Considered Righteous
“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.<o:p></o:p>
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”<o:p></o:p>
Galatians 2:15-16, 21
How is a person considered righteous and free from sin in the eyes of God? This must happen for God to relate to us at all. If we are still considered sinful, God must drive us out from His Presence because He is holy and cannot co-exist with sin.
You might think that the way to be considered righteous would be to do right things, perfectly and all the time. What humanity learned from the Law of God in the Old Testament is that we are unable to live perfectly righteous before God all the time.
So God sent Jesus! Now it is through faith in Him and trust in what He has done for us that a person can be considered righteous and live in God’s Presence. Because of this, everything changes! What I live for changes. How I live changes.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
Father, thank You for the freedom of crucifixion! Of course the freedom that Jesus brings because of His obedience to You, but also my own death with Christ. I am free to live for You and I do today.<o:p></o:p>
