God’s favor toward humanity is so strong, He offers everyone an opportunity to become His child. When we’re born again and accept His Son, that’s exactly what happens. God not only takes away our sinful nature and replaces it with His own, but He also becomes our heavenly Father.  Jesus Christ, our heavenly brother, is perfect, righteous, and sanctified; our identity in Him makes us the same way.

Sanctification may seem like a complicated word, but it’s simply the state of being cleansed and free from sin, made morally right and acceptable, and set apart as holy. Without Christ’s intervention, we’re trapped in our old, sinful nature. When we are in Him and He is in us, our spirits are preserved blameless, and we become new, sinless creations.

God’s Spirit becomes one with our spirit, and we have new life. It’s not just that we have eternal life in heaven, but our life here and now is also radically transformed. Because we are tri-part beings, this new life affects our spirits and, with the continual renewing of our minds, affects our souls and bodies, as well. Situations that once defeated us are now under our authority because we have the very life of Christ.

An added bonus that His grace provides is the knowledge that we have forgiveness for every sin that we’ve ever committed, as well as the ones we will commit in the future. With Jesus living in us, God sees us as righteous even when we sin. There’s no judgment in Christ, and we have great peace in knowing where we’re going after we die. Being ready for heaven gives us a tremendous advantage over the rest of the world.

Prayer:

Lord, You showed mercy and compassion toward us while we were still sinners. You sent Your Son to save us from sin and death, and offered us the chance to be Your children, even when we didn’t deserve it. We give You thanks and glory for this. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

Hebrews 10: 10, 14

2 Corinthians 5:17

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Ephesians 1:13

Romans 8:11

John 16:33

Philippians 4:7

For more on how our faith in Jesus Christ makes us righteous, click on the link for the single message, The Contrast: Righteousness vs. Condemnation.