Thus, because of Christ, and by connection to Christ through faith, we stand already accepted, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, loved, blessed, secured, assured, valued, and purposed. But in Christianity, God gives His Son’s righteousness to us and swallows the death associated with our sin. This approach does not produce love in our hearts for God- it makes us fearful, brings us into despair, and enslaves us into the constant pressure and burden of trying to measure up. See, every other religion tells us that we have to be good enough, better, and better still to warrant God’s acceptance, love, or favor. Indeed, “in and through faith in we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Eph 3:12). Yet, it is Christ’s righteousness imputed to us through faith that we are brought near to God. It teaches that my righteousness is “as filthy rags”, and that “I was an enemy of God”, a “child of wrath”, “dead in my trespasses”, “fallen short of the glory of God”, “slave to sin” (unable to choose good), “son of Adam” (I am inherently stained with sin, born into its slavery), and that righteousness is something I cannot attain on my own because it is “not of yourselves so that no man can boast”. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. -Psalm 24:3-4įor so long I thought that “those who have clean hands and a pure heart” meant I had to be good enough, moral enough, and try hard enough to be God-honoring in order to “ascend the hill of the Lord”, which means to be in His presence, and have closeness with Him.īut that is completely not true in light of what Scripture teaches.
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