Righteousness

Righteous isn’t really a word that we hear talked about very often. When it is used, it’s brought up in a negative sense – that person is so self-righteous.

The word righteous really means to be approved. To have a deep sense of approval. Almost like having a verdict being rendered about you that you are worthy, you are approved.

Think about this – God will never love you any more or any less than He does right now.

This truth could scare you – You may think, “That stinks cause I really need Him to love me more.” Or you think it’s not fair because He should love you more than He did because you are “better” you were before.

If anyone ever asks:

Does God love me? The answer is always “Yes.”

Does God approve of me? The answer is “It depends.”

This might mess you up: God’s love is unconditional. His approval and acceptance are not.

If everyone was already approved and accepted by God, there would have been no need for Jesus to pay the price for our sin.

Romans 15:16 (New Living Translation)

I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.

Paul recognized that they were UNACCEPABLE to God and his goal was to present to them the Good News (Savior, Christ the Lord) so that they could be acceptable.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (New International Version)

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.