Forever Righteous
Today’s Scripture:
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
- Romans 5:19 NKJV -
Have you ever been taught that a born-again believer in Jesus Christ can fall out of right standing with God? I'm not sure if this is a common doctrine taught in Christian institutions, but I'm sure some Pastors teach it. It was introduced to me when I was a young Christian, and the thought of not being right with God after I had believed in Christ frightened me.
As a young Christian who truly desired to have a relationship with God, I believed this teaching wholeheartedly. I learned that if I were to sin of omission (failing to do what is right or as instructed) or commission (willfully doing something wrong), I would lose my right standing with God. The last thing I wanted was to have another person, who loved me leave me, so I did my best to stay in the right standing with Jesus.
I was a "good" girl until I wasn't so good. I found it impossible to keep track of all I did and even more impossible not to sin because there were always sins of omission, which I struggled with the most. I lived my life with the Lord walking on eggshells, and always fell short. So, I am very dear to the topic of falling out of right standing with God. I am passionate about it because when I learned the truth, I was freed from years of making choices out of fear and being unable to be close to God like I truly desired.
A born-again believer is made right with God through Jesus Christ. Our righteousness is a gift because of Christ's obedience to God, not our obedience to God. One of the scriptures that opened my eyes to this truth is Romans 5. Many scriptures in the New Testament testify of how we are made right with God, but let's read Romans 5:17-19:
"For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
Now, let's focus on one verse at a time. Romans 5:17:
"For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."
The one man's offense is referring to Adam. Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, causing death to enter the world and rule over man and creation, and all men became sinners. However, death is not more potent than grace and righteousness, and when a person believes in Jesus Christ as their savior and receives grace and his gift of righteousness, that person will reign in life instead of death.
Verse 18:
"Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life."
Again, the one man's offense is Adams's original sin in the Garden of Eden. That one act brought judgment on all humanity, which resulted in the world being condemned before God. However, through the righteous act of Jesus (obeying the law, never sinning, and then dying on behalf of humanity), righteousness is a gift to all who believe, which results in being justified before God.
Verse 19:
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
Adams's disobedience resulted in all being made sinners, and Jesus' obedience made all righteous. One is "made" righteous because one must believe in Jesus as their savior to receive the gift of righteousness.
These passages make it clear that our obedience can not grant us righteousness. A sinful man can not make himself righteous, he must be made righteous by God, and this is what Jesus accomplished for us through the cross. However, this truth does not imply that a born-again believer will never again sin, but it does mean that when that man does sin, his sins are not accounted to him. Romans 4:-8 NLT:
"Oh, what joy for those, whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin."
Understanding where we stand with God is vital to how we interact with him and what we believe about him. I've learned that when I feel condemned, I tend to stay away from God, but when I feel accepted, I desire to be nearer to him. Knowing we are right with God because Jesus has given us his righteousness gives us eternal security with God. It allows us to come before his throne boldly to receive his grace when we are in need.
The more we remember we are right with God and receive his grace in those weak times, the more we will rule over the sin that tries to creep into our lives. Sin and death can't rule where grace and righteousness abound! Child of God, I pray you to understand this truth. If you were like me and feared falling out of right standing with God, I pray you are set free by receiving the gift of righteousness! In Jesus' mighty name.