Righteousness...a Question of Divine Competency

2 Corinthians 5:21--"For God made Him who had no sin to become sin on our behalf, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God."

I believe that when we doubt our own righteousness, we need to remember who it is who claims to have made us righteous, and by what agency He claims to have done it.

The greatest source of peace in my life is the constantly deepening understanding of the fact that my standing with God has nothing to do with my performance, my ability, my behavior, my feelings, or my character. My standing with God, my righteousness is simply a question of Divine Competency. Paul asks in Romans, if God is the one who justifies you, (makes you righteous), who can condemn you?"

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If God were to set out to manufacture a fast car...how fast would it be? If God were to build a building with the intent of making it strong...how strong would it be? Would God's car ever lose a race? Would His building be vulnerable to any force, natural or otherwise? Of course, anyone with any traditional idea of God, any cursory understanding of scripture would answer an emphatic "no."

Surely, no force could compete with the competency, creativity or resourcefulness of God. Certainly no span of time, force of destruction, or human design could hope to diminish by a single iota the quality or strength inherent in the work of God Himself. God's ability is infinite, and therefore incomparable and immutable. And yet, when it comes to Righteousness, our thinking is different.

In the cross, resurrection, and outpouring, God set out to re-create the spirit of man in true righteousness and holiness, says Paul in Corinthians and Ephesians, Colossians, Romans, and say other Biblical writers as well. Please don't be confused by the wording of the scripture at the top of the page, namely the words "might become." This is a past-tense statement for the person with faith in Christ. A grammar lesson may be warranted in a later entry.

In my estimation, however, any question about whether we are made righteous at the moment of salvation or are continually "righteousness-ized" throughout life stems from a much more basic and consequential question...the competency of God. Does God have the ability to make you righteous? You must ask yourself if you believe He does. You know you do not have that ability, don't you? If not, just live a little longer and the question will be settled for you...or try asking your wife or your parents or your teenage kids...they'll tell you.

If you doubt that you as a believer you are now righteous, made righteous by faith in Jesus alone, and kept righteous by the power of His righteous blood sprinkled on the eternal mercy seat in heaven for you, consider the previous question and the following one. Since God is certainly able to make and keep you righteous, perhaps you doubt that the cross of Jesus and the life-blood He shed are sufficient agents to accomplish this.

I know these are not things we consciously doubt. I almost feel like I'm insulting my readers by asking these questions, but they are question I ask myself often. I believe that when we doubt our own righteousness, we need to remember who it is who claims to have made us righteous, and by what agency He claims to have done it.

Our enemy is called a liar and an accuser for good reason. He has been disarmed, stripped of all his military might, and is left with one power alone, the power to lie. Therefore, he spends his efforts on lies and accusations, and the two are often one. He loves to make us question our own standing with God. After all, that's the most precious thing he lost.

The greatest source of peace in my life is the constantly deepening understanding of the fact that my standing with God has nothing to do with my performance, my ability, my behavior, my feelings, or my character. My standing with God, my righteousness is simply a question of Divine Competency. Paul asks in Romans, if God is the one who justifies you, (makes you righteous), who can condemn you?"