Jesus takes our sin and replaces it with his righteousness.
Whom do you think of as “holy”? A priest? A preacher? Someone who does a lot of good work?
Those people may be holy, but did you know that if you’re in Christ, God considers you holy as well? Because of Jesus’ work on the cross for us, we are “holy and blameless” before God. Jesus exchanged our sin for his holiness, and God now sees us as he sees Jesus, righteous and holy.
Jesus takes our sin and replaces it with his righteousness. Not only that, Jesus also gives us new desires to live a godly life and the strength to do so by the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t mean we live without sin. But it does mean that we grow and better reflect the holiness of Jesus Christ each day.
In Christ we are considered holy by God and given the desire and ability to live holy lives devoted to him.
Read
- Did God choose us, or did we choose him? (God chose us.)
- Why did God choose us? (God wanted us to be holy and blameless before him.)
- In what ways has God changed you and made you more holy because of Jesus’ blessing?
- How is God leading you to a life of greater holiness to reflect Jesus more?
Prayer
Take two chairs. Place them several feet apart. Have one family member sit on one chair. This chair represents the person’s trust in his or her good deeds for salvation. Now have him or her switch to the other chair. This chair represents a trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Ask: “Is it possible to sit in two chairs at once?” (It’s impossible to sit in both chairs at the same time. Similarly, it is impossible to trust in good works and Christ at the same time. We must rely on one or the other. This is what it means to personally trust in Jesus. Faith in Christ and reliance on our good works are mutually exclusive.)
This devotion is adapted from the Who Do You Think You Are? Study Guides with Daily Devotions resource.
