“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5: 21
In looking at the subject of righteousness, we come to realize that there are two categories of righteousness, both of which we will examine in today’s devotional.
1. The Righteousness Imputed
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” ~ Romans 3:22 (NIV)
After the fall of man, sin became the inherent nature of humanity. Even a newborn child today is born with the nature of sin. To restore mankind to his original design and bring back God’s true intention for man, a price had to be paid, and God paid that price through His Son, Jesus Christ.
As Scripture reminds us, “the wages of sin is death.”For that reason, Jesus; who knew no sin, became sin for our sake and paid the price of death. In doing so, our debt of sin was fully paid, and now we have become “the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”
This is the righteousness that every believer automatically receives the moment they accept the sacrifice of the cross and receive Jesus into their lives. This is the imputed righteousness of God in us.
2. The Righteousness We Live Out
You see, the righteousness imputed to us is not enough to sustain our Christian journey. Sadly, many have missed the mark at this point, and as a result, we hear doctrines such as “once saved, forever saved”; meaning that once you have accepted Christ, nothing more is required, or statements like, “you can live however you please, since grace is sufficient.”
Scripture teaches otherwise:
“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” ~ 1 Timothy 6:11
“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” ~ 1 John 3:7
There is a righteousness we attain and demonstrate through how we live our lives daily.
Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:12 to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
This means that salvation is not the end but the beginning of a lifelong walk. While imputed righteousness gives us our standing in Christ, practiced righteousness is what validates our faith and keeps us aligned with God’s will.
Prayer: Father teach me to work out my salvation on a daily basis.
