"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known... this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24)
The prophet Isaiah says that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. Paul told the Romans that there is no one righteous, not even one.
Romans 3 above tells us that there is now "a righteousness from God, apart from the law". Apart from the law. We are not to live under law. We have been saved by God's undeserved, unmerited favor.
"When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." (Romans 4:4-5).
We can't work for it. We do not deserve it. It is the gift of God. We receive this indescrible gift with joy and thanksgiving. Our sins are forgiven, our position is secure, our spirit is being renewed day by day.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6)
Christ died for the "ungodly", the sinners - you and I. Jesus tells us in Matthew 9 that he has not come to call the righteous, but sinners. God sent His Son to bear all the sins of humankind - past, present, and future. Jesus came for the sinners that we might become his righteousness. This righteousness comes from God for all who believe through faith in Jesus Christ.
2,000 years ago, He came to earth to reconcile us to God by payment of our sins by His death on the cross. We trust in the Lord. We believe what the Bible tells us and we walk in the truth. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is rest for weary and power for the weak. He is the perfect lamb of God and He came to cleanse us from our sins. We can not "do better". We can only receive His free gift. We are forgiven because of what He did. We are made right with God because of what He did. We are transformed moment by moment into His perfect image as He cleanses us and imputes His righteousness into our souls. It's His work, it's why He came.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:17-18)
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