Christians have been called to live on a higher plane. God has declared us righteous because of our trust in Jesus. This righteousness isn’t something we could ever earn; it’s a grace gift from Him that has nothing to do with our actions. We therefore don’t have to strive to achieve worthiness in God’s eyes, because we already are worthy.
Being in Christ makes us God’s children and members of His royal family; because of who we are, He appeals to us to walk in the divine identity He gave us. The Holy Spirit bears witness of this to our spirits that not only are we children, but joint heirs of God. Paul beseeched the Ephesians to walk worthy of their calling to be godly. This appeal for us to live godly lives on our Christian walk on earth is impossible to fulfill through self-effort; we can only succeed when we know our true identity.
Children born into a royal family are taught to conduct themselves accordingly, because royalty is simply who they are; this is their status by birth. It’s the same way with born-again believers; we’re a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Believing this enables us to live the way God asks us to.
Paul’s appeal to the Romans to live godly didn’t focus on perfect behavior, but on believing that they were righteous even when their performance didn’t reflect that. God’s high calling isn’t based on what we do, so it’s impossible to lose what we inherited from Him because we missed the mark or fell short somewhere. God’s gifts and His calling are irrevocable.
Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into a place of undeserved privileges. Receiving undeserved privileges is the very definition of royalty. God shows us grace even when our behavior disqualifies us from it. All we need to do is to receive it.
Prayer:
Lord, despite our imperfections, You see believers as perfect and righteous. Even when our behavior is unworthy, You call us worthy because of our faith in Christ. Thank You for the privilege of being able to be members of Your royal family. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
Romans 8:16, 17
Ephesians 4:1, NKJV
1 Peter 2:9
Romans 11:29, NKJV
Romans 5:2, NLT