Understanding righteousness

You will go to heaven because you trusted in Christ’s righteousness, not your own. You say, “But isn’t doing the right things important?” Absolutely. Your reward in heaven will be predicated upon what you do for God here on earth. But your salvation depends on trusting in Christ’s performance, not your own. Satan knows this, and he will try to drive you back to performance-based Christian living. And when you fail, as you assuredly will, he will condemn you and tell you that you don’t measure up and, therefore, you are unworthy of God’s love and acceptance. Notice what condemnation does: (1) It robs you of confidence before God. You are unable to claim His promises because you feel unworthy. Thirty-one times in scripture it says that we are “in Christ.” That’s one for every day of the month. So each day, remind yourself that you are “in Christ,” and because He is worthy, you are accepted. (2) It makes you irritable and unpleasant to be around. Addiction counsellors describe this as being “squirrelly” or uneasy in your own skin. As a result, you begin to put out what you feel on the inside. What’s the answer? Paul gives it to us: “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight…But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed…even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (vv. 20-22 NKJV). Bottom line: righteousness is credited to your account through faith, not works. Today you are loved and accepted “in Christ.”