The Gracious Gift of Righteousness

Have you ever felt like you just don’t deserve God’s blessings? I’ve been there too. But recently, I’ve been meditating on Romans 5:17, and it’s completely changed my perspective.

What I’ve Learned About Righteousness

Let me put it simply: righteousness isn’t something we earn—it’s something we receive as a gift from Jesus.

Think about it this way. Because of Adam’s sin, death entered the world and has ruled over humanity. But through Jesus, God offers us something amazing: His righteousness as a free gift! And when we receive this gift, we “reign in life” through Christ.

I used to think I needed to work harder, pray more, or be a better Christian to deserve God’s favor. Now I understand that’s backward thinking. My right standing with God isn’t based on my performance but on Jesus’s perfection.

The Great Exchange

One of my favorite verses explains this perfectly: “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It’s like the ultimate exchange! Jesus took my sin and gave me His righteousness instead. I didn’t earn it or deserve it—He just gave it freely out of love.

How This Changes Everything

Since understanding this truth, so many things are different in my life:

• I no longer feel I need to “measure up” to approach God
• When I make mistakes, I remember my identity is secure
• I can live from a place of acceptance rather than striving for it
• I approach challenges with confidence, knowing I “reign in life”

The Bible says, “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). That means right now, today, God sees me through the lens of Jesus’s perfection. How amazing is that?

Living in This Truth

The beautiful thing about receiving this gift of righteousness is that it empowers us to overcome life’s challenges. When we truly understand and believe this, we start to experience victory over things that used to defeat us.

It’s not about trying harder. It’s about believing better—believing the truth about who we are in Christ.

So if you’re struggling today with feeling unworthy of God’s blessings, remember: the question isn’t whether you deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious. The question is whether Jesus deserves these things—and since you’re in Him, what belongs to Him belongs to you!

What areas of your life might change if you started believing this truth today?