Once saved, you are perfectly holy and righteous before God.
When you think of salvation in Jesus does that theological truth come to mind? Usually we hear things like Jesus paid the debt of your sin, you now have access to the Father, and Heaven is now ours at the end of our lives for those professing to be Christians and following Jesus.
I’m currently doing a bible study through Faith Gateway called Stand Dance Run by Jess Connelly. Its about the God-inspired moves of a woman on holy ground. Before jumping into things, Jess reviewed some basics like our holiness and grace. The first chapter was focused on this point:
We cannot be more holy but are perfectly holy despite ourselves because of our salvation.
I was raised in a very conservative home and my dad is very theological. I was taught lots of deep truths and theology and blessed with a fairly good understanding of God. Yet this is one truth I was never taught. It’s a pretty big one that has a big impact on the Christian walk.
We are perfectly holy and righteous because of our salvation. God chooses us out of His love, no merit of our own, and Jesus’ blood completely covers our sin and unrighteousness before the Father. Just as we cannot earn our salvation, so we cannot earn our holiness or righteousness.
We can live out our lives walking confidently and securely in our faith.
What joy and freedom there is in understanding that! There is no striving anymore to hit the mark, be good enough, be more holy- whatever.
Now, this is not to be confused with seeking the Lord and growing in Him and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. We are called to work out our faith with fear and trembling. Our faith is not hands off. But our actions are in grateful response to God’s gift as opposed to earning His grace, love and affections.
But we stand perfectly holy before the Father. That sure takes some pressure off, doesn’t it?
Walk though some scripture with me. Jess laid it out so nicely in her Bible Study and it really captures my heart. I love how she does word studies and digs to find the true Greek or Hebrew meaning and brings out other verses with that same word to enhance understanding.
She lays out this beautiful concept this way. First off, our salvation is not of our doing. We are told we are dead in our trespasses and sins, that we miss the mark and fall horribly short on our own. Yet God chose us, gave us an incredible gift of salvation and called us for a heavenly purposes to live out in this life.
“You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit that will last-”
John 15:16
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
-Romans 3:23-24
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
-1Peter 4:10
Because of that gift and calling, Jesus says we are already clean because of His Word and that’s the same word for clean we find in the Beatitudes telling us that’s the reason we will be able to see God!
“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”
– John 15:3
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”
-Matthew 5:8
Already is a word showing completion meaning it had been completed before now.
Clean means pure and unstained.
Word is a divine utterance, Word, speech.
The work has been done, the price has been paid, the assignment has been given. What’s left to do is rest where we already are- in Jesus’ love, his preference for and goodwill towards us. He esteems us and we are simply commanded to rest there. We don’t have to try or strive to get there, just rest where we already are.
“Remain in my love” John 15: 9,10
Love is a preference for, benevolence, esteem, good will toward someone or something.
What an amazing glorious thought. That preference for us that the word love explains is taken a step further as scripture tells us Jesus calls us friends. Jesus speaks of us as friends because we are held dear in a close bond of affection.
“I have called you friends” John 15: 15b
Called means to call or speak of, to say, report.
Friend, by definition is someone dearly loved in a personal intimate way, a trusted confidant, held dear in a close bond of affection.
Walking through those verses put things into a whole new light and helped me understand a little more about my Savior’s relationship with me. He loves me and has given me the gift of standing perfectly holy before the Father. Thank you Jesus! ☺
I pray that fresh perspective brought encouragement to you also!
