Baptism (Part 4)

Righteousness by Faith

Recall for a moment some of the best birthday gifts you ever received. Can you still feel the joy and happiness you felt? But over time the shine wore off, or a new model came out, and the joy faded.

Now think about your spiritual birthday. The day you were born again as a new creation in Christ Jesus through faith in your baptism.

If you were baptized and believe you have died and been resurrected with Christ, then God gives you a gift that should fill you with unutterable joy and happiness. He gives you the free gift of righteousness by faith.

How do you get this gift? By believing in something that is impossible!

Think about Abraham. The Bible says, “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” God declared Abraham righteous because he believed what God told him.

Abraham believed God could do anything. So, when God told him he would have a child by his wife Sarah, Abraham believed God. Sarah was about ninety years old, well past menopause, and was barren and unable to fall pregnant.

Despite these barriers, Abraham believed God could do the impossible and so God declared him righteous.

We have the same promise when we believe the impossible. What impossibility did God give us to believe? That He resurrected Jesus from the dead and through Him we are set free from sin to receive the free gift of righteousness by faith.

We are made righteous by faith and there is no real righteousness without it. You cannot stand righteous before God through works of the law, doing good deeds, or anything else. We can only stand righteous before God by faith. And the only righteousness that truly exists is that which God gives to those who have faith in Him.

Consider these questions:  

• Are you trying to be righteous by keeping God’s law when the Bible says you are cut off from Christ if you try to do that?  
• Do you believe that God resurrected Christ from the dead and through Him we are righteous?

A prayer point:  

• Ask the Lord to show you how His gift of righteousness is received. Ask Him to help you understand as you need this gift to grow in Christ.