We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22 NLT Before we accepted God's gift of salvation through Jesus, we were lost. We had no hope and were without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). But the force of righteousness that has come to us through Jesus has made us right with God. I don't know about you, but that makes me happy!

And there's more good news. The fact that we live in a pluralistic,relativistic world does not dismantle the power of God’s righteousness. Paul spoke these words to a very sophisticated group of individuals in Rome: "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life'" (Romans 1:16-17 NLT).

So here's the deal.

Outside of Jesus, it's impossible for us to be righteous, no matter how "good" we are. Isaiah 64:6

When we receive Jesus, we are made righteous in God's sight.
Romans 5:18-20

God's righteousness is for every person who believes (has faith). Romans 3:22b

His righteousness is revealed in the Gospel—His Word. Romans 1:17a

His righteousness is a force and it is unsurpassed. Psalm 71:19

Now, righteous before God because of Jesus, we can walk closely with Him and come into His holy presence unafraid and unashamed. We also have become His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), with the right and responsibility to turn to a lost world and share His love and truth.

Grateful for God's righteousness,
Pastor Jeff



© 2007 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.