What an awesome thing to consider that God has dealt with sin, and given righteousness as gift.
21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
17 For if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17
Most of Christianity spends itself on trying to become more righteous, stay righteous, and work out salvation and righteousness.
This is because most of those who come to salvation are then taught they were saved by grace, but that they must continually do something for God to be righteous or to become more righteous, rather than simply walk with Him co-labor with Him in what He is doing. This results in a works/performance paradigm.
Or, on the other end of the spectrum they think they are saved by grace and need do nothing. This results in using liberty, as Galatians 5:13 says “for an occasion to the flesh”, to live/walk in the flesh never considering listening to the Spirit for direction regarding what to co labor with Him in.
You see, God does not need us to do for Him. He desires us to be in fellowship with Him, in Christ, and to do what He is doing co-laboring with Him. This removes us from the realm of dreaming up good works to do for Him.
We do not have/need to do what we think will please Him, or that which we have had drilled into as “must do’s” to please Him, to become more righteous. We have been saved by grace…not just from judgement, but unto something. Namely good works that He has preordained for us to walk in with Him as we are in Christ Jesus.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:4-10
Let us not do works/perform for Him to please Him. Let us do what He asks us to do, that which He has prepared for us to walk in, in Christ under His direction and Lordship.
I’ve said before the scariest scripture is this from Matthew 7.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter.] 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Matthew 7:21-23
Note: it is not the things we do, even if we think they are good (prophecy, casting out demons, miracles), supposedly in His name, that matter. It is doing His will; what He wants, when He wants.
This works/performance point of view that moves many to do what they think He wants or what they think will please Him as a work of righteousness, has resulted in a form of the faith that is a mile wide and an inch deep, has left many frustrated, and remains ineffectual in many ways.
May we consider Abraham who heard His voice and responded in faith, which was credited to Him as righteousness. The outworking of hearing being faith, the outworking faith being obedience to what He spoke. The outworking of obedience seeing His promise/word fulfilled
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. 8 “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”
Romans 4:2-8
Think about it