Galatians 5:5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.

This whole letter is a screed against trying to earn salvation by works, and this verse is a very interesting element of that. It says that righteousness is something we receive from the Holy Spirit by faith. I don’t think we think about it that way very often. Anyone who is honest with themselves will acknowledge that they aren’t perfectly righteous; repentance is ongoing. That’s why we “eagerly await” the righteousness that God has prepared for us in Christ. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Of course, the devil twists that glorious truth around and tells us it doesn’t matter what we do, and Paul had to counter that lie repeatedly in his letters. Just a few verses after this he said, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13) We receive righteousness as a gift, but we are to live in the righteousness we have already received.

I am often reminded of how the Lord set me free from a persistent sin through something Peter wrote. After talking about the characteristics we would expect of a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ, he then says, “But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:9) What the Lord said to me through that verse was that if I have confessed and repented of a sin, I have been cleansed of it and it no longer has a hold on me. The more I beat myself up over something I have done, the more likely I am to do it again! That was a very liberating realization for me. At the same time, one of the things I am eagerly looking forward to about heaven is liberation from the very presence of sin. That is the ultimate righteousness that this verse refers to. I am to share this truth of imparted righteousness with all who will receive it, along with the admonition, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” (Philippians 3:16) The righteousness of Christ which has been imparted to us is never an excuse to wallow in sin of any sort.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s an issue that I think every believer struggles with at some point. Help me lead those in my care into the righteousness and freedom we have in Christ, for our blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!