Righteousness by GraceSample

Salvation and Righteousness

We often talk about being saved by Jesus Christ. In short ‘being saved’ means that we can dwell with God by grace for eternity (Colossians 1:14).

That is something beautiful and special, for we humans are incapable of saving and preserving ourselves in the first place. We were born as slaves to sin (Psalm 51:5), through which we literally are imprisoned in our dead nature. And generally, one can’t deliver himself from something when he is imprisoned.

Salvation is needed for that. Jesus brought that salvation by being nailed to the wood of the cross and paying off the price of our sin with His pure blood. That is the salvation that is given to us. It is an undeserved act of love from God.

So, we are saved by grace.

But we also receive righteousness by grace.

Just like with our salvation, we receive righteousness as an automatic result the moment we accept Jesus in faith as Lord and Savior.

And just like our salvation, we can’t earn the righteousness of God either. There are people who do try to do that. They want to ‘vindicate’, or rather justify themselves, by doing all kinds of works and keeping themselves to rules, but that isn’t possible. Only God can justify someone (Romans 3:20). But more on that later in this reading plan.

So, righteousness is given to us, and this is essential for us to be able to remain in God’s presence.