Deep down within the hearts of people, ultimately everyone desires to know they are in a good place with their creator and are considered acceptable and right with Him. Most will pursue a religious path that attempts to do certain things—or avoid doing certain things—that will bring them to this place. Sometimes even those claiming to believe in Jesus begin to establish a mindset by hoping their good deeds will outweigh their bad and that it will be "good enough." The problem? They will never know if they have attained or succeeded in establishing right standing with God.
Changes in behavior can be beneficial for us and those around us. But this is nothing more than quicksand when it comes to our eternity and righteousness. The same is true for ceremonial traditions found within many different church brands. So how can one know they are in a place of righteousness before God or in right standing with God? It's our discussion on this week's podcast.
If we went into the vast majority of Christian churches and asked for a show of hands on how many in attendance consider themselves to be righteous and holy, typically very few hands would go up. Why? They haven’t been taught about their new identity as a child of God. They are ignorant on the subject of God’s righteousness, and much like the Israelites, they may even be trying to establish their own right standing with God through their works. It’s a good thing to behave in a way that reflects godliness and be an example to others. But this is the result of coming to a revelation of how God has provided us with His total acceptance. We aren’t meant to dedicate “our lives” to Him, He has fully committed His life to us. The gospel is not about our doing, but rather it’s about what Christ did. For us, it’s about “being,” while resting in His gift and living out of response to that.
