You Are Righteous
Devotional Reading: For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 ESV
Have you ever seen a company offer a free gift as part of some marketing campaign? Buy something and get a special package free or sign up for an email list and get a free eBook.
The phrase free gift has a few problems, though. First, it’s redundant. Gifts are always free—if it’s not free, it’s not a gift. Second, it’s usually not true. Whatever they are offering is some sort of marketing ploy. Even if all they ask for is your email address, they still want something. Third, free gifts are usually accompanied by fine print, indicating that “some terms and conditions may apply.”
Gifts that have strings attached are so common in our culture that it’s easy to conclude that “nothing is free.” But the Bible also talks about a “free gift.” It’s the gift of righteousness and eternal life that we receive through faith in Jesus.
God’s gift of righteousness is truly a gift, with no strings or conditions attached. He’s not trying to sell you something, no one is excluded, and there is no time limit on His offer. Out of the goodness of His heart, God offers forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation to all humankind.
Sadly, we tend to forget that gifts are free and righteousness cannot be earned. When we first approach God, we probably accept the gift of salvation with gratitude and faith. But as time goes on, we start to reduce God’s gift to a trial offer: “Try righteousness free for thirty days, and then live the rest of your life under the thumb of fear.”
But that’s not freedom. That’s not a gift. If we think righteousness is something we have to deserve and preserve, to earn and protect, we’ve forgotten what “free” really means.
Righteousness is a gift to us, but that doesn’t mean it was free to God. It cost Jesus His life. Salvation is an infinitely valuable gift because Jesus paid for it on the cross. But then He gave that salvation to us—freely, generously, and completely. And He isn’t going to send us a bill later!
Jesus died to save us, and it is His desire and His expectation that we receive His gift, not with the fear of having to repay Him but with gratitude, faith, and worship.
Prayer and Confession
I am righteous, I do not stand condemned.
Further Reading: 2Corinthians 5:17-21
