Many Christians think that God looks at their works. But that is not true.

Jesus only looks for one thing:

MATTHEW 9 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.””

God does not look at the works of people because nobody can be righteous by their works (Romans 3:9-23). Man’s works are nothing compared to Jesus and therefore God cannot relate to man based on works.

Therefore the only way to be forgiven all sins (made righteous and holy) is by faith in Jesus and not works!

Romans 4 “ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness…..apart from works:…..for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Jesus did all the works required under the law so that His righteousness is given to us.

How did that happen? He died for our sins so that we are forgiven by faith in Jesus.

Sin is the failure to be perfect in works – and nobody can do it.

To believe in Jesus means that we do not trust in our morality/repentance/confessions/works/efforts/etc….but only trust that Jesus did everything to save us.

When we believe in Jesus, God sees that our sins are forgiven on the cross.

God does not see sin in the believer because Christ came to live in us AFTER taking away/forgiving our sins.

John 17 ” ²⁶ I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them…..²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.”

God does not look at our works. He only sees Jesus in us.

We died with Christ and were raised perfectly sinless and righteous in Him.

Colossians 2 “¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,”

All our sins and works died on the cross because Jesus did all the righteous works required.

He died and rose again to make us righteous.

When God sees our faith in Jesus, He forgave our sins and only sees the sinless righteous perfect Jesus in us!

This is why He does not command works to anybody but only looks for faith in Jesus.

Those who reject Christ perish in their sins because they did not receive the forgiveness of sins.

But everyone who believes in Jesus receives the forgiveness of sins and God sees only the Righteousness of Christ in them. He does not see their works or sins because Jesus took it away and replaced it with His Righteousness.