As a believer in Jesus Christ, God has made you righteous! Look at the passages below about how God has made you righteous paying special attention to the different verbs used.
20 He did (Abraham) not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead … we have been declared righteous by faith (Rom 4:20-25, 5:1)
God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:26. See also Rom 5:9)
For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Rom 5:19)
… Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith … (Php 3:8-9)
Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:17)
God’s Word says you have been ‘credited’ with righteousness (Rom 4:20-23), ‘declared’ righteous (Rom 3:26; 5:9), ‘made’ righteous (Rom 5:19), and been ‘given’ righteousness (Rom 5:17).
Now it is important to know that the righteousness you have was given to you. It is not your own righteousness but God’s righteousness (Php 3:9). You are now clothed in God’s righteousness. Let that sink in while you read these verses:
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. (Gal 3:27)
21 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets 22 —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. (Rom 3:21-22)
you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. (Eph 4:24)
But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption … (1 Cor 1:30)
He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21)
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isa 61:10)
With Christ in you and on you, you have God’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). You are a new creation that was created in God’s righteous likeness (Eph 4:24). You are in Jesus Christ who is your righteousness (1 Cor 1:30). God clothed you in His righteousness (Isa 61:10; Gal 3:27).
To summarize the last three discussions:
- God has removed the debt you owed for sinning, He forgave your sin, removed your sin, forgotten your sin, put your sin behind His back to not look at it anymore, and cleansed your sin.
- With your sin removed, He purified you
- He then clothed you in His righteousness
You are clean inside and out, free of sin, purified, and righteous.
Take time to praise God and appreciate God for making you righteous in His eyes. Understand that you are clothed in God’s righteousness.
Think about it
How do you think you become righteous in God’s eyes?
Name as many different terms you can that describe how God imparted righteousness on you (See Rom 4:20-23, Rom 3:26; 5:9, Rom 5:19, and Rom 5:17.
Do you understand that you do not have a righteousness of your own but that God clothed you in His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21; Eph 4:24; 1 Cor 1:30; Isa 61:10; Gal 3:27)?
What does that mean to you?
Since God imparted His righteousness on you, you are righteous.
BIBLE DEVOTIONS FOR LIVING 