The Kitchen Table Devotions
Day 25
“Righteousness”
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:25-26
Being precedes behaving and believing precedes being. Righteousness before religion. Being “right” begins with believing in God’s sacrificial love, not behaving “right” to get His love. We can’t become “right” without His great love. All we can do is receive His love by believing that He loves us. Righteousness begins with forgiveness that we can’t earn but only receive by faith in God’s love.
From the Kitchen Table 