You are righteous through your faith in Christ

But to the one who does not work (that is, the one who does not try to earn his salvation by doing good), but believes and completely trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God) (Romans 4:5 AMP)

Bible passage: Romans 4: 1-25

      What keeps a person righteous is His faith in Jesus and not by His works or how He has been keeping the law. The works of a person is limited to the extent of making Him righteous in God’s presence; only His faith in Christ can make Him completely righteous in God’s presence.

      Man’s good doings or righteousness is not a quantifier to making it to the kingdom of God, that is; God doesn’t qualify a man righteous by the good works he has done in respect to his bad works, but He qualifies a man based on the faith He has in Him.   A perfect Biblical case study is the theif at the right hand of Jesus during His crucification on the cross; He believed Jesus is the son of God. This faith he had in Christ Jesus was counted unto him as righteousness, which made Him qualified for the kingdom of God.

      You need to hold on to your faith in Christ, no matter how things may seem impossible keep believing in God, It is only through your faith in Him you can please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

     Abraham was able to please God because he had faith in Him even when He was yet to receive the promises God had with Him.

Devotional Prayer: Father thank you for your word today. Lord Jesus help me to believe in you and help me grow in faith

Only your righteousness matters, not the doctrine.

“Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?” (Matthew 12:5 KJV)

Bible passage: Matthew 12: 1-8

      God is concerned with the virtue and purity of your being, not the doctrine you received. It is imperative that you take your righteousness sincerely. The scripture stated that without righteousness and holiness in your heart, no man will perceive God.

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)

      The scripture emphasised holiness as a means to perceive God through your own lenses and not through the doctrine you received as a Christian. Through the Bible passage above, the Pharisees exalt their doctrine rather than their righteousness. Jesus knew that they were hypocrites – they were extremely religious but lacked righteousness within them. Jesus said this in Mathew 5: 20:

“For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

      The Pharisees in the Bible verse above also represent the preachers and the Christian rulers who were extremely religious but sinful. The statement by Jesus in Matthew 5:20 implies that it is only when your righteousness extends beyond the words of these religious preachers that you will be ready for the Kingdom of God.

      Consider your righteousness with more importance than the doctrine you have been endowed with. Don’t be like the Pharisees who are well-versed in the word of God but lack holiness in their hearts.

Devotional Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your word today. Father, help me be righteous.