God’s Word tells us that Christ paid for the sins of humanity with his own blood on the cross. He lived a sinless life, keeping the law at every point; and he fulfilled the law, removed the curse, ransoming us from the claims of hell and the devil, and will present us before the Father with perfect righteousness.
The Word goes on to tell us we can have Christ’s perfect righteousness attributed to us, and God will consider us perfectly righteous in Jesus if only we believe what he has accomplished for us. Please understand that I am speaking of those who have repented of their sins.
Oh, how my flesh recoils at the simplicity and ease of it all. The flesh cries, “No way! It can’t be that easy. I have to help; I must pay something. After all, I still have problems in my life. I still struggle with sin. I can’t expect him to consider me righteous because I still have so many things needing improvement. I need to clean up my act first.”
Certainly, we may shed tears. We have to be humbled and broken, but a river of tears alone will not save anyone. A lifetime of struggles will not save anyone. Scripture says that our salvation must be by grace through faith. No flesh shall glory in God’s presence.
• “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:17, NKJV).
• “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Galatians 5:5).
• “And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).
My faith has to rise above all my fears, satanic lies, feelings, and circumstances and rest in what God’s Word declares. His Word says that by repentance and faith in Christ, he looks upon me as having the perfect righteousness of Jesus. He accepts me “in the beloved” as holy and righteous.
Oh, what a wonderful thing the power of faith is!