Let me ask you something: How do you become righteous before God?
Is it by doing all the right things? Praying enough? Reading your Bible every day? Going to church? Serving in ministry? Being good enough, kind enough, holy enough?
If you answered yes to any of those, I need you to hear this:
That’s not how righteousness works.
Righteousness isn’t about doing right. It’s about being in right standing with God—and that is only made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ.
You don’t earn it. You don’t work for it. You don’t prove yourself worthy of it.
You receive it. By faith. The moment you believe.
Romans 3:22 says it plainly: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
Not to all who perform. Not to all who achieve. To all who believe.
The Prodigal Son: A Robe He Didn’t Earn
One of the most powerful pictures of righteousness in the Bible is the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.
You know the story. The younger son takes his inheritance, wastes it all on wild living, and ends up broke, broken, and feeding pigs just to survive. When he finally comes to his senses, he decides to go home—not as a son, but as a servant.
He rehearses his speech: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18-19).
But here’s what wrecks me every time: the father never lets him finish that speech.
Luke 15:20-22 says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.'”
Did you catch that?
The father didn’t say, “Go clean yourself up first.”
He didn’t say, “Prove yourself for a few months, and then we’ll talk about your sonship.”
He didn’t say, “You need to work your way back into my good graces.”
No. The father ran to him. Embraced him. And immediately clothed him with the best robe—a robe of honor, a robe of righteousness—before the son could even finish his apology.
That robe wasn’t earned. It was given.
And the son didn’t receive it because of what he did. He received it because of who he was: the father’s son.
That’s how righteousness works. Not by works. Not by performance. By coming to the Father and receiving what He’s already freely offering.
Righteousness Is About Identity, Not Performance
Here’s what the enemy doesn’t want you to understand: Righteousness comes from a place of identity in Christ.
You are the bride of Christ. You are a son or daughter of the Most High God. That is who you are, and nothing—NOTHING—can change that.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Read that again. In Him, we BECOME the righteousness of God.
Not “we try really hard to be righteous.” Not “we work toward righteousness.” We ARE the righteousness of God in Christ.
That’s your identity. That’s who you are. And the devil absolutely hates that truth.
So what does he do? He weaponizes shame.
He shifts your focus from your identity in Christ to your failures. From your position as a child of God to your performance as a struggling human. From the robe you’re wearing to the mud on your shoes.
And suddenly, instead of resting in who you are, you’re scrambling to prove you’re good enough. You’re trying to earn what’s already been given. You’re working for approval you already have.
That’s not freedom. That’s bondage.
Conviction vs. Condemnation: Knowing the Difference
Let me show you something that changed my life. It’s 2 Corinthians 7:10:
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
There are two kinds of grief over sin: godly grief and worldly grief.
Godly grief is conviction. It’s the Holy Spirit gently saying, “That wasn’t right. Let Me help you turn from that.” Conviction leads to repentance, restoration, and freedom. It leaves no regret because it brings you closer to God.
Worldly grief is shame. It’s condemnation. It’s the enemy screaming, “You’re worthless. You’re a failure. You’ll never change. God’s done with you.” Shame doesn’t lead to repentance—it leads to death. Hopelessness. Paralysis. Hiding from God instead of running to Him.
Here’s how you tell them apart:
Conviction says, “That was wrong.” (Your identity in Christ stays intact.)
Condemnation says, “You’re wrong.” (Your identity comes under fire.)
Conviction points you to Jesus. Condemnation pushes you away from Him.
Conviction reminds you you’re a beloved child who made a mistake. Condemnation tells you you’re a mistake.
And friend, that is a lie straight from the pit of hell.
Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
No. Condemnation.
Let me break down what that word means, because it’s so powerful.
Condemnation means a guilty verdict. It’s the pronouncement of judgment. It’s the judge’s gavel coming down and declaring, “Guilty as charged.”
When the Bible says there is no condemnation for those in Christ, it means there is no guilty verdict for the things you’ve done. The case has been dismissed. The charges have been dropped. The penalty has been paid in full by Jesus.
You are not standing in a courtroom waiting for God to decide if you’re guilty or not. The verdict is already in: Not guilty. Acquitted. Justified.
If you’re hearing condemnation—if you’re hearing that guilty verdict over and over in your mind—that’s not God’s voice. That’s the enemy trying to steal your identity and keep you stuck in shame.
“There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood”
There’s an old hymn called “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” written by William Cowper in 1772. It’s a beautiful, powerful song about the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood.
But here’s what most people don’t know: William Cowper struggled deeply with shame and condemnation. He battled mental illness and, at times, even questioned whether he was truly saved. The weight of his guilt and shame nearly drove him to insanity.
But God met him in that darkness and brought healing. And out of that healing came this hymn.
One of the most powerful lines says:
“The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my guilty stains away.”
That phrase—“wash all my guilty stains away”—is so important.
The guilt that comes with sin should not stain us. It should move us to repent and then leave completely.
Jesus’ blood doesn’t just cover our sin—it washes it away. It removes the stain. It cleanses us completely.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
All unrighteousness. All guilt. All shame.
The blood of Jesus doesn’t leave a trace. It doesn’t leave you “sort of clean” or “mostly forgiven.” It leaves you completely spotless.
So when the enemy tries to remind you of your past, you remind him of the blood. When shame tries to stain you, you declare the truth: I am washed. I am clean. I am righteous in Christ.
You’re Wearing a Robe of Righteousness
Isaiah 61:10 says, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.”
You’re not standing before God in your own filthy rags, hoping He’ll accept you. You’re clothed in His righteousness.
And let me tell you something: that robe looks so good on you.
It’s not something you earned. It’s not something you’re trying to hold onto by being good enough. It’s something He freely gave you the moment you believed.
Revelation 19:8 says, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)”
Your righteousness isn’t based on your acts—it’s based on His. It’s His righteousness covering you. His goodness. His perfection.
You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Say it. Believe it. Walk in it.
Renewing Your Mind Takes Time
Now, I need to be real with you about something.
If you’ve been identifying with shame for a long time—if condemnation has been your constant companion—one reading of this blog isn’t going to magically rewire your brain.
You’re going to have to reinforce the truth every time a lie pops up.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Renewing your mind is a process. It takes repetition. It takes speaking truth over yourself again and again until the lies lose their power.
Every time the enemy whispers, “You’re not righteous. You’re a failure. You’re disqualified,” you have to stop and speak the Word:
“I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”
Every time shame tries to creep back in, you remind yourself:
“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.”
Every time you feel like you have to earn God’s approval, you declare:
“I am clothed in a robe of righteousness that I did not earn and cannot lose.”
This is spiritual warfare. And the battlefield is your mind.
But here’s the good news: the more you speak truth, the weaker the lies become.
Activation: Speak Righteousness Over Yourself
Right now, I want you to say these truths out loud. Let them sink deep into your spirit. Let them drown out every lie the enemy has whispered.
Say this with me:
“I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“There is no condemnation for me because I am in Christ.” (Romans 8:1)
“I have been clothed with garments of salvation and arrayed in a robe of righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:10)
“I am justified by faith, and I have peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
“I am washed. I am cleansed. I am made new.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
“The blood of Jesus has removed every stain of guilt and shame from my life.” (1 John 1:7)
“I am a child of God, and nothing can change that.” (John 1:12)
“I am accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)
“I stand before God not in my own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ.” (Philippians 3:9)
Now say it again. And tomorrow, when the lies come back, say it again. And the next day, and the next.
Reinforce the truth until your mind is fully renewed.
You Look Good in That Robe
Friend, you are not disqualified. You are not too broken. You are not beyond redemption.
You are righteous.
Not because of what you’ve done, but because of what Jesus did. Not because you earned it, but because He freely gave it.
You’re wearing a robe of righteousness, and it looks so good on you.
So stop trying to earn what you already have. Stop working for approval you’ve already been given.
Rest in your identity as a beloved child of God. Walk in the righteousness that is already yours.
And every time shame tries to remind you of who you were, you remind the enemy of who you are:
The righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
