TOPIC: YOU ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
KEY VERSE:
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21
INTRODUCTION
One of the greatest misunderstandings among believers is the concept of righteousness. Many people think righteousness is about:
- good behavior
- holiness
- moral excellence
- spiritual discipline
- or a reward for being “good”
But righteousness is not about what you do; it is about who you are in Christ. It speaks of your position—your right standing before God. Righteousness is not the result of human effort; it is based entirely on what Jesus Christ has done.
In other words, righteousness is a gift, not a reward. And until you understand this truth, you will struggle to stand boldly in God’s presence, exercise spiritual authority, and walk in consistent victory.
Today, you will learn a life-changing truth:
In Christ, you ARE the righteousness of God.
MESSAGE
1. Righteousness Is God’s Gift, Not Your Achievement
No one can earn righteousness. God says in 1 Peter 1:16, “…Be holy, because I am holy.”
He did not say, “Be righteous,” because righteousness cannot be produced by human effort—it can only be received.
Isaiah 64:6 makes this clear when it says that all our righteousness (that is, self-righteousness) is like filthy rags before the Lord. According to Romans 3:22, true righteousness comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture also tells us in Romans 4:3 that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (NIV). Abraham did not earn righteousness; it was credited to him by faith.
The Apostle Paul further explains in Romans 3:24 that we are “justified freely by His grace.”
You cannot earn righteousness by:
- praying
- fasting
- behaving well
- keeping rules
- trying harder
As good as these spiritual disciplines are, they do not make you righteous.
Look again at our key verse:
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21
This reveals a divine exchange. Jesus did not commit sin, yet He became sin on your behalf. You did not commit righteousness, yet you became righteous in Him.
2. Your Righteousness Is Not Based on Your Performance
Even on your best days, your efforts fall short of God’s standard of righteousness. Why?
Because your righteousness is not based on:
- feelings
- good works
- failures
- struggles
- weaknesses
- performance
It is based on Christ’s finished work. Titus 3:5 declares: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”
3. Righteousness Gives You Boldness
Proverbs 28:1 says: “The righteous are bold as a lion.”
Boldness comes from identity. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
When you understand you’re righteous in Christ:
- you stop running from God
- you stop praying like a beggar
- you stop living in fear
- you stop feeling unworthy in worship
4. Righteousness Gives You Authority
You cannot exercise spiritual power if you believe:
“I’m a sinner.”
“I’m unworthy.”
“I’m not righteous enough.”
2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Spiritual authority operates through confidence in your new identity in Christ. When you know you are righteous:
- demons recognize it
- sickness respects it
- circumstances respond to it
- heaven backs your words
The devil thrives on your ignorance – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6).
He knows he cannot defeat a believer who knows his place in Christ. Ephesians 2:6 makes it clear that God raised us up with Christ and seated us together with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
5. Righteousness Produces a New Lifestyle
Ephesians 4:22-24 “…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Genuine righteousness leads to:
- holiness
- righteous living
- purity
- obedience
- spiritual growth
You don’t live holy to become righteous. You live holy because you already are righteous.
Identity determines behavior. If you believe you’re still a sinner, you will keep sinning.
If you believe you’re righteous, you will walk like Christ.
6. Righteousness Restores Your Confidence Before God
1 John 3:21 says: “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”
Many believers pray without expecting answers because their conscience condemns them.
But God says in Romans 8:1 that “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
When you stand on righteousness, condemnation loses its voice.
7. Righteousness Is Your New Nature
Ephesians 4:24 declares: “…the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Your new nature is created in righteousness. You don’t try to become righteous. You simply express what you already are.
CONCLUSION
You are the righteousness of God in Christ. You are fully accepted, fully forgiven, fully valued, fully loved. Your righteousness is Christ-based, blood-bought, and Spirit-sealed
This revelation will transform the way you pray, the way you worship, the way you fight battles, and the way you walk with God.
PRACTICAL REFLECTION
Ask yourself:
- Do I see myself as God sees me?
- Do I still define myself by past sins?
- Do I pray with confidence or insecurity?
- Do I believe I am fully accepted?
Write this confession in your journal:
“I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I stand forgiven, accepted, and justified by the blood of Jesus.”
Repeat it throughout the week.
SIMPLE SUMMARY
Righteousness is not something you earn. It is a gift from God through Christ. Knowing that you have a right standing with God through Jesus Christ gives you boldness, authority, and victory.
PRAYER POINTS
- Father, thank You for making me righteous in Christ Jesus.
- Lord, help me walk in boldness and confidence as Your righteous child.
- Holy Spirit, deliver me from every lie of condemnation and reveal my true identity daily.
FURTHER STUDY
- Romans 5:17
- Romans 3:21–26
- Isaiah 54:17
- Hebrews 10:14
- Philippians 3:9