Jesus was the only person born righteous. All others are not righteous and only have the opportunity to be declared righteous by God. We are born unrighteous and remain unrighteous until that time when God declares us righteous. And that is for all of us as no one is exempt.
“9What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written:
‘None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.’”
— Romans 3:9-12 (ESV)
Paul writes that all are subject to the same. We are all sinners. Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, all of us. And nothing has changed throughout time, except that we have been given the chance to be declared righteous.
“21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” – Romans 3:21-25 (ESV)
All of us start the same and are unrighteous until that time that God declares us righteous. He will declare us righteous when we have given ourselves to Him fully. This is made possible through Jesus and His death on the cross as He took our sin upon Himself for our sake. We all have been given the same opportunity to receive the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus and it is up to us to receive and accept that gift.
Even as we have and take advantage of the opportunity to receive and accept the gift of salvation and grace, we are still sinners and not righteous until that time when God declares. We will always be sinners in this world and as such are not righteous. Our only approach should be thanksgiving for the gift of salvation and grace and work everyday to spread the gospel and demonstrating our thanks for and dedications to the repayment for the sacrifice (even as it cannot be repaid).
What are your thoughts on righteousness? Are you somehow righteous based on who you are or what you have done? What if you were to take on that no one, not even you are righteous and can only receive and accept the gift of salvation and grace and work daily to somehow be declared righteous through your actions for the LORD?
Trevor's Thoughts 