What does it mean to be right in God's eyes?
I've always thought it meant to do God's will as revealed in the scriptures. Keep the covenant rules and you are righteous. But then Jesus came along and brought a new kind of righteousness, not by rule keeping or commandment, but by a changed heart.
Psalm 15 asks who can stand before holy God in His worship tent. Then it lists righteous actions that make a person worthy to join the worship gathering.
Psalm 15:1-5 NIV
Lord , who may dwell in your sacred tent?
I've always thought it meant to do God's will as revealed in the scriptures. Keep the covenant rules and you are righteous. But then Jesus came along and brought a new kind of righteousness, not by rule keeping or commandment, but by a changed heart.
Psalm 15 asks who can stand before holy God in His worship tent. Then it lists righteous actions that make a person worthy to join the worship gathering.
Psalm 15:1-5 NIV
Lord , who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
None of us do everything perfectly. We fail at being righteous. In fact, until Jesus transforms our hearts, we stay enslaved to unrighteous motives and behaviors. It's why we need a Savior. But when one has invited Christ into their heart, Jesus begins to make changes giving us His righteousness so that the motivations of our hearts are His.
It is Christ who makes us worthy to stand before holy God. His blood shed makes us holy. His resurrection gives us the opportunity for new life. A changed heart has grace to want and to do God's will.
Matthew 5:6 NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
None of us do everything perfectly. We fail at being righteous. In fact, until Jesus transforms our hearts, we stay enslaved to unrighteous motives and behaviors. It's why we need a Savior. But when one has invited Christ into their heart, Jesus begins to make changes giving us His righteousness so that the motivations of our hearts are His.
It is Christ who makes us worthy to stand before holy God. His blood shed makes us holy. His resurrection gives us the opportunity for new life. A changed heart has grace to want and to do God's will.
Matthew 5:6 NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
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