by

GF Herrin

If God, through His spirit, has called you to Him and you have repented from your sins, put your faith in Jesus Christ and been born again, then you are in essence a new man or woman.

Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

The Bible clearly says that when Jesus of Nazareth died as a substitutionary atonement for your sins He took the rap that you and I deserve.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

What also needs to be stressed, too, is that while He viewed you previously as a fallen sinner separated from Him, now the God of the universe views you a person clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

No matter what your past or whether you were a Jew or Gentile, if you are a believer, Jesus, your Lord,  has given you His righteousness.  “that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also” (Rom. 4:11). This word “imputed” means that you have been given Christ’s righteousness. Where previously you were dead in your sins and covered in the filthy rags of your sin and unrighteousness (Isa. 64:6), now, you are positionally clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  Where previously there was wretchedness, now there is righteousness!  That means that you can come to God , the Father, boldly in prayer and you are seen as clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Indeed, since God is holy and righteousness, sin and unrighteousness are an abomination to Him. He cannot allow you into Heaven and into His presence if you are dead in your sins.  If you try to enter into the kingdom by any way except by Jesus’ sacrifice or your sins, you will not be accepted.

Jesus tells a Wedding banquet parable that illustrates this point.

So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matt. 22:10-13).

So, no giving of tithes, no perfect church attendance, no praying 5 times a day toward Mecca, speaking in tongues, or doing good works will make you acceptable to God.  Only by the shed blood of Jesus and being clothed in His Righteousness will get you there.