Summary
Believers have been made right with God, regardless of their actions. As Christians, we’re righteous because God says so and we believe it; this is our stance, which is permanent. We’re holy because God declared us so, not because of our own efforts to live right. By contrast, our state is continually changing as we progress through our earthly lives, making mistakes but gradually becoming more and more like Christ. Jesus has made us free from sin; we win in life by maintaining the victory He obtained for us. The world offers us plenty of choices of foundations to build our lives on; any foundation other than Jesus Christ will crumble and fall when trouble hits. Basing our identity on Him makes us ready for heaven.
