Secure in Christ’s Righteousness
ICS Daily Devotions
Romans 8:1 (NKJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
As believers, we are blessed with the position of righteousness. It is so important that we understand what righteousness is because when we know who we are in Christ, what we have, and what we can do through the new creation, we will think, believe, and behave differently. Before being born again, our identity was that of a sinner who could not break free from habitual sin and belonged to the kingdom of darkness. However, with a renewed mind and clear understanding that the new man is made in true righteousness and holiness, we can act and speak righteously, and our whole lifestyle will change.
Nonetheless, we need to remember that righteousness is a right standing before God, which God gave us out of His abundant grace. It is a positional truth. It doesn’t mean that we are perfect because sanctification is a lifelong process. However, knowing that we have righteousness in the new creation will help us walk righteously in all our dealings and lifestyles, freeing us from a sense of guilt and unworthiness, and the frustration of struggling to be accepted by God.
In the past, when we tried to earn God’s love through good behaviour and spiritual disciplines, we often felt condemned by our continual failures because of our sin nature, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes. Our conscience would condemn us, and the devil would accuse us.
Ephesians 1:6 (NKJV) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
The devil will accuse us of our past lifestyle of sin. Therefore, unless we renew our minds regarding the righteousness that Jesus has obtained for us, we will never feel worthy before God. Our past condemns us, and our present weakness pushes us away from God, but God, in His mercy, made it a point to see us in Christ. He sees us as righteous in Christ. We have believed, and it is accounted to us as righteousness.
Righteousness gives you the ability to stand in the presence of the Father God without feelings of guilt, condemnation, or inferiority, as though sin had never existed. We have no part to play in it. Our past is under the blood of Jesus Christ. God does not remember our past or our sins anymore because Jesus has dealt with the sin issue that separated us. We did not earn the position.
By the abundance of God’s grace, He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Therefore, we can come to a position of rest in His love. We know that God accepts us purely because of Jesus’ work of atonement. The righteous position in Christ produces a sense of peace and security.
Sermon Series: Righteousness: Religion or Reality
