Made Right With God

Did you know that once you receive Jesus, you’ve been made the righteousness of God in Christ, regardless of what you have done wrong in the past (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)? It’s true! This means that you have been “made right with God” and have perfect standing with Him. Now, this doesn’t mean all of your actions are right. But because of God’s gift of grace, you can develop a close friendship with Him and be seen as perfect in His eyes. 

I spent many years living with the underlying fear that God was angry with me about something, even if I didn’t know what it was. This fear also left me with a vague feeling of guilt, even though I couldn’t always point out what I felt guilty about. Feelings like these are one of Satan’s lies and tactics that he uses to keep us from being close to God. For a long time, I believed them, and they gave me a completely wrong perception of God and left a gap between us—a gap I tried to bridge with good works. I always felt like I had to “earn” God’s love and forgiveness.

I grew up with an angry, abusive father, and I’m sure that was the root of my fear and my belief that God was mad at me. I loved the Lord and tried to live what I thought was a good Christian life, but my sins and mistakes—real or imagined—were always on my mind, accusing me and leaving me feeling guilty. 

However, even when we do sin and make mistakes, the Bible says we can go to God, repent for our sins, and ask for His forgiveness (see 1 John 1:9). Then we can move forward feeling good about ourselves—without any nagging guilt.

You weren’t created to live with guilt, shame or a bad feeling that something is “not quite right.” God wants you to be confident and free—to be your authentic self! And you can only do that as you receive His love and forgiveness.   

Today I’m glad to report that I rarely, if ever, feel guilty, because I know it’s not God’s will for me, and my understanding of His love for me is always growing. If you’ve received Jesus as your Savior, you can know today that God is not mad at you. He may not approve of everything you do, but He absolutely loves and approves of you as His child. 

I urge you to begin saying to yourself, “God is not mad at me! I am completely forgiven of all my sin and made right with God.” Meditating on this truth and saying it verbally will help you build a new image of yourself—the one that God wants you to have. If anyone accepts Jesus and begins a relationship with Him, they are a new creation altogether, and that includes you (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Pray: “Jesus, thank You for paying the price for me to be made right with You! When I start to feel guilty, please help me remember that You’ve forgiven me, that You love me, and that I can come freely to You for the grace and strength I need. Each and every day, help me to receive Your love and acceptance so I can be the person You created me to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.”