We Are Righteous

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

Have you ever had a deep sense of knowing what you should or shouldn’t do, yet, for whatever reason, you chose to ignore your feelings? We’ve all done it and we almost always regret it later. “If I’d only listened to my gut”, we often say.

Consider that in many cases, that’s not simply your gut talking. It may be Holy Spirit trying to direct you. And James 4:17 reminds us that when we know what we should do, but don’t do it, God considers that to be sinful.It’s hard to imagine, but God is so holy, he can’t ignore, excuse, or tolerate our sins as though they don’t matter.

If you have children, you might relate. When your kids blatantly ignore rules put in place to protect them, do you simply brush off their offense? Not likely. When we sin against God, we’re cutting ourselves off from his loving protection (Isaiah 59:2).

When God gave his laws to Moses, they provided us with a clear path to righteousness, or a right standing with God. Of course, these laws couldn’t save us. We’re too weak in our sinful nature to live up to His standards. In reality, these laws were designed to open everyone’s eyes to how sinful we truly are.

Yet the more we sin, God’s grace becomes even more clear. He sent his only Son in a body like ours to put an end to the law by doing what the law could not: end sin’s control over us by offering his Son as a sacrifice (Romans 8:1–4).

So now, through God’s grace, we are made right when we believe that Jesus sacrificed his life and shed his blood for us on the cross. No matter who we are and yes, no matter what we’ve done (Romans 3:21–26).

So today, stop feeling guilty, ashamed, or inadequate for any reason. Stop feeling like you’re not good enough for God. Everyone has sinned and we all fall short of His glory. We certainly don’t deserve it, but when we trust Christ, God considers us righteous, healed, and restored.

Today’s author: Mark Henderson—Founder of The Inspired Legacy
Mark is a creative professional with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of web design and advertising. He also serves as the chief content officer at The Inspired Legacy, an online ministry dedicated to shining a light on God’s gift of parenthood. The organization aims to inspire and equip fathers to boldly lead their families, love their kids unconditionally, and leave a legacy of grown children that carry on these same traditions. Mark resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with his wife, Kimberly. Together, they have three children, two girls, and one boy.