Are You The Righteousness Of God?

2 Corinthians 5:21(ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When Todd returned from work, he turned on his television set and as usual, he selected a Christian channel. The preacher preached from today’s text and in his conclusion said ‘‘if you are a child of God, you are the righteousness of God and what you do or do not do cannot change that; all you need is to believe what Jesus has done”. Just after the preacher had finished his preaching, another preacher began to preach on the same channel, this other preacher however said, ‘‘as a child of God, you must be watchful because it is possible to fall”. Todd became confused not knowing which of the two preachers to follow.

While it is true that Jesus was made sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God, note, however that it is so that ‘‘we might become’’. In another word, without the work of Jesus, we cannot become the righteousness of God. Now that you have been granted access through Christ Jesus, you are to judge yourself.

If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

From the above scripture, we see that it is possible for us to be condemned with the world. Who then is the righteousness of God? It is the one in whom sin and flesh have been judged. There cannot be righteousness without judgment (Isaiah 26:9b).

Isaiah 1:26 KJV reads “and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, the city of righteousness, the faithful city”. You see, righteousness is always a product of judgment.

If you lead a life that is without restraint, it is because you have not met with the Judge. No one continues in lawlessness after encountering the Judge.

Go into today knowing that you can become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Pray this way: O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:24).
—Dr. Emmanuel James

Yearly Bible Plan: I Kings 10-13

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Subscribe: RSS