RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH, NOT WORKS

Gen. 15:6 And Abraham believed the LORD, and the LORD declared him righteous because of his faith.

We are counted as righteous before God because of faith and not works. We cannot make it to heaven because of anything we can do. To believe is not a mental exercise; it is a life we live. Saving faith is taking literally what God says about us and our need for salvation through Christ and embracing it for our own. We turn to Christ for forgiveness and then we act forgiven. We strive to forsake the sin that separated us from God. We set our path on submission and obedience to Christ, willing to turn our back on sinful thoughts and practices.

Many profess to be saved because of what they believe about Jesus, but it’s simply not enough. We must give Jesus permission to change us. We must let Him take away our sin and live like we mean it. God does not mess around with sin and neither should we.

Righteousness is living by what is right in God’s eyes, not our own eyes. There is a huge difference between the two. We tend to compare ourselves to others and feel good that we are better than many. On the other hand, God compares us to His Word and sees us in need. When we realize just how far short of God’s perfect law we live, we have no other recourse but to live in Christ and take on His righteousness for He alone has perfectly lived a righteous life before God.

Righteousness is gained by faith and not by works. It is rooted in Christ and not man. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ alone for your salvation and you will be saved and declared righteous before God.