Jesus, Our Righteousness! Part Two

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” Psalm 86:5

Do you always look down on yourself or condemn yourself for your past ways of life? If so, you are not alone. Many people do this because they have not been taught that God forgives them. Through Jesus, we can learn that God is forgiving and that we should forgive ourselves. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are forgiven. His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. We must realize that our past sins no longer define us. Just as God has forgiven us, we need to forgive ourselves.

Self-condemnation keeps us from living in the freedom Christ died giving us. It also prevents us from being effective witnesses for Christ. When we focus on our past, we miss out on what God is doing in the present. Instead, we must learn from our mistakes and move forward with God’s help. Because the righteousness of God is beyond every effort, you try to put in to ensure that you appear holy before God. The righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ is through grace and not your effort.

Hebrews 8:11 reminded us, saying, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

God’s forgiveness towards us is absolute. It holds nothing back. He has said He does not remember; he doesn’t count sins against us. He has forgiven us all trespasses (past tense). He is saying that sin will never be an issue in coming to Him. As many persons have received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, as many who have expressed faith in His blood to cleanse from sins, they have forgiveness of sins as a possession. “Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. So, it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).

As believers, we must consciously renew our minds with this and allow our thoughts to dwell on this gift of God’s forgiveness above all else. Instead of ruminating on your failure, sins, or errors, glorify God by talking about what His Son has done. Let that be your rejoicing, and you will see how much more your fellowship with the Father will blossom. Say: I have forgiveness of sins as a gift. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. God does not count sins against me. He sees me as forgiven, righteous, and freely washed from all sins. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the gift of forgiveness of sins. I ask that much more than ever before; I see all that Christ has done and walk in the light of it; never again will I allow the devil to defeat me by the sin of unconsciousness.