Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. Romans 3:23–24 (TLB)
Believing that you’re righteous empowers you to change.
You are right with God because of Jesus and you have a new identity in Him. As you begin to believe that “righteous” is who you are, you realize that He has given you the power to overcome anything.
On the other hand, if you identify yourself as a loser, an angry person or an addict, these misguided identities can prevent you from overcoming. The Bible puts it this way: “An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil” (Luke 6:45, NKJV). Keep in mind that the word “evil” here can refer to unbelief, because Hebrews 3:12 talks about having an “evil heart of unbelief” (NKJV). So, if you don’t believe you’re righteous but instead believe you’re a loser, you will lose in life.
What’s beautiful is that you can go to God in the midst of your struggles, even if you feel that you brought them on yourself. He will not judge or punish you. Any time you need strength, you can turn your attention to Him. He has given you the strength to deal with sin, to handle the stress at work and to overcome any challenge that could possibly come against you. His grace, power and ability are in you.
We’ve all sinned—we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet, you are made right with God when you believe. Even though you’re not perfect, you’re in right standing with God through Jesus. That’s who you are!
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