Heidelberg 59-61 Grace and righteousness

 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Be ye holy for I am holy.  (Leviticus 11:44; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).  

Thoughts: The Christian's quest is to be holy, just, righteous, and good- because God is.  To hunger and thirst for righteousness is our goal and leads us to heaven.  We are not made righteous by our own efforts alone- trying harder and harder.  God awakens us to Him- when we are dead in sin to Him- blind to Him.  Christ's righteousness is passed to us by His sacrifice on the cross.  We make the cross real to us when we believe. 

Prayer: Lord, pour grace upon me that I may be holy as you are. 

Q & A 59

Q. What good does it do you, however,
to believe all this?

A. In Christ I am righteous before God
and heir to life everlasting.1

1 John 3:36; Rom. 1:17 (Hab. 2:4); Rom. 5:1-2

Q & A 60

Q. How are you righteous before God? 

A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.1 Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them,2 and of still being inclined toward all evil,3 nevertheless, without any merit of my own,4 out of sheer grace,5 God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and  holiness of Christ,6 as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.7 All I need to do is accept this gift with a believing heart.8

1 Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil 3:8-11
2 Rom. 3:9-10
3 Rom. 7:23
4 Tit. 3:4-5
5 Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8
6 Rom. 4:3-5 (Gen. 15:6); 2 Cor. 5:17-19; 1 John 2:1-2
7 Rom. 4:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:21
8 John 3:18; Acts 16:30-31

Q & A 61

Q. Why do you say that through faith alone you are righteous?

A. Not because I please God by the worthiness of my faith. It is because only Christ’s  satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me righteous before God,1 and because I can accept this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than through faith.2

1 1 Cor. 1:30-31
2 Rom. 10:10; 1 John 5:10-12