It is amazing when one realises that Jesus Christ has forgiven them of and paid for, all their sins.
It is also just as wonderful when one understands that, you no longer have to work to be righteous but are made so by Jesus Christ.
But unfortunately, that understanding seems to disappear for some once they fully embrace Christianity. After salvation, some Christians start to feel as if they now have to do something to remain the way Christ made them, especially in the wake of mistakes or failure.
But in doing that, they fail to remember where their righteousness came from in the first place.
Jesus Christ is Your Righteousness
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
The verse above tells us clearly, that our righteousness comes from Jesus Christ. It does not come from our good deeds or behaviour.
In fact, if we even attempted to attain righteousness on our own, we would fail dismally. For Isaiah 64:6 tells us that “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.”
This is why we need to put our faith in Jesus Christ for it is Him who makes us righteous and gives us peace with God.
It is also important to remember that just as He made you righteous, it is also Him who is keeping you righteous.
The Lord is Keeping You Righteous
Once you receive salvation by faith and become the righteousness of God, you cannot do anything to add to what has been done.
You also cannot do anything to make yourself less righteous, even when you make a mistake; you are still the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is keeping you righteous and He will not undo what He has done.
Alright, so now that you know this, you may be wondering how to stop thinking you have to somehow keep yourself righteous.
The first step is to stop trying to remember how you attained your righteousness, by faith.
Righteousness Through Faith Not the Flesh
In a letter to the Galatians Paul rebukes them saying:
Are you so foolish? Having beg
himself also ceased from his works as God did un in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 (NKJV)
The Galatians had received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. But some of them had been manipulated into believing that they still had to follow the Law of Moses if they wanted to be truly saved.
Just like some Christians today, they were now choosing to rely in their own ability rather than what God had done for them.
But that is not how it works.
We are saved by faith in Jesus and as Romans 3 we receive “even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ…” (NKJV)
So as you live your new life as a Christian, it is important to remember that your righteousness doesn’t come through what you do in the flesh. It comes through faith, and faith in Jesus Christ.
Another important thing to do is enter God’s rest.
Entering God’s Rest
For he who has entered His rest has from His.
Hebrews 4:10 (NKJV)
If you are to going to stop attempting to keep yourself righteous, you must enter into God’s rest. Entering God’s rest means you stop striving and working for your salvation. Stop condemning yourself and trying to “make up” for your mistakes.
You must trust in what Jesus did. Have faith in what He did and believe that it was more than enough to cover your sins and make you righteous.
And when you find yourself feeling or thinking you have to do something to stay righteous just remember that “There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”
Someone who is no longer condemned does need to work to justify themselves, they can rest and point to what Jesus did on the cross. Knowing that is what has saved them and made them righteous.
A Constant Reminder
Knowing you are now righteous and remembering that you are righteous are two completely different things. That is why you need to constantly remind yourself of this truth. A good way to do this is to recite 2 Corinthians 5:21 to yourself:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NKJV)
Not just when you feel like it’s true but especially in those moments when you feel like it’s not. During those times you make mistakes or fail.
It is also especially important to remember that nothing you do can reverse what Jesus Christ already did, or add to it.
So, instead of striving and attempting to keep yourself righteous enter God’s rest and walk by His Holy Spirit. And thank God for Jesus, who is your righteousness and will keep you righteous forever.
