Joseph Prince: Understanding RighteousnessSample

The Gift Of Righteousness

We frustrate the grace of God in our lives when we look to ourselves and try by our own efforts to make ourselves righteous before God. But we cannot work for or merit righteousness from God. We can only receive righteousness as a free gift from Him. His righteousness is free for us, but it cost Him dearly. He paid for it with the life and blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. It is a gift that can only be given freely not because it’s cheap, but truly because it’s priceless!

But Pastor Prince, how can I, who did no right, be made righteous?

My friend, ask yourself this: How could Jesus, who knew no sin, become sin on the cross for me?

Jesus had no sin of His own, but on the cross He received all our sins. Likewise, you and I had no righteousness of our own, but we received Jesus’ righteousness when we believed in Him. At the cross, Jesus took all our sins and in exchange gave us His perfect, everlasting righteousness. So is this righteousness that we have received a result of our own works or His work? Clearly, our righteousness is a result of His work and we received this righteousness solely through His grace!

Beloved, there is no middle road. You are either righteous by God’s unmerited favor or you are trying to merit righteousness with your own works. You are either depending on Jesus or you are depending on yourself. Because Jesus has paid so dearly for you to have His own righteousness, you can cease from your own efforts to be made righteous in God’s eyes. Today, God wants you to simply believe that you are righteous in Christ and to expect the blessings of the righteous to manifest in your life!