There’s a clear difference between righteousness and right living. God doesn’t make you righteous when you live right; rather, you’re made righteous by God when you receive Christ. His nature in you makes you do right—that’s the only reason He expects you to live right. In other words, righteousness is what gives birth to right living.
This means a person can only live right if it is in his nature to do so. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” You were, as a result of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, declared righteous by faith: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
This is what the Gospel is about; righteousness is the free gift of God and His nature that you received in Christ, which gives you the ability to do right and live righteously. It therefore means an ungodly person can become righteous by simply having faith in what Jesus did for him on the Cross. So, take advantage of your righteous nature today and live the righteous life.
Prayer
Dear Father, I’m grateful for the gift of righteousness that you’ve given me. I boldly take advantage of my right standing with you, and I reign and rule as a king today, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
