Filled with God’s righteousness
Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. 1 John 3:7-9
A person becomes a child of God when there is an inner longing that only Christ’s righteousness can satisfy. This is part of the promise stated in the Sermon on the Mount; "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). We cannot be filled with God’s righteousness if we are filled with self. God longs for people to realize their need of Him and receive what He offers. “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13). When you place your faith in Christ in what He did on your behalf when He died on the cross, His righteousness is placed and ascribed in you. “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin” (1 Corinthians 1:30). It was God that initiated the process of making us righteous before His sight and we receive that life of righteousness by faith. Abraham was made righteous not because of his good deeds but because he placed his faith in God. “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Genesis 15:6). This is what Paul told the people in the Book of Romans when they continued to insist that they can receive salvation by their own efforts and their ancestry. “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Romans 10:10). As a child of God made righteous in His sight, I should continually be identified with Christ because of righteous living. “When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous” (1 John 3:7). The hunger and thirst to live a life of righteousness will remain. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18). As we walk with the Spirit, He will help us to be like Christ. Righteousness is not to be taken lightly, nor is it easily to be thought of as easily attained. The Holy God gives His righteousness to those who know they cannot live without God unless they are made right before Him. Our desire to experience the righteousness from God must be powerful, all-consuming, dominating everything we do. Pursuing righteousness means that we value the opinion of God far more than we treasure the opinions of people. It is allowing God to fill us with His holiness (Romans 6:11). When you seek the kingdom of God you will pursue His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). God has got to have His way in your life if you want to be right before Him. If your desire is to be the person God wants you to be then make it a choice to be as close to God as you can be.
Blessings,