{"id":1703,"date":"2020-03-06T06:33:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T11:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kenpulsmusic.com\/blog\/?p=1703"},"modified":"2020-03-05T21:03:39","modified_gmt":"2020-03-06T02:03:39","slug":"my-righteousness-is-in-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kenpulsmusic.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/my-righteousness-is-in-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"My Righteousness Is in Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Church<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is a great comfort that we can say, if we are in Christ, \u201cMy righteousness is in heaven.\u201d When we put our faith and trust in Christ, God declares us to be righteous in Him. Our standing before God is no longer on the basis of our own righteousness. If it were, we would stand before God condemned by our sin. In Christ, our righteousness is Jesus Himself<\/strong>! We are justified by faith in Christ alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we are justified, God imputes our sin to Jesus (He treats Jesus as if He had sinned and was guilty). \u201cThe wages of sin of death\u201d (Romans 6:23a) and so Jesus died on the cross to pay the wages due our sin. He paid the price, so we are no longer condemned. \u201cThere is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus\u201d (Romans 8:1). But that is not all! God also imputes Christ\u2019s righteousness to us (He treats us as if we had perfectly obeyed His Law). \u201cBut the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord\u201d (Romans 6:23b). In Christ we have life. We are clothed in His righteousness, accepted and beloved as sons and daughters, and brought near to God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is rest for our souls! The measure of our righteousness is not our own feeble and often failing efforts, but the finished and perfect work of Christ. We are protected from pride, knowing that on our best days, we are no more righteous than on our worst days. We must confess every day that we are sinners in need of mercy and grace. And we are protected from despair, knowing that on our worst days, we are no less righteous that on our best days. We are ever safe in the arms of our Savior, who is \u201cable to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him\u201d (Hebrews 7:25).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Bunyan describes this comforting truth in Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But one day, as I was passing in the field, and that too with some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was notright, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, \u201cThy righteousness is in heaven.\u201d Then it seemed to me that I saw, withthe eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God\u2019s right hand. There, I say, is my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, He wants my righteousness, for that was just before him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).<\/p>Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners<\/em>, par. 229<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Unchanging Righteousness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n