We are not perfect in behavior- at times we make mistakes but thank God that Jesus has saved us!

Romans 7 “24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! “

It is because righteousness is given to those who don’t run after it but those who trust in what Jesus did on the cross!

There is no fear of judgment for believers because we are now God’s beloved children.

Romans 8 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus….For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

We are righteous by God’s grace through faith in Christ and not by our efforts or works!

Romans 9 “16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.“30…the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; 31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law.”

Jesus came to call sinners and not the righteous.

Mark 2 ” ¹⁶ The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Matthew 21 ” ²⁸ But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ ²⁹ He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. ³⁰ He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.”

But once you believe in Christ, then He calls us righteous and perfect in Christ.

Hebrews 10 “¹⁰ by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, ¹² but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. “

Romans 4 “⁴ Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. ⁵ But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. ….. to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.”