiveness because it’s cleansing for your heart, but know that he will always say yes. You can ask for forgiveness, trusting him to empower you to choose better next time, and then move on.
Don’t focus on your mess-ups. Deal with them, but focus on how much God loves and accepts you. As you do, you will be empowered to do right as you fall in love with him more and more every day.