Faith Building Block 2

Right Standing with God

by Pastor John Hamel

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2Corinthians 5:21)

In Faith Building Block 1 we saw that we become New Creations when we are Born Again.  At the New Birth, we become “righteous” new creations.  This will be the subject of Faith Building Block #2 -- Righteousness.  Not only do we become new creations, we also become the very righteousness of God.

Don’t run away now.  That word scares lots of folks away.  It shouldn’t.  Righteousness is really pretty easy to understand.  Righteousness simply means to have right standing with God.  Pretty simple, huh?

Righteousness also means “equity, innocence and holiness.”  “Equity” simply means to have the same standing with God as Jesus does.  It also means that we share Jesus’ innocence and holiness as well.  This is not because of anything that we have done or could do.  Righteousness isn’t something you do. 

Righteousness is something you receive.  It’s all based upon what Jesus has done.  He paid the penalty for our sins so we could be right with God again.  He took our sins and gave us His righteousness.  I’ve heard this referred to as “The Great Exchange.”  Seems almost too good to be true, but God wouldn’t fool us about such a thing.

Another definition of righteousness is as follows:  “The ability to stand in the presence of God without a sense of guilt or inferiority.” 

God doesn’t want us to feel guilty when we stand in His presence.  He doesn’t want us to feel condemned over the past.  That would keep us from receiving from Him.  He wants us to receive from Him.  He loves us.  He gave Jesus for our sin.  Why wouldn’t He give us everything else? (Romans 8:32)

Someone said, “But I’ve sinned since I was saved.  How can I still be the righteousness of God?” 

It’s easy.  Ask your loving Father to forgive you and He’ll cleanse you of any “un” righteousness behavior.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

Sin is wrong.  I run from it like the plague.  However, sometimes I miss it in thought, word or deed.  When I do, I can promise you this!  I NEVER run FROM God.  I have learned to always run TO Him. 

When we do one thing and confess our sin, God does four things for us.  1) He’s faithful to us. 2) He’s just to us.  3) He forgives us.  4) He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  Once we have been cleansed from unrighteousness, we are righteous once again.

As if becoming a new creation wasn’t miraculous enough, God also makes us righteous!  Once we become righteous and get tangled up in sin, He cleanses us from “un” righteousness.  I don’t know about you, but this makes me love Him so much I just don’t want to mess with sin anymore.  I’d rather run with Jesus.

Righteousness is the most misunderstood teaching in the Bible and it just should not be!  It is simple to understand.  It is as simple as it is miraculous!  Now you understand it.

Understanding righteousness -- what it is and what it does, is the second Faith Building Block that must be laid in order to develop strong faith!

Make this Faith confession daily.  “I am a brand new creation in Christ.  I am the righteousness of God.”

Be Blessed … John and Barbara Hamel