All believers are righteous

We’re all familiar with Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (NKJV). This is one of the verses that contributes to a “sinner saved by grace” mindset, rather than a “righteousness of God” mindset.

Let’s read it in context:

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV) (21) But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (22) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Verse 22 says that righteousness – being in right-standing with God – is through faith in Christ Jesus, and it is to all who believe. “For there is no difference” says to me that all believers are righteous – not that some are more righteous (have better standing with God) than others – all believers have the same right-standing with God even as all have sinned.

Verse 24 says that those who believe are justified (“just as if I’d never sinned”), or “declared righteous” (paraphrase from NLT) freely by grace as a part of the plan of redemption.

Kenneth Copeland once told the story of a man – a known heavy drinker and wife-beater, but considered a member in good standing of his church. He started to see that he was righteous, and quit doing that stuff. He started telling people in his church that he was righteous, and they kicked him out of that church within 90 days! They couldn’t deal with a man saying he was righteous, I guess.

Why should we hang on to the sin tag that Christ redeemed us from?

Doug