Summary

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can focus on our right standing with God instead of our past sins. Although God convicts us of our sins in love, He never condemns us. He helps us make corrections to improve our lives. However, Satan is the accuser who tries to make us feel condemned, guilty, shameful, and hopeless when we sin. He wants us to feel unworthy so we will not have the confidence to go to God and receive forgiveness and answers to our prayers.

1. “ Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I, too, am sinful]” (Psalm 51:5, AMP ).
   1. Until we are born again, we will continue to have a sinful nature.
      1. Sin is missing the mark in our obedience to God.
      2. When we sin, we allow condemnation to settle in our hearts, and, therefore, we lose the confidence to approach God.
      3. For example, Adam and Eve were immediately ashamed when they disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

2. Righteousness is the ability to stand before God without guilt or shame.
   1. Through one man’s (Adam) sin, we all became sinful; however, through one man’s (Jesus) act of righteousness, we all have right standing with God (Romans 5:12-20, AMP).
      1. It is His righteousness that enables us to be free from condemnation, sin, and guilt.
      2. Now we have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
   2. Where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds even more.

3. Here are six things our righteousness has restored to us:
   1. Our right standing with God:
      1. We now have the right to approach God with confidence (Ephesians 2:13-18, 3:12, AMP).
      2. God has restored tremendous favor to us.
   2. Our lost fellowship:
      1. The wall between man and God has been broken down. (Ephesians 2:13, AMP).
   3. Our lost faith:
      1. Before Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sin, we were hopeless (Ephesians 2:11-12, AMP).
   4. Our peace with God:
      1. Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).
      2. The wicked are like the troubled sea (Isaiah 57:19-20, AMP).
      3. We have (internal and external) peace because of our righteousness (Isaiah 32:17, AMP).
   5. Our freedom:
      1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit (Romans 8:1-4, AMP).
      2. What Jesus has done is a finished work. We can receive it and benefit from it.
   6. Our sonship privileges.
      1. We are sons and heirs through Jesus Christ; we are no longer slaves to sin.
      2. We are adopted as sons of God; therefore, we can accept and receive God’s promises (Galatians 4:4-6, AMP).

Scripture References