Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. Romans 3:23–24 (TLB) Believing that you’re righteous empowers you to change. You are right with God because of Jesus and you have a new identity in Him. As you begin to believe that “righteous” is who you are, you realize that He has given you the power to overcome anything. On the other hand, if you identify yourself as a loser, an angry person or an addict, these misguided identities can prevent you from overcoming. The Bible puts it this way: “An evil man out of the evil treasure …

Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24 (NLT) God knew we couldn’t do everything ourselves. That’s why He sent Jesus. But are you still trying to get right with God on your own merits? When Jesus made an agreement with God, He did so representing the entire human race. This agreement isn’t between you and God, so you couldn’t do anything on your own to qualify. The only thing you’ve been asked to do is accept Jesus.  The reason you’re righteous is because of Jesus’ actions. You need to believe that Jesus makes you righteous! It’s this faith-righteousness that brings God’s grace into your …

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17 (NKJV) There are some pretty amazing verses all throughout the Bible. For example, think about today’s verse. People worry about facing God one day because they think He’s going to bring up all the things they did and didn’t do. However, this verse says that God sees believers just as He sees Jesus. Wow! Jesus is righteous and pure, and God sees you the same way. It’s not because you’re perfect. It’s because you accepted the fact that Jesus sacrificed Himself to make you right with God and you are now “in Him”! As …

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22 (NLT) Doing things that are wrong doesn’t change the fact that you are right with God. A lot of people will have a problem with this statement, but Jesus is the one who qualifies you to be righteous. If you’ve given your life to Christ, you are righteous—but being righteous does not mean you are perfect. You may still do things you shouldn’t, but that doesn’t make you a sinner. Many people call themselves sinners saved by grace, but this is incorrect. Their nature and standing have changed. They are no longer sinners, even if they do …

Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. Matthew 5:17 (NLT) We’ve been discussing the topic of righteousness over the past few days—how believers are right with God because of what Jesus has done, not because of what they have done. Some would argue that if you believe you are righteous, you believe God’s laws are useless. After all, why follow His ways if He’s going to love you anyway? Actually, obeying God’s laws and principles serves a different purpose. While obedience doesn’t earn you salvation or forgiveness, it does help you to live a great life. Following God’s commands is the best way …