UNDERSTANDING RIGHTEOUSNESS

Romans 5:17

“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

One of the things that affect the faith life of God’s people is their understanding of righteousness or the lack of it. So let me help you gain some understanding today because when you do your faith walk will be stronger.

Firstly, it is to understand what it is. It is to have a right standing before God, which means being able to stand before the presence of God without any sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority complex. That is, to stand before God as though sin never existed. You might ask who can stand like that? YOU! The reason you can do so is because God calls you so;

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2Corinthians 6:14

If God calls you righteous or righteousness then who are you to call yourself anything less than that. This means you can stand before the presence of God without any sense of sense.

Secondly, understand that righteousness is a gift from God to you at salvation. The day Jesus was made sin you were made righteous. It is not something you can work for or earn by good deeds, it is completely a gift from God to you so enjoy that gift.

Thirdly, which is an offshoot of the last point is, you receive the gift of righteousness by faith and maintain it by faith. This is because you are not righteous because you feel so no you are righteous because you believe you are. You are not righteous because you have done some good deeds today, no you are righteous whether not you have done any good deed.